EQAVET FORUM 21 NOVEMBER 2017

DISCOVERYOUR TALENT

European Vocational Skills Week20 -24 November 2017

QUALITY ASSURANCE OF THE CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHERS AND TRAINERS IN

CONTINUOUS VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (CVET)

DISCOVERYOUR TALENT

European Vocational Skills Week20 -24 November 2017

European Vocational Skills WeekThe second European Vocational Skills Week is taking place from 20-24 November 2017 with events in Brussels and parallel activities in Member States, EFTA and EU candidate countries at national, regional and local levels.

The Commission invites you and all relevant stakeholders to get involved and make it a success.

Focus and content of the Forum________________________________________The EQAVET Forum is a one-day event bringing together some 120 participants including policymakers at system level, VET providers, practitioners and other key stakeholders. Taking place within the context of the 2nd Vocational Skills Week, its objective is to reflect on the quality assurance of the continuing professional development of teachers and trainers in continuous vocational education and training (CVET) and how this contributes to the quality of provision. A key area in this regard is how effective measures can be assessed and feedback loops strengthened.

These areas have been identified as important elements of the New Skills Agenda for improving human capital, employability and competitiveness. The Forum provides an opportunity to share with a large group of stakeholders the EQAVET Network’s experience of quality assuring CVET.

Programme________________________________________The programme of the Forum is divided into two parts: (i) what quality assurance processes should be considered when adopting or improving a strategic approach to the continuing professional development of teachers and trainers; (ii) and the most appropriate way to

Concept paper

Quality assurance of the continuing professional development of teachers and trainers in continuous vocational education and training (CVET)

monitor its performance.The programme follows the four stages of the quality assurance cycle:

• PLANNING and IMPLEMENTATION will look at the key quality assurance processes which can build and improve effective and excellence in the continuing professional development of teachers and trainers in the CVET sector.

• EVALUATION and REVIEW will look at ways of measuring performance of approaches to the continuing professional development of teachers and trainers; and the important role played by systems that track VET learners.

The key issues to be discussed at the Forum________________________________________In the PLANNING and IMPLEMENTATION phases, the following are the key quality assurance elements which can be used in order to build and improve effectiveness and excellence in the continuing professional development of teachers and trainers in the CVET sector:

Flexibility – How can the continuing professional development of teachers and trainers (TTs) be quality assured to ensure it meets the needs of a diversified labour force?

CVET teachers and trainers come from a range of backgrounds, are employed under various conditions (part-time, casual or on a contract basis) and have significantly diverse career paths when compared with the schooling or university sectors. This diversity means that the QA systems which are used for a wide range of approaches to continuing professional development for TTs have to respond to the needs of industry, organisations, teacher and trainers.

How to balance the pedagogical and the vocational skillsA challenge for any quality assurance system for the continuing professional development of TTs is to include the impact on their skills in both educational expertise and industry practices. The quality assurance of continuing professional development needs to take into account the duality of the role.

Sectoral or national approach?Continuing professional development for TTs is largely institution-specific, rather than nationally systemic. Some countries have professional associations for the VET sector that register TTs, track professional development and oversee the quality assurance of initiatives which aim to support TT development. These arrangements ensure public accountability for the quality of VET delivery.

Are trainers trained as assessors?TTs undertake professional development in the knowledge and practice of VET and also in assessment, including competency-based training. There is insufficient evidence available on how this is done and how it is quality assured. It is important that we discover whether this training is of value or even adequate.

In EVALUATION and REVIEW, there are key issues when measuring and monitoring performance of an approach to the continuing professional development of teachers and trainers:

Meeting the requirements for trainers and assessors In most countries, TTs are required to have a certificate in training in order to deliver training. However, these types of qualifications may not adequately prepare TTs for the variety of teaching and assessment scenarios they will encounter. Readily accessible continuing professional development should complement minimum qualifications and additional training should be quality assured to ensure it meets TT needs as their responsibilities change.

Continuing professional development improves teaching – How can its impact be measured? Continuing professional development helps providers to focus on teaching, learning and assessment as core functions, while ensuring that the workforce meets the needs of specific industries. This is particularly relevant in the CVET sector. EQAVET indicator number 2 can enable systems assess access of TTs to and participation in continuing professional development. EQAVET indicators 5 and 6 can also provide important information in this regard. However, VET participants sometimes seek skills, rather than qualifications. Enrolment/placement numbers are not always an accurate indicator of completions as the following example shows: a learner starts a vocational qualification course in order to find work; after a spell of work experience he/she is offered a permanent job; the learner takes the job, drops the course and becomes part of the cohort of VET students who don’t finish their course or acquire a qualification.

Effective tracking approachesTracking learners who complete a VET programme can provide better information on the teaching and learning provided, the quality/utilisation of the skills acquired and labour market outcomes of VET programmes. The EU

Commission has adopted a proposal for a Council Recommendation on graduate tracking and a related study commissioned in 2017 contains important information in this regard which will be presented at the Forum.

Presentation of good practice and discussions__________________________________________Case studies from Member States will illustrate good practice in the key issues mentioned above. The EQAVET national reference points play a key role in implementing the EQAVET Framework in the national context and they will present examples of good practice and lessons learned.

The preliminary findings of the study commissioned by the European Commission in early 2017 on the idea of establishing a EU tracking system for VET graduates will also be discussed.

Each presentation will be discussed in a workshop with opportunities to share knowledge in order to suggest new ways forward, and how these can be supported by ongoing work in EQAVET.

08:15 – 08:30 Welcome coffee and registration

08:30 – 09:30 Parallel sessions• EQAVET for beginners – an introduction session on EQAVET (only for

newcomers) – Keith Brumfitt and Serban Iosifescu, EQAVET Secretariat• Progress for NRPs on restricted call Erasmus+ 2016 and 2017 - followed by

Q&A –Lara Paoletti, Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency

09:30 – 10:00 Welcome to the Forum on behalf of: • The European Commission – Koen Bois d’Enghien, DG Employment, Social

Affairs and Inclusion• Conseil National de l’Emploi, de la Formation et de l’Orientation

Professisonnelle (CNEFOP) - Jean Marie Marx, Président• The EQAVET Secretariat – Sean Feerick, Director

10:00 – 11:00 Presentation of CASE STUDIESApproach to QA when building and improving effectiveness and excellence in the continuing professional development of teachers and trainers in the CVET sector• France – Catherine Beauvois, Conseil National de l’Emploi, de la Formation et de

l’Orientation Professisonnelle (CNEFOP) • Czech Republic – Martina Kanakova and Tereza Halouzkova, National Institute for

Education (NUV)• Greece – Antonios Glaros, National Organisation for the Certification of

Qualifications and Vocational Orientation (EOPPEP)Questions to presenters on issues arising from the presentations

11:00 – 11:20 Coffee break

ProgrammeJoint masters of ceremony: Barbara Kelly and Kim Faurschou will introduce speakers, engage with you in order to keep the agenda flowing, challenge perspectives  and encourage ongoing discussion, making the  EQAVET Forum an exciting and  fruitful experience for all participants.

11:20 – 12:30 WORKSHOP 1 – Discussion on key issues when building and improving effectiveness and excellence in the continuing professional development of teachers and trainers in the CVET sector• Flexibility • How to balance the pedagogical and the vocational skills• Sectoral or national approach?• Are trainers trained as assessors?See concept paper for further information on these issuesParticipants are divided in smaller groups to discuss these issues arising from the presentations

12:30 – 13:00 FEEDBACK from discussions at the workshop Short plenary discussion on issues arising from the presentation

13:00 – 14:15 Lunch

14:15 – 15:00 Presentation of CASE STUDIESMeasuring and monitoring performance of an approach to the continuing professional development of teacher and trainers• Germany – Helena Sabbagh, Federal Institute for Vocational Education and

Training (BIBB) and Kristin Simon, Wissenschaftsladen Bonn• Findings study commissioned by the European Commission on mapping EU

systems on tracking VET graduates – Shane Beadle, ICF GHKQuestions to presenters on issues arising from the presentations

15:00 – 16:00 WORKSHOP 2 – Discussion on key issues when measuring and monitoring performance of an approach to the continuing professional development of teacher and trainers• Meeting the requirements for trainers and assessors • Continuing professional development improves teaching – How can the impact

be measured? • Effective tracking approachesSee concept paper for further information on these issuesParticipants are divided in smaller groups to discuss these issues arising from the presentations

16:00 – 16:30 FEEDBACK from discussions at the workshop Short plenary discussion on issues arising from the presentation

16:30 – 17:00 Wrap-up and conclusions of the dayClosing the Forum 2017

Kim Faurschou is Director of Faco, an independent private consulting company based in Odense, Denmark. He has been associate professor at the University of Southern Denmark for many years and since the late 1990s has been involved in quality assurance and development within vocational and adult education and training. He was one of the experts supporting the development of the current European quality framework for vocational education and training and has contributed to this process for more than 15 years. He has worked as a researcher, process consultant, evaluator for The European Commission, ENQAVET, EQAVET, CEDEFOP, European Training Foundation, Nordic Council of Ministers and a number of projects, ministries and organizations in Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, UK, Mexico, Cyprus, Ireland, Norway, and Malta.

Barbara Kelly holds a BA in Economics and History and a Higher Diploma in Education from University College Dublin. She completed further studies in accounting, rehabilitation and education and training. Barbara holds a Master’s Degree in Education. Barbara worked as a teacher for a number of years. She was Director of Awards and Standards with FETAC from 2001 to 2011 and is currently Director of Qualifications with Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). Barbara has vast European experience and has worked on a number of European projects and committees. She is a member of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) Advisory Group and is the Irish National Correspondent for the Qualifications Framework for the European Higher Education Area (QF-EHEA).

Lara Paoletti - Project Officer at the European Commission’s Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). She is responsible for managing the grants made available to the EQAVET NRPs and EQF NCPs under the Erasmus+ Programme. Ms Paoletti has a 15 years’ experience in project management and in EU funding procedures - she has been working in European institutions on the administration of EU grants since 2009.

Catherine Beauvois has been Secretary General of the National Council for Employment, Training and Vocational Guidance (CNEFOP) since 2014. CNEFOP is a structure which brings together the State, the regions, employer associations and employees and steers implementation of public policies in employment, guidance and training. It produced two reports on the implementation of the personal training account and the professional development council, together with recommendations for quadripartite consultation for the development of regional agreements on vocational training and guidance; and developed a methodological framework and a list of labels and certifications. Before joining CNEFOP, Catherine was a technical advisor in charge of decentralisation, guidance and lifelong training in the Office of the Minister of Labor, Employment, Vocational Training and Employment and Social Dialogue.

Martina Kanakova is a senior expert with fifteen years´ experience in the Department for International Cooperation in the National Institute for Education (NUV) – an agency of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. She has practical experience of the implementation of European transparency tools, such as ECVET, EQAVET, EQF and EUROPASS, in the Czech Republic. She is member of the national ECVET experts team. Since 2011 she has been the ReferNet CZ national coordinator and since 2016 she has also been coordinator of the NRP EQAVET CZ. Martina’s focus is on improving cooperation between schools and employers. She has been involved in several national ESF projects aimed at the development of vocational education or stakeholder cooperation, such as POSPOLU, PKAP, PAK or KURIKULUM S.

Koen Bois d’Enghien has been working for more than 10 years in the field of employment, labour law and vocational education and training policies for the European Commission as well as for CEDEFOP. He is currently a policy officer on quality assurance in vocational education and training in the Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion of the European Commission. He has a Master’s Degree in Economics and one in Political Sciences.

Helena Sabbagh is head of the German reference point for Quality Assurance in VET (DEQA-VET). Her expertise is in QA in VET with a specific focus on work-based Learning/company-based training in the dual system. Helena is participating in the EQAVET Working Group ‘The role of QA in VET in the policy context‘. She has studied at the University of Damascus (Syria) , Southampton (Great Britain) and has a Master’s Degree in Contemporary History, Islamic and Political Sciences from the University of Hamburg.

Tereza Halouzková works as an expert in the Department of Adult Education and Recognition in the National Institute for Education (an organisation established and funded by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports) in Prague. Previously, she was a member of the UNIV 3 project team (Recognition of both non-formal and informal learning – ESF systemic project) and responsible for the creation of specific assignments for final tests, provision of good practice examples and participation in learning activities for VET teachers. Since 2015 she has been a manager of an ESF-funded systemic project focusing on supporting action planning among school authorities, secondary schools and tertiary vocational schools (P-KAP). She is also involved in various lifelong learning activities and projects such as Senior, Erasmus + Project GOAL and TTnet.

Antonios Glaros has a Production Engineering & Management Degree from the Technical University of Crete (1994), and an a MBA degree in Total Quality Management from the University of Piraeus (2000). Since 2007, he has gained broad experience in the Public Sector/ Government sector and has acquired excellent skills and knowledge on Long Life Learning (LLL) issues, as well as on assessment and certification of skills/trainers/VET providers, and Quality Assurance in VET. He holds the position of Director of the Communication and Development Division of the National Organisation for the Certification of Qualifications & Vocational Guidance (E.O.P.P.E.P.) and from 2007 to 2011 he was Director of the Accreditation Division of E.KE.PIS. – The National Accreditation Centre for LLL.

Shane Beadle is a Consulting Director at ICF and an experienced project director, and researcher as well as a contributor to peer learning activities on vocational education and training issues. He leads work for government agencies and government departments throughout the UK as well as for the European Commission and its agencies, including Cedefop. Shane has extensive knowledge and experience of all forms of vocational education and training from his work at the Department for Education where he worked as an analyst and researcher on adult skills, and in the last ten years at ICF. He has lately led the research into VET tracking systems for DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion as well as research for Cedefop on apprenticeship systems and an item of action research to develop an approach to support Member States to refresh their policies on apprenticeship.

Kristin Simon has a Masters in Educational Science and Psychology. From 2009 to 2015 she was Head of the Educational Center of Bonn Science Shop; from 2011 to 2014 she worked on presentations and workshops on the Concept of “Soufflearning” in Rende, Athens, Rennes, Albacete, Madrid, Badajoz and Sofia in two Leonardo da Vinci projects, Transfer of Innovation.Since her maternal leave in 2015, Mrs. Simon has worked at the Bonn Science Shop in various VET projects in the fields of media education, environmental education and supporting apprenticeship in the field of renewable energies.

EQAVET Secretariat The Secretariat provides leadership and support for the efficient organisation and management of business and the range of activities which comprise the EQAVET Network’s work programme, facilitating cooperation between the EU Member States and the Commission.

Sean FeerickDirectorSean is a senior level programme manager and policy analyst responsible for directing the Secretariat, guiding

and organising the work of a team of experts and managing the implementation of the EQAVET work programme.sfeerick@eqavet.eu

Dr. Arancha Oviedo-GarcíaQuality Assurance Policy OfficerArancha is responsible for developing policy materials to ensure accessibility and relevance of the content developed

by EQAVET and other EU and international bodies to a wider audience of policymakers, VET providers and other stakeholders.aoviedo@eqavet.eu

Dr. Beata SokolowskaCommunication and Information OfficerBeata is responsible for coordinating the information and

communication function within the Secretariat, the EQAVET website management and for developing and implementing a communication strategy for EQAVET. bsokolowska@eqavet.eu

EQAVET SecretariatQuality and QualificationsIreland (QQI)26/27 Denzille Lane,Dublin 2, D02 P266, Ireland.Tel: 00353 1 905 81 46E-mail: info@eqavet.euWebsite: www.eqavet.eu