ECVET IN BULGARIA E U R O P E A N C R E D I T S Y S T E M F O R V O C A T I O N A L E D U C A T I O N A N D T R A I N I N G 2014
THE EUROPEAN CREDIT SYSTEM FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING is an initiative for the accumulation and transfer of credits gained through the recognition of learning outcomes in vocational education and training (VET) developed to facilitate the recognition of achievements in vocational education and training, in formal, and where appropriate - nonformal and informal learning (NFIL) aimed to facilitate the mobility of the workforce in VET across Europe
NATIONAL AIMS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ECVET IN BULGARIA Reform of the VET system through effective and simultaneous implementation of European instruments such as EQF, ECVET, ECTS, EQARF, Europass in favour of: - validation and recognition of qualifications and skills in the process of lifelong learning; - increased mobility of VET system; - relation/interaction between VET and higher education. Improvement in the international educational and occupational mobility of students and adult learners
PREREQUISITES FOR ECVET IMPLEMENTATION Establishing National Contact Points (NCPs) and national team of experts for the introduction of ECVET; ECVET- experts training; Increased awareness and stakeholder support - training institutions, professional organizations, employers and social partners; Informing the general public about ECVET and the benefits of implementing it; Forming and development of a community of ECVET practitioners.
ECVET - Technical conditions for introduction Existing National Qualification frame (NQF) providing transparency of qualifications - adopted by Decision 96 of the Council of Ministers of 02.02.2012 Every profession of the national VET system has a degree, specified in the list of professions for VET which corresponds to a certain level of the NQF / EQF Approach oriented to learning outcomes (LO) in: - professions, VET standards, curricula - teaching and evaluation of students and recognition and validation of NFIL Definition of units of learning outcomes as: - a major component of the State Educational Requirements for acquisition of professional qualification - units, designed for the implementation of mobility Award of credits for learning outcomes units Recognition and validation of learning outcomes units Transfer and accumulation of learning outcomes
STANDARDS FOR VET A key element of the reform of the VET system in Bulgaria Basis for the development of: New updated framework curriculum for each profession Curricula focused on LO Basis for applying: Modular teaching and learning oriented to LO Mechanisms for NFIL validation
TERMS USED IN THE RECOMMENDATION ON ECVET a) "qualification" is a formal outcome of an assessment and validation process when a competent institution determines that the student has achieved the learning outcomes in accordance with certain standards; b) "learning outcomes" define what a learner knows, understands and is able to do on completion of a learning process. Those outcomes are defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competencies; c) "unit learning outcomes" is a component of a qualification, consisting of a coherent set of knowledge, skills and competencies that can be assessed and validated; d) "credit" is a set of learning outcomes that have been assessed and which can be accumulated towards a qualification or transferred to other learning programs or qualifications; e) "competent institution" means an institution which is responsible for the development and delivery of training; f ) "assessment of learning outcomes" - methods and processes for measuring aquired knowledge, skills and competences of the learner; g) validation of learning outcomes" - the process of confirming that assessed learning outcomes achieved by the learner, are consistent with the results stipulated in an official document (eg. State Educational Requirements); h) "Recognition of learning outcomes" means the process of formal recognition of learning outcomes through the awarding of units or qualifications; i ) "ECVET points" - a digital representation of the overall weight of learning outcomes in training and the relative weight of units in relation to the qualification.
Technical specifications for "unit learning outcomes" The UNIT: which occurs in different professions (but has the same content) has the same name can be assessed, validated and accepted, regardless of the way of acquiring of the contained knowledge, skills and competencies level of a unit is defined in terms of the NQF and EQF each unit may be awarded "ECVET credit points" that indicate the weight (importance of unit) within a qualification. Each unit can have a certain percentage weight contained in number of professions can have different weight in each of them learning outcomes in each unit must be clear some units may have validity units must be listed and published on accessible places (eg. in the State Educational Requirements concerning professions)
Transfer and accumulation of learning outcomes in the implementation of mobility A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is an agreement between two (or more) competent institutions, which sets the framework for students mobility during their education/training and for transfer of credits that students achieved outside home institution. It formalizes the ECVET partnership by stating the mutual acceptance of the status and procedures of competent institutions involved. The partner organizations mutually accept their respective criteria and procedures for quality assurance, assessment, validation and recognition of learning outcomes for the purpose of transfer of credits.
ECVET - NATIONAL INITIATIVES There have been proposals for amendments to the VET Act to establish necessary conditions for the adoption of ECVET based on project results A Working Group to the National Agency for VET has been formed for the preparation of a proposal to update the "Framework for the Development of SER A National Contact Point introducing ECVET has been specified The National Agency for Vocational Education and Training (since June 2012) ECVET-projects implementation
Upcoming activities at national level related to the introduction of ECVET Summarizing the experience Proposals for amendments Methodical documents Conducting trainings Promotion of the benefits Exchange of information
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This presentation reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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