European Network on Quality Assurance in VET

1
European Network on Quality Assurance in VET

• Barbara Kelly
• Chairperson
• 16 November 2006

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Introduction

• Pleasure
• Ensuring quality within and across education and
  training systems
• Creation of High Quality Learning Environments in
  Europe
• World class

3

• Implementing a Common Quality Assurance Framework
  in VET across Europe

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VET Sector

• Diverse
• Vast number and types of providers
• Partners
• - Social partners
• - Providers
• - State/regional/local agencies
• - Higher Education
• Range of Programmes
• Learners
• Contribution
• - Economic
• - Social

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Ireland FETAC

• Providers gt 1,100
• Learners pa gt 300,000
• Awards pa gt 120,000
• Funding gt 500m

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Strengths

• Diversity
• Scale / Range
• Social Partnership Model

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QualityWho needs it ? And Why?

• Systems - accountability
• Providers - improvement culture
• Learners - customer service

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ENQA - VET Background

• Long history to
• Number of stages in
• Quality Forum
• Technical Working Group on QA in VET
• Common Quality Assurance Framework (CQAF)
• Voluntary basis

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Who / What is ENQA - VET

• Launch
• Member States (22) / Social Partners
• Board
• Commission
• CEDEFOP/Virtual Community
• European Training Foundation

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Aim

• Build sustainable cooperation and a platform
• Structured exchange
• Debate
• Foster initiatives and best practice
• Bring added valve, consistency and common
  references
• Enhance the status

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Work Programme 2006 - 7

• Thematic Groups (3)- Instruments- Indicators-
  Links with EQF/HE
• Peer Learning
• Development of Guidelines and Criteria
• Promote and review the CQAF

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Quality Assurance Reference Points

• Anchors
• National QA Reference Points (RPs)
• Survey
• Current Position (QARPs)
• Who ?

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Common Quality Assurance Framework (CQAF)

• Framework / Tool
• Develop, improve, monitor and evaluate
• 4 Pillars / Building Blocks

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Common Quality Assurance Framework (CQAF)

• Models - strategies, missions, policies,
  planning, goals, objectives, targets, feedback
• Methodologies - self assessment/evaluation
  (internal)
• Monitoring - external dimension
• Measurement - indicators, to assess effectiveness

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Recent European Developments

• ENQA VET
• Europass
• EQF
• ECVET

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Key Recommendations

• Improving the status of VET within national
  systems by embedding best quality assured
  practice
• Promoting and consolidating partnerships
  including membership of the ENQA-VET and Peer
  Learning Visits
• Implementing Common Principles at European level
  (on a voluntary basis) at national/regional/local
  level
• Joint actions - be they projects, products,
  conferences, seminars (as today)
• Contributing to the ECVET Consultation process.
  This will be underpinned by a common shared
  understanding of quality
• Supporting the building of progression pathways
  between VET and HE eg through the EQF and
  particularly in the context of ECVET.
• Promoting the EQF the EQF will be a key
  instrument which will enable countries to take
  the opportunity to reflect on their own education
  and training systems and begin to view them and
  operate them in accordance with the quality
  assured principles.

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Challenges

• Maximising stakeholder involvement
• Dissemination of information
• Resources and technical scientific support (to
  ensure the development of tools)
• Building national and European HE/VET cooperation
  contact points
• Supporting the EQF process (in terms of tools and
  guidelines)

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Lets ..

• Co-operate
• Network
• Share experience
• Maximise effort and output
• Learn from each other
• Make different and diverse contributions

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Conclusions

• Opportunity
• Ongoing dialogue
• European interest
• National interest

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• Looking forward to the
• next step
• Thank You