On 11 February, the European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EAfA) organised the live discussion ‘What does quality mean in practice? Integrating the apprentice’s perspective’.

The EAfA event explored how vocational education and training (VET) stakeholders perceive the concept of quality apprenticeships. The live discussion also highlighted the importance of apprentices’ perspective.

Tamas Varnai, VET and Apprenticeships Policy Officer at the European Commission, opened the event and talked about the 14 criteria for quality apprenticeships set out in the Council Recommendation on a European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships. Varnai also highlighted EAfA’s role in delivering this framework.

The live discussion also included the following speakers:

• Juliana Laskowski, European Apprentices Network
• Kara Keeneghan, Apprentice Manager at the ESB Networks Training Centre
• Maria Angeles Ruiz Gámez, ESMOVIA, Spain
• Tadej Gartner, VET Provider at school centre Škofja Loka, Slovenia

The event participants discussed various essential components of quality apprenticeships, including permanent work contracts, international certification, technical skills, professional development, and job satisfaction.

Among the challenges for implementing quality apprenticeships, participants pointed out that it is important to ensure a stimulating work environment where apprentices are valued both during and after their apprenticeship. Participants also discussed the need to improve the image of apprenticeships and agreed that international mobility is an essential tool to achieve this aim.

The live discussion was followed by a question-and-answer session, where participants shared good practice examples on how companies and VET providers can continue to ensure quality during the pandemic, and how the green and digital transitions are shaping the future of apprenticeships.

See the ‘Related documents’ section below to download the full report of the discussion. You can also watch the event recording.