ECVET Network meeting 2016

Transcription

1 ECVET Network meeting June 2016, Brussels Synthesis report 25 July 2016

2 Contents 1 ECVET Network meeting 2016: 21 June, Brussels Welcome and introduction The New Skills Agenda and its main features Group discussions: The proposal for the revision of the EQF Recommendation what does it mean for ECVET? Group discussions: The Skills Guarantee what does it mean for ECVET? Discussion of a possible revision of the ECVET Recommendation Results from Riga PLA Units, modules, partial and full qualifications ECVET Work Programme for 2016 and Activities of the ECVET Secretariat Meeting of the Coordinators of National ECVET experts: ECVET Café, 22 June 2016, Brussels Welcome and introduction Information and dissemination of ECVET: on-the-ground best practice examples Annex 1 Agenda 21 June Annex 2 Agenda 22 June Annex 3 List of Coordinators of National ECVET experts ii

3 1 ECVET Network meeting 2016: 21 June, Brussels 1.1 Welcome and introduction The meeting was opened by Dana-Carmen Bachmann, Head of Unit Vocational Education and Training (VET), Apprenticeships and Adult Learning at DG EMPL. It was emphasised that this was the first formal meeting of the ECVET Network, which comprises the members of the ECVET Users Group and the Coordinators of the national teams of ECVET Experts. 1 As of 2016, the ECVET Network will meet once a year to discuss policy developments with regard to ECVET on a broader basis. The meeting was an excellent opportunity to present the main features of the New Skills Agenda for Europe, launched on 10 June , to the ECVET Network, and to discuss how ECVET can support its objectives. Within the New Skills Agenda, the Commission prepared a proposal for a Skills Guarantee Recommendation 3, aimed at helping low qualified adults develop their literacy, numeracy and digital skills. A proposal for the revision of the EQF Recommendation 4 was also presented together with the New Skills Agenda. It contains an annex on credit systems, which would be discussed in the meeting. Attendance of the ECVET Network meeting on 21 June 2016, Brussels The ECVET Network meeting was attended by 67 individuals in total, representing ECVET Users Group members and Coordinators of National ECVET experts and their replacements: 57 individuals from 29 countries (Austria, Belgium (BE-nl and BE-fr), Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey, UK); European institutions and European stakeholder organisations: Cedefop, ETUC, EQAVET Secretariat; The European Commission (DG EMPL) and the ECVET Secretariat. 1.2 The New Skills Agenda and its main features Presentation of the New Skills Agenda by DG EMPL In the DG EMPL presentation of the New Skills Agenda 5, it was mentioned that the EU has a high rate of citizens with low-level literacy skills, more frequent than in other industrial areas across the world (such as the U.S. and Japan). More than 60 million people across Europe 1 The ECVET Network meeting also served as the 16 th Users Group meeting. 2 Cf: 3 Proposal for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION on establishing a Skills Guarantee: 4 Proposal for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION on the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning and repealing the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2008 file:///c:/users/29536/downloads/com_2016_383_3_proposal_for_a_recommendation_en_v7_p1_ pdf 5 The DG EMPL presentation can be downloaded from : 1

4 don t have a qualification at upper secondary level and many employers find it difficult to find people with the right skills. The New Skills Agenda consists of a package of policy documents, including: 6 1. The New Skills Agenda Communication from the European Commission; 2. A supporting Commission Staff Working Document presenting the analytical underpinning of the New Skills Agenda (incl. technical Annexes) 3. A proposal for a Council Recommendation on establishing a Skills Guarantee 4. Annex I to the Commission Staff Working document: Tackling low skills: The Skills Guarantee 5. A proposal for the Revision of the EQF Recommendation (repealing the EQF Recommendation from 2008) 6. Annexes to the Proposal for a Revision of the EQF Council Recommendation The New Skills Agenda calls for improvements in three areas: skills supply; skills transparency and recognition; and skills demand and intelligence. Within the skills supply area, efforts to improve the general quality and attractiveness of VET across Europe are called for, to make VET a first choice for learners. This would include streamlining the governance for cooperation on VET, increasing work-based learning, supporting the development of higher VET skills, and boost VET mobility, as well as developments related to ECVET and EQAVET. The proposal for a Skills Guarantee Recommendation, presented on 10 June 2016, also feeds into improving the skills supply across Europe. It specifically focuses on boosting basic skills (literacy, numeracy and digital skills) for adults who left the education and training system without achieving an upper secondary qualification (EQF level 4) and who are not eligible for the Youth Guarantee scheme. This concerns more than 60 million people across the EU. The Skills Guarantee is intended to follow a three stage process: 1. A skills assessment (or skills audit), enabling low-qualified adults to identify their existing skills and their need to upskill; 2. The design and delivery of an education and training offer tailored to the specific situation of each individual, building on his/her existing skills; 3. The validation and recognition of the skills thus acquired. Regarding the transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications, the proposal for a d EQF revision, presented on 10 June 2016, includes a commitment to regularly updating the referencing of national qualifications levels to the EQF, and provisions to deal with third country qualifications and frameworks and international sectoral qualifications. One of the major changes is that the term competence in the EQF descriptors table will be replaced with autonomy / responsibility, as this better reflects the learning outcome descriptors. The EQF revision also intends to promote flexible learning pathways for the benefit of individual learners and to facilitate the transfer of learning outcomes and progression of learners across institutional and national borders. Annexes include common principles for quality assurance and credit systems, which countries are invited to follow when setting up credit systems lined to national qualifications frameworks. Regarding skills demand and intelligence, intensified sectoral cooperation will be launched in June In the framework of the Blueprint for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills initiative, six pilot sectors were selected: automotive, maritime technology, space, defence, textile and tourism, where EU and national platforms will be established to identify skills needs and develop concrete solutions. In addition, there will be further developments on sharing best practice to address brain drain in Within this priority area, a proposal for the revision of 6 An overview on all documents launched on 10 June 2016 can be found here: 2

5 Europass will be presented in 2016 and an action Graduate Tracking, following up graduates who have left education and training, is planned or To support awareness raising for the career opportunities VET offers, a European Vocational Skills Week will be launched in Events will take place at EU, national and local level between 5 to 9 December, involving all stakeholders. The Vocational Skills Week will showcase and award excellence in VET (both IVET and CVET). VET Ambassadors (learners who have made a successful career through VET) will also play a role in promoting VET during this week. While there is no specific budget or other resources from European level, the Commission sees that many countries have already reacted and put in place events and activities during the Vocational Skills Week Questions & Answers session Following the presentation of the New Skills Agenda by the Commission, participants had the opportunity to address questions to Commission. Q: What is the current status of the proposals? COM: The Skills Guarantee and the EQF revision are COM proposals; they will now be discussed within the Council. The Europass revision will also take this form to be presented to Member States during The Slovak Presidency has decided to hold the negotiations within the Education Council. Furthermore, COM has already made a preliminary presentation of the proposal to the High Level group on Education and Training. In this context, the Commission asked delegates liaise with their national authorities about the proposed. Q: Can you already provide more information on the suggested Skills Profile Tool Kit for Third Country Nationals? COM: The aim of this toolkit is to allow a rapid screening of migrants skills and qualifications; it will be launched later this year. This toolkit will be based on the Europass model, and a preliminary prototype has already been discussed during a recent EQF Advisory Group peer learning activity in The Hague (NL). Q: Can you provide more information on the suggested Blueprint for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills? How have the six suggested sectors been chosen? How will we make sure that the initiative will receive support from the national level? COM: The six selected sectors have been chosen in close cooperation with other COM services in charge of specific sectors, such as DG GROW and DG MARE, and based on specific criteria (sectors with strategy on their growth development in place; sectors which are well-structured at European level). Sectoral skills partnerships will be set up at EU level and then rolled out at national level. The focus is on bringing the key actors together, in order to ensure sustainability and allow for a roll-out at national level. The initiative will be supported through existing EU funding (Call on Sector Skills Alliances). Q: As for the proposed Skills Guarantee, isn t there the risk that the use of the term guarantee will make people think that it refers to a legal right, to something that citizens may legally claim? COM: The Skills Guarantee is not to be considered as a legal right which citizens can claim in court. This has also been made clear in the communication. It is up to the Member States to decide how to implement the measures. Systems need to build on existing national structures and they vary across Member States. Some Member States may even decide to focus, as a first step, on one particular segment of the target group only. Q: Is there a dedicated budget for the Skills Guarantee? COM: There is no specific additional funding proposed for the Skills Guarantee. The idea is to give a qualitative framework to invest the money on targeting low skills levels. Resources can 3

6 be found within the ESF fund, namely under the human capital strand (EUR 27 billion in seven years), which already includes action for upskilling adults. Q: Can you provide more information on the proposed action against brain drain, and how does it relate to mobility efforts? COM: There is no intention whatsoever of creating obstacles to mobility. On the contrary, mobility is very much emphasised. This proposed action is rather about engaging in a dialogue on the extent of the problem of brain drain, if there is any, and on which countries are affected. Q: Can you provide more information on the status quo of the Europass revision? There is some uncertainty as to what this entails. COM: Due to timing issues, it was not possible to present the proposed Europass revision together with the New Skills Agenda in June, as originally intended. The idea is to bring together in the Europass portal all online services on skills and qualifications, The overarching aim is to help people make informed career and learning choices, e.g. through the integration of such as the Skills Panorama tool. This is a radical change of the Europass concept.. The current Europass services will be kept, but the revision will probably not provide detailed indications on the format of the Europass documents. Q: What are the implications of renaming the third column of the EQF descriptor table from competence into responsibility/autonomy in the proposed revision of the EQF Recommendation? COM: There are no particular implications. The text of the level descriptors remains unchanged. The renaming of the column merely better reflects how the column is actually used in EQF referencing. Q: About the coordination of activities at national level: is it true that there shall be one unit at national level, in the future, to coordinate activities related to the EQF, Euroguidance and Europass? Shouldn t it be up to Member States to decide whether to have one single contact point or not? COM: The New Skills Agenda document only states that the coordination of bodies in the area of skills and communication shall be reviewed, with the overall aim of creating a more coherent uniform approach, and to encourage a single interface for several European initiatives. This will be further discussed following the Europass proposal. 1.3 Group discussions: The proposal for the revision of the EQF Recommendation what does it mean for ECVET? General perceptions about the proposal for the revision of the EQF Recommendation and linkages with ECVET In two parallel group discussions, the ECVET Secretariat presented key aspects of the suggested proposal for a Council Recommendation on the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning, repealing the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2008 on the establishment of the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning. The new EQF Recommendation proposal includes a set of new definitions, including relating to credit systems, common principles on quality assurance and on credit systems and referencing criteria and procedures. The objective is to support flexible learning pathways and seamless transitions. Workshop participants were invited to discuss the implications of the proposed changes for ECVET. The discussions in both groups were characterized by a degree of uncertainty among participants about how to interpret the meaning of certain aspects in the Commission proposal. Overall, it was felt that the EQF revision proposal will strengthen the ECVET principles, and that it is a positive way forward to meet the overall objectives of the New Skills Agenda. 4

7 Participants generally supported the idea of a common format for describing qualifications and pointed out that EQF and ECVET should use the same approach. The groups however had mixed views regarding the clarity of the provided definitions. Some participant found them much clearer than the old definitions - linking well to the principle of learning outcomes. Others found the definition of a credit system 7 unclear and quite broad. A proper definition should outline what features needs to be in place for a full-blown credit system, as arrangements for transfer of LO can also be in place without credit systems. In both groups, it was discussed whether the wording of the proposal can be considered a signal for more flexibility towards Member States with regard to the setup of a credit system; and an attempt to capture the existing variations between countries and segments of education and training. It was largely agreed that the difference between credit and credit points is theoretical and does not necessarily apply in practice. Credit points within ECVET have not been taken up by many practitioners. However use of credit points does have an added value within a country as it can offer transparency about qualifications, their weighting and what an individual should be able to demonstrate. The new principles for credit systems refer to expressing the level of credit acquired, which as ECVET experience shows could prove difficult to put in practice. There was agreement that the EQF principles for credit systems complement and do not replace the ECVET principles, which apply to all countries, with or without credit systems. The annex, and the new emphasis coming out of the New Skills Agenda and the Skills Guarantee, may provide the opportunity for reflection on how ECVET can support improving, besides VET mobility, lifelong learning in general which is likely to involve systemic reforms The group also discussed the role of ECVET and it is largely seen as a set of principles and not necessarily a system, as it may have been originally intended. It was agreed that it is commonly used as a guiding framework with key principles. This was particularly the case in the UK and Norway. There was concern about the change from competence to autonomy and responsibility within the third column as VET providers have just got used to using the words knowledge, skills and competence. It is therefore questionable if they will understand the change and use it going forward. In some countries the usage may depend on the buy-in from stakeholders, such as social partners Emerging conclusions The following areas were highlighted as requiring further discussion and development: The link between the EQF annex on credit system and the ECVET recommendation needs further work. Indeed it is not entirely clear why credit principles are included in the EQF recommendation and what this signals. There is further work required to ensure that all stakeholders have a common understanding of a credit system. The definition in the EQF proposal is rather broad and there is a need to have something in place that also equally applies to countries that don t have credit systems. The recent work of the ECVET Users Group (Working Group) on units of learning outcomes (and assessment) is extremely useful and represents the latest thinking on the subject. The results of this work should be used to support the discussion. 7 P. 8 of the Annex to the Recommendation on principles for credit systems related to the European Qualifications Framework 5

8 The existing templates are sufficient but it is important to make sure that they are maintained and updated. Future developments should clarify who owns them and whose responsibility is it to disseminate them. The suggested change in the EQF s third column has the potential to cause confusion at grassroots level. There is potential for learning outcomes to link to ESCO and Europass but this needs further discussion. There is the on-going question the future of ECVET. Yet it is clear that there is a need for a tool to enhance mobility and promote units of learning outcomes, as ECVET does. An expert group could be established to discuss and advise the Commission on the synergies and linkages between the different tools/initiatives, in particular EQF, ECVET, Europass and ESCO. Such an expert group had already been proposed in the context of the European Area of Skills and Qualifications (EASQ). This would include representatives from Member States and stakeholders. 1.4 Group discussions: The Skills Guarantee what does it mean for ECVET? In two parallel group discussions, the ECVET Network discussed key aspects of the proposal for a Council Recommendation on establishing a Skills Guarantee. The initial impressions of the participants were largely positive. However some members of the group did not see its added value and suggest that it could be challenging and an extra burden for their already stretched resources especially in those countries where the migrant crisis has put a lot of pressure on Member States, including on their training systems. Stakeholder buy-in was seen as important to develop the Skills Guarantee further. Several countries (FI, SE, NO, NL) already have similar processes in place. Therefore it is not a matter of reinventing the wheel; instead it is building on existing relationships and practices. Indeed, in such countries it was unclear where the Skills Guarantee would differ from existing initiatives and whether this would be of any extra added value in their national context (or on the contrary generate ultimate burdens or confusion). According to most participants, the question was difficult to address as the needs for, and the implementation of, the Skills Guarantee may greatly differ from one country to another. For instance, whilst skills assessment (audit) measures exist in some countries this remains to be developed in others. Also, some participants expressed concerns referring to important sets of reforms that have been recently introduced in the field of VET in their countries. Literacy, numeracy and digital skills were seen as basic skills of paramount importance for an individual s career. However, it was unclear to participants at which level these should be and if they should be integrated into VET qualifications, be independent of VET qualifications or be outside of VET qualifications General perceptions about the proposal for a Skills Guarantee and linkages with ECVET The ECVET Network agreed that ECVET has the potential to provide a framework for different stakeholders and actors to work together on implementing the Skills Guarantee. Some participants noted that many features of the scheme seem to be compatible with ECVET. Others added that lessons learnt from ECVET will certainly be valuable to inform the development/designing of the Skills Guarantee in their countries. In particular, ECVET experience offers the Skills Guarantee expertise and a detailed understanding of accumulation of learning, recognition and using different flexible learning pathways. The Skills Guarantee could also provide an opportunity to extend the scope of application of ECVET principles and address the needs to further target groups, e.g. migrants. However, at this stage it didn t appear possible to form a clear idea of operational interactions between the Skills Guarantee and ECVET. 6

9 Several participants emphasised that in their country ECVET is primarily used for the purpose of geographical mobility whilst in others it is also commonly referred to in processes supporting the validation of prior learning. Overall it was concluded that in this discussion it is important to put ECVET into context (i.e. in the light of national specificities but also considering it in a wider context, not reducing it as a tool for the sole purpose of geographical mobility). Validation and recognition processes in the remit of the Skills Guarantee were discussed (paragraphs 9-10 of the proposal for a Council Recommendation). Similarly to the above, these dimensions were considered difficult to discuss (and to implement) by most participants. Whilst it was admitted that existing arrangements at country level could possibly support this, the recognition and validation of third country nationals learning outcomes were pointed out as an issue. Widening the intended target groups (including migrants/refugees) for this type of activity was perceived as a task that would take time and not be as easy to implement. More generally, in the discussion about validation and recognition processes, an important matter of concern raised by many participants was the reference to EQF level 4 to be ultimately attained by the beneficiaries of the Skills Guarantee. Some countries pointed out that employers often ask for level 3 qualifications Emerging conclusions The general conclusion was that the Skills Guarantee could be an opportunity for ECVET at national level for: Widening its scope (e.g. addressing wider target groups of learners) Supporting vertical mobility in VET in addition to geographical mobility Clarifying the roles of and systematising cooperation among key stakeholders (national authorities, public employment services, social partners, VET practitioners, etc). Meanwhile it was considered that: It was difficult to draw key conclusions at a time when the New Skills Agenda (and the Skills Guarantee) has just been issued In regard to the Skills Guarantee, national specificities (including on-going reforms and possible individual constraints) should be taken into account. 1.5 Discussion of a possible revision of the ECVET Recommendation The Commission outlined that it is important to reflect on the importance of having a tool like ECVET at EU level. The external evaluation of ECVET had concluded that it supports increasing the quality of mobility and supporting reforms towards flexible pathways, though very few cases of system reform had occurred. The Commission was considering two main options to revise ECVET: Present separate proposals to amend or replace the current ECVET and EQAVET Recommendations (mid 2017); or Develop a proposal for a recommendation on VET modernisation (end 2017/early 2018), which would include provisions for issues now addressed by ECVET and EQAVET Key points for further discussion The participants were encouraged to reflect and to think outside the box, to identify key points for further discussion. The following key areas/points emerged: Scope/nature and purpose of ECVET There is no clear/common understanding on the nature of ECVET: a technical framework vs. credit system vs. set of principles, a mobility tool, a system tool, a tool to develop qualifications, or a tool for individual learners. Some argued that ECVET cannot be 7

10 considered as an operative credit system, but rather as a framework. Others stated that ECVET should not be referred to as a framework, but rather as a set of principle designed to support open and flexible pathways. The ECVET Recommendation is in fact very multifaceted and with different strands: mobility, lifelong learning, modernisation, and flexibility of the system. It should not be reduced to one singular purpose, such as geographical mobility, as these strands are interrelated. Experience shows that the more flexible systems are, the easier it is to organise high-quality longer mobility periods. Is there a need for a European-level initiative? Countries may use those ECVET principles, which they consider useful, without implementing ECVET as a system ( promote the principles and tools, get rid of the name ). European tools like ECVET can help solve international problems, and they can also help to solve common national problems, which occur in many countries (examples mentioned: immigrants who cannot get their qualifications recognised; employers who cannot make sense of the applications in front of them; a worker made redundant after 20 years, struggling to get his work experience recognized). Discussion at European level may help national development on this front. Successful elements of ECVET Units of learning outcomes, Memorandum of Understanding and Learning Agreements are the truly successful elements of ECVET. They have been successful in helping to improve the quality of mobility in VET. The sending and host organisation, together with the individual, design, implement and follow up their experiences much more clearly Problem statements The ECVET Network was reminded that, when considering the future of ECVET, it is important to keep in mind the bigger picture and the following questions: 1. What problem does ECVET intend to solve? 2. Why is it needed? 3. What does it do that cannot be done through other means? 4. What do we need to develop to solve the outstanding problems? A quick written survey among all participants revealed five problems that citizens may experience during their learning pathways, which ECVET may help to address: An individual wants to change the learning pathway in education and training, but they do not want to start from scratch. Education providers that send learners abroad want to ensure mobility is of good quality. A mobile learner would like to get their learning outcomes acquired abroad recognised in their home country. Migrants, or unemployed individuals would like to get their skills, competences or prior qualifications recognised. Employers would like to understand a CV from a migrant worker, or a migrant/mobile worker would like their employer to fully understand their CV. It was agreed that these problem statements would be used to guide further discussions about the revision of ECVET and its main features, namely within the working group that would hold their preliminary meeting on the following day. The problems statements can be used to check in how far ECVET helps solve these problems, and how it can be improved to better address these problems Roadmap for a possible revision of the ECVET Recommendation The Commission is deliberately seeking the views of Member States and stakeholders at a very early stage, as it considers that such views are necessary even to decide with kind of 8

11 action to undertake. This preliminary debate will involve comprehensive policy groups such as the Advisory Committee on Vocational Training (ACVT) and the Directors General for Vocational and Educational Training (DGVT) as well as more specialised groups such as the Users Group. An ECVET Working Group will be established. A first preliminary meeting will take place on 22 June and the first full meeting will be held on 15 September, followed by another meeting on 15 November. The timetable for the revision depends upon the actions that are agreed. If a separate proposal is required it will be produced in mid However, if it is to be incorporated into a wider VET recommendation this will be between the end of 2017 or start of 2018, as this would require more thorough debate with a larger number of bodies. 1.6 Results from Riga PLA Units, modules, partial and full qualifications The recent Peer Learning Activity (PLA) in Riga, Latvia, looked at the outcomes and on-going VET reforms in Latvia, along with new forms of employer engagement (Sector Expert Councils). Seven countries (Czech Republic, Germany, Finland, Latvia, Poland, Sweden and the UK) shared experiences and discussed the topic in depth. The following points emerged from the PLA: Modular and holistic approaches are largely theoretical extremes, the national experiences showed that it can be hard to pin point a system s approach. Credit can be given in the form of recognised training time, or in the form of points related to a unit/module but ultimately the competences achieved by the learner is the real focus. Unitised systems usually foresee different ways of accumulating units to achieve a full qualification. In many countries, these arrangements include the validation of non-formal and informal learning, especially in CVET and adult education. The transfer of units between qualifications or learning pathways is less common. Awarding bodies may look at learners achievements on learning outcomes, but not on the level of units, as this enhances the different options of transferability given that units may be more difficult to transfer across qualifications. Importantly, stakeholder collaboration is needed throughout the process (including labour market actors). This includes in the process of designing qualifications and writing learning outcomes. Clear and common standards on writing learning outcomes are really important for the learner. Mutual trust is key. This is especially so where assessment standards are concerned. It was mentioned that agreements on validation and recognition on a sectoral level would enhance learners chances for the transfer of learning outcomes from one learning context to another. 1.7 ECVET Work Programme for 2016 and Work Programme 2016 and 2017 Due to changes around the policy agenda related to the launch of the New Skills Agenda, the ECVET Work Programme for 2016 has been revised since previously highlighted at the 15 th Users Group meeting. For 2016, focus will be on the Working Group and the Annual Forum. Consequently, the remaining PLAs for 2016 have been postponed until The 2016 Annual Forum will take place in Rome on 11 October. The Users Group will meet on 12/10, the day after the Annual Forum. The User s Group Working Group will meet on 15/09 and 15/11. 9

12 Table 1.1 Revised Annual Work Programme 2016 ECVET WORK PLAN 2016 JAN FEB MAR APR MAI JUN JUL AGO SEP OCT NOV DEZ 25 (Bru) 21(Bru) 12(Rome) (Bru) 5 (Bru) X 22 (Bru) 15-16(Bru) 15(Bru) 11 (Rome) (Riga) R (Bilbao) 15 (Cyprus) R X:cancelled R:to be rescheduled Users Group Meeting (UGM) Coord. Expert Network Meeting (ENM) Working Group Meeting (WGM) Forum ECVET 2017 Peer Learning Activity (PLA) In 2017, the PLAs are likely to take place in Cyprus (February), Bilbao (May) and Warsaw (September) followed by the Annual Forum in October. The contents for the PLAs that are currently planned were set by the Users Group in previous meetings (14 th and 15 th UGM 8 ). However the topics for the PLAs postponed until 2017 (Cyprus and Bilbao) could change, depending on policy developments and outcomes from the 2016 Annual Forum. In addition, in 2017 there will be three Working Group meetings (April, June and October) and a meeting of the ECVET Network and the Coordinators of the national teams of ECVET Experts in June Due to the nature of the PLAs as an opportunity for intensive discussion, exchange and mutual learning between restricted numbers of participants (20 individuals per PLA) it is not possible to invite representatives from all Member States. It was clarified that the invitation process for PLAs will follow the below steps: The first step is that DG EMPL and the ECVET Secretariat will make a pre-selection of countries that are known to have interesting practices to illustrate the topic of the PLA, and to compare and contrast with the host country practice. These countries receive a direct invitation. This step will determine ca. two thirds of the PLA participants. As a second step, an will be sent to the Users Group, asking those countries that were not directly invited to express interest and put forward interesting practices to share and discuss. DG EMPL and the ECVET secretariat will make a selection of those countries that express interest through this call. This step will determine ca. the final third of the PLA participants Annual ECVET Forum 2016 in Rome This year s Annual Forum will take place in Rome on 11 October The Annual Forum will be combined with the 17 th Users Group meeting that will take place on 12 October The Annual Forum will be a one day event and it intends to look at the role of ECVET in enhancing VET quality and modernisation. Three topics will be in focus: Learner s mobility, upskilling adults, and work-based learning and apprenticeships. It will be discussed how ECVET can contribute to achieving to the quality to each of these areas. This will then lead to further pointers for the future of ECVET, and for a possible revision. The Annual Forum will also hear testimonials from learners, employers or VET providers to find out how ECVET has added value to their work/learning pathways. There was a concern from the Network that discussing the future of ECVET may not be appropriate to all of the Annual Forum s attendees as some will be far less familiar with ECVET 8 See summary report from 15 th Users Group Meeting. 10

13 than others. One suggestion to address this was that a short refresher or information session on ECVET for beginners/newcomers may be useful for those participants who are less familiar with the topic. Importantly, prior to the meeting, there needs to be clear communication on who can/should attend which meeting(s) and where and when these will be held. 1.8 Activities of the ECVET Secretariat ECVET Secretariat website The ECVET Secretariat, as the new contractor to the Commission to support the implementation of the Annual ECVET Work programme, has taken over the ECVET Team (ecvet-team.eu) website. Hence the URL has changed to The ECVET Secretariat is currently re-designing the website. The website will have a new look and feel, which takes into consideration the feedback obtained from the Users Group during the 15 th UGM, and an online survey which has been available website since March The re-designed website will also have the following new, or improved, features: Community of Practice partner search using the contents of the current Community of Practice to make a visible list of the organisations working with ECVET; The ECVET Mobility Toolkit will be more prominently integrated into the website; A new event registration tool has been developed A central knowledge hub containing useful research and project reports; Calendar of events for European and national events; Expert support promoting the services of the ECVET Secretariat, who can provide tailored support via national training, information and communication activities or sectoral activities. Below is a preview of the new look and the main features that will be presented on the home page. 11

14 It is intended for the website to go live in late July/August. If in the meantime, the ECVET Network has any comments on a more general level then the online survey is still available and the ECVET Secretariat can consider them for inclusion ECVET Magazine The next ECVET Magazine will be published beginning of July. For future issues, the ECVET Secretariat welcomes ideas for articles or news items. The Secretariat is happy to edit or work with members of the Network to draft an article Any other business Written comments on the discussion note on a possible revision of the ECVET Recommendation (circulated by the COM before the meeting) are welcome. The deadline is 22 July The note, along with this meeting report, will be available on the ECVET Secretariat website. All presentations held during the meeting were also uploaded. There will be opportunities for written contributions to the discussion to complement forthcoming meetings. 12

15 2 Meeting of the Coordinators of National ECVET experts: ECVET Café, 22 June 2016, Brussels 2.1 Welcome and introduction In an opening statement, the European Commission (DG EMPL) stated that this is the first formal meeting of the Coordinators of National ECVET Experts. Meetings between ECVET national coordinators have taken place before informally via joint events and peer learning activities but it is important to also have formal opportunities for the coordinators to get together. The Commission recognises the importance of having close contact with national coordinators as they are more likely to be aware of what the issues are on the ground, and it is important to secure the flow of information between European and national level. Hence, aim of the meeting was to exchange information and experiences between all parties present. Coordinators were asked to send links to materials to the ECVET Secretariat so that they can update the ECVET Mobility Toolkit with the latest materials. Such material should respond to a few pre-conditions: Materials must still be accessible online; Materials should be available in English (other languages are complementary and will be referenced where possible e.g. through providing a link to the page where all languages are accessible); Materials must be relevant to one or more aspects of the ECVET Mobility Toolkit (e.g. before-during-after mobility; building partnerships; quality assurance); Permission for inclusion in the ECVET Mobility Toolkit is needed: this is easiest to achieve by providing the address of the copyright holder. National events can be published on the ECVET Secretariat website ( and coordinators should the Secretariat (ECVET-Secretariat@icfi.com) with any events they would like to promote on a broader level. Attendance of the ECVET Café on 22 June 2016, Brussels The ECVET Café was attended by the European Commission, the ECVET Secretariat and 40 representatives (coordinators and ECVET experts) from the following 25 countries: Belgium (BE-nl and BE-fr), Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey. 2.2 Information and dissemination of ECVET: on-the-ground best practice examples During the meeting, the ECVET Secretariat asked Coordinators to reflect on the most successful activity they have carried out with their teams of Experts over the last year ( ), and what the target group was for the activity. Below, a brief summary of highlighted examples is given per group of activities (events, transnational cooperation activities, individualised support, guidance documents, dissemination materials, and any other activities). 13

16 2.2.1 National Events In Cyprus, a two day working group seminar was organised for VET schools teachers, VET providers, national authorities and two international experts. The event was very practical as it worked on the creation of learning outcomes for two specific qualifications. In Finland, CIMO organises an annual round table bringing together VET teachers, VET institutions, ministries, relevant authorities and end users of ECVET. The round table also involves some experts. Participants are split into small groups to discuss a theme, national developments on the topic and the latest news. The round tables usually take place in December and they are streamed online. The most recent topic was non-formal and informal learning and previous topics have included the changing role of teachers in a learning outcome based system, VET reforms in Finland and the integration of ECVET principles In Germany, BIBB has organised an ECVET Café for the last three years. The ECVET Café brings together national Experts and VET providers who know little about the topic. Participants sit at five tables and each table discusses a different step in the ECVET process. National experts support and help to facilitate discussions at each table. Participants rotate three times in total so that they can discuss other aspects. The ECVET Café has between 50 and 60 participants in total. In Hungary, a two day training session was organised for qualification designers. It was attended by different regional stakeholders and the contents were tailored to the specific needs of participants. ISFOL, in Italy, held a networking event for 100 people. The event balanced information provision with more practically focused sessions. The morning session used a round table with regional authorities and discussed certification, implementation of ECVET steps and provided an overview of EU-level developments. The afternoon session had six tables of participants focusing on six sectors. A national expert and Erasmus+ promoter with a best practice example sat at each table. In Latvia, a 2-day tailor-made training with international ECVET experts was implemented. It involved VET competence centres and representatives of the public administration dealing with ECVET. The training led to the development of ECVET units, practical exercises, etc. In the Netherlands, CINOP organised a 2-day-event named ECVET experience that brought together Erasmus+ practitioners with national Experts to work together through specific aspects of ECVET including looking at learning outcomes and the learning agreement. They used the housewife module to explain the learning outcomes approach where by participants worked together to produce learning outcomes for the role of house wife and to estimate the EQF level. In Romania, an event named ECVET experience was held to discuss the development of a methodology for reunion and harmonisation of IVET and CVET standards (common structure and common approach) from ECVET perspective. In Italy, France and Iceland, events are often streamed online to allow more people to hear discussions and receive information. In the case of Iceland it is more convenient Transnational cooperation activities In Latvia, the Erasmus+ National Agency held a two day PLA for Experts from the Baltic countries and Finland in Riga. The event explored developments in the different countries and developed a set of recommendations for Latvian policy makers highlighting potential future actions and the experiences of nearby countries. 14

17 2.2.3 Individualised support In Hungary, tailored support is provided to Erasmus+ potential applicants via project writing seminars. Organisations with new or on-going mobility projects are able to send their work plans to ECVET Experts to receive advice from a national expert to ensure coherence with the learning outcomes principle. In Luxembourg and France, experts have spoken directly with VET trainers and mobility practitioners in schools to explain what ECVET is, how it can apply to their work and to explain the benefits Dissemination materials Germany have produced two short video tutorials in English and German. The first video explains the link between learning outcomes and Europass and aims to encourage practitioners to become more familiar with learning outcomes. The second video explains how to describe learning outcomes for apprenticeships. Similar tutorials also exist for Europass. 9 Malta also produced a short video in 2015 to explain ECVET step by step. The video explains what ECVET can provide for VET providers and students. The video has been published on the EUPA website 10 and promoted on their Facebook page Guidance documents Finland is working on a work place instructors guide, and a student and a tutor mobility guide. These deal with mobility (what to do and what to expect) and include ECVET principles, information on how to use the ECVET templates. The guides will be available online on the CIMO website. 11 France have produced a practical guide for VET providers ( Vademecum ) that aims to help VET institutions to organise mobility where learners achievements are recognised. 12 In Germany, the National ECVET experts have developed a joint policy paper called Establishing ECVET in German Vocational Education and Training: Facilitating Mobility Easing Transfer Supporting Innovation: Recommendations of the German National Team of ECVET Experts, which contains an analysis of the added value of using ECVET in German VET (learner s mobility and beyond. 13 The paper addresses medium-level policy makers and contains recommendations for the implementation of ECVET. Latvia have also prepared guidelines with recommendations for policy makers on the implementation of ECVET. Norway have prepared templates for Memorandum of Understanding and Learning Agreement for mobility projects Other activities Following the CPU (certification by units) VET-reform, Belgium-fr is working with sector organisations to develop professional profiles for unitised qualifications. Bulgaria have used the ECVET principles to begin to build a bridge between education and business by using competency models, learning outcomes and the common language

18 and engaging with business throughout the process to ensure that VET training meets the needs of businesses. For instance, they are developing a Sectoral Analyses and Competence Model to be used for elaborating State educational requirements, based on industry operational standards, corresponding to learning outcomes. Bulgaria also brought 100 young people together to inform them about all of the different EU instruments and to encourage them to use ECVET principles. Following this, they have worked with the youth sector to produce a short policy paper on key competences in Bulgaria. In Denmark, VET schools were surveyed to find out how much they knew about ECVET. Experts visited those schools with little or no knowledge of ECVET and provided them with tailored advice and support. In Finland, several youth organisations (e.g. the Scouts in a bottom-up initiative) have started to use learning outcomes. This helps young people to recognise what they have learnt and demonstrate this to potential future employers and education providers. In Germany, BIBB launched the ECVET quality label in This awards mobility projects funded under KA1 for using ECVET elements. The criteria for winning nominations was taken from the Mobility Toolkit, Users Guide and Erasmus+ quality assessment guide for mobility projects. Nominations were assessed by a jury composed of Erasmus+ team members and ECVET Experts. In 2015, twenty institutions were awarded the ECVET quality Label for excellence in mobility. Selected institutions are awarded a plate that can be displayed in their hallway, showing excellence in mobility National events (VET skills week 5 9 December 2016) Italy and Portugal are both considering events for VET week with an element on ECVET; In Gothenburg, Sweden, the EuroSkills competition is taking place between 1 and 3 December. The programme is to be determined but national experts will be invited

19 ANNEXES 17

20 Annex 1 Agenda 21 June 18

21 19

22 Annex 2 Agenda 22 June 20