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EQF and NQF
The European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong learning EQFThe 8 EQF reference levels and their descriptorsBased on learning outcomes (knowledge, skills and competence) andnot learning/teaching/training systems. 8 levels covering all levels of academic and vocational qualifications
Learning outcomesShifts focus from input to what a person knows and is able to dobetter match between needs of the labour market and education and training provisionfacilitates transfer and use of qualifications across different countries and education and training systemsfacilitates validation of non-formal and informal learning
Finnish NQF levelsLevel 1
Level 2 •Completion of Basic Education syllabusLevel 3Level 4 •Matriculation examination, completion of upper secondary syllabus
•Vocational upper secondary qualifications•Further Vocational Qualifications•Qualifications from other administrative sectors corresponding to requirements of vocational upper secondary or further vocational qualifications
Level 5 •Specialist vocational qualifications•Qualifications from other administrative sectors corresponding to requirements of specialist vocational qualifications
Level 6 •University and polytechnic Bachelor’s DegreesLevel 7 •University and polytechnic Master’s DegreesLevel 8 •Scientific and artistic post-graduate degrees, such as licentiate and
doctoral degrees
VocationalAdult Education
6-year olds
7-16 year olds
Finnish education system
VET IN FINLANDFinnish National Board of Education
� Qualifications, study programs and modules of the qualification� the vocational skills required in the qualification� the assessment criteria
Vocational Qualification, (120 credits)� The basic skills of the profession
Further Qualification for adults, (40 credits)� Skilled worker, professional in the field
Specialist Qualification for adults, (40 credits)� The most demanding tasks in the field
At present, there are 358 qualifications 52 vocational qualifications divided into 113 study programmes183 of them further vocational qualifications123 specialist vocational qualifications
European Credit for Vocational Education and Training ECVET
The Ecvet is a system for the accumulation and transfer of credit point in vocational education and training. It enables the documentation and certification of learning outcomes gained in the course of vocational education and training abroad.
ECVET will improve transparency of qualifications A person has an opportunity for a learning period abroad a person can transfer “home” his new learning outcomes and
include them for the qualification.
Why is ECVET important?
• International student exchanges are more attractive, if there is a certainty , how studies completed during the exchange can be used as part of a qualification.
• ECVET will allow the added value of international exchanges to be evaluated.
• ECVET will allow individual learning paths to be created.
• ECVET will help enrichment of competencies and peer learning – not only taking same like in home country.
FINECVET 3: 2009 – 2011 national pilot project
Granted by Finnish National Board of Education, national pilot projectFINNISH APPROACH ON ECVET: Process of assessment, validation and recognition of learning
outcomes
� Theory and practice (KSC) are expressed, studied and assessed together within the same unit and there is a common one mark in the certificate.
� Knowledge, skills and competence are described as learning outcomes of the units.
� Targets of assessments.
� Learning outcomes and assessment criteria are expressed as activities of the occupational area and activities in work. ECVET system based on learning outcomes makes it possible to recognise non-formal and informal learning.
� Mutual trust mostly achieved by personal contacts between teachers
FINECVET 1: 12/2004 - 12/2005 FINECVET 2: 8/2006 – 12/2007� A better clarification of descriptions of learning outcomes in terms of KSC in ECVET is needed. � Need for more systematic processes and documentation for assessment, validation and
recognition. � Enrichment vs. harmonisation
� Focus on student exchange programs at the upper secondary level in formal VET.
� 7 VET providers and 9 VQs (in Forestry, Construction, Business and Administration, Hotel and Restaurant Services, Social and Health Care, Agriculture, Building and Maintenance Technology, Information Technology, Vehicle Technology)
� Partners from Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.
FINECVET www.finecvet.fiThird phase of Finnish national pilot project on ECVET� will pilot Finnish Vocational Qualifications at all three levels (vocational, further and specialist vocational
qualifications) in 3-4 sectors� will focus on ECVET processes and documentation� sectoral sub-projects led by 5-6 Finnish vocational education providers (with their international partner
schools)
• 6 VET providers leading 6 sectoral sub-projects• 17 Finnish VET providers in partnerships• Cooperation and synergy with other ECVET projects: HETA Ecvet, LdV
Moto etc.5 vocational qualifications, 2-4 Further VQs, 3 Specialist VQs and 4 sectors
• Technology and Transport • Business and Administration • Health and Social Services• Culture
SUMMARYImplementation of ECVET in FinlandAdvantages1.Existence of units2.Use of credit points3.Use of learning outcomes4.Recognition of prior learning5.Status of VET providers: competent authorities
Challenges1.Allocation of ECVET credits to competence-based examinationsAssessment and validation→ mutual trust (in regards competence-based qualifications) 3.Quality assurance4.Making ECVET understandable to teachers and learners
�More individual choice in the new national requirements for VQs.�Individual learning pathways are enabled by optional and free-choice units and by recognition of learning outcomes�Recognition by VET provider for upper secondary vocational qualifications�Recognition by qualification committee for competence-based qualifications
What is important in ECVET implementation?Added value of ECVET needs to be clear
Instruments or internationalising of individual learning pathways–euro in VET (and education?) in Finnish caseEnrichment vs. ”harmonisation”Accumulation of learning outcomes
•Mutual trust•Need for more systematic agreements and procedures for assessment and validation•Quality Assurance needs to be in placeFocus on Learning Outcomes!
Individual Learning pathway vs. national requirements for vocational qualifications
1. Mastering of work processes
2. Mastering of tasks, workingmethods, tools and materials
3. Mastering of knowledge thatforms foundation for work
4. LLL- key competenciescommon to all qualifications
Knowledge
Skills
Competence
Finnish targets of assessments vs. learning outcome sdescribed in terms of ”KSC”
ECVET process in FINECVET following ”KISS” principle
ECVET beforemobility
ECVET during mobility
ECVET after mobility
Design of mobility period and learning outcomes
•What?•Who?•How?•Documentation
Assessment and validation of learning outcomes
•What?•Who?•How?•Documentation
Certification/ recognition of learning outcomes
•What?•Who?•How?•Documentation
Individual learning pathway following the seasons
Simo Snowboarder - Cook Entering labour
market in catering and hospitality 20 credits
Lunch production20 credits
Cafe Services 10 credits
Beverage sale and service10 credits
À la carte- meal production10 credits
Spring: working at a ski centre
Summer: working at a cafe in archipelago
Meal Production
20 ov
Spring: working in a restaurant kitchen at the Alps
During spring, summer or autumn
Competence to work in kitchen or bar
Compulsory unit
Optional unit
Unit from other quallifications
Compulsory unit in study programme
FNBE
Salpaus
Omnia
Hispania
OTE
EVOC
MOTO LdV
Trans
LdV
TransEQFrame
LdV
NordicEQF LdV
DBTechEXT
LdVCONNECT
LdVINNOVET
EIBE
2 X
Mobility
2 X Nord.Coun.
Mobility
VocTrainMaint
Mobility 4 x LdVMobility
LdV
TRUST
LdVECVET TRUST
Comenius
TAO Staff
TAO
ECVET Network
Users’ Guide
Users’ Group
ArtECVET
ASSET ECVET
TOOL TIPLS
TAO Mobility
Connections of FINECVET
HETA-ECVET
GREENE
KAOVaria
YA
SLK/HBC
FINECVET
Levi
Comparability and transparency of qualifications in Finland and Estonia 1.9.2009 – 31.8.2012. www.heta-ecvet.net
Granted by INTERREG IV A, Central BalticThe overall project objective is simplification of comparability,
transparency and mutual recognition of vocational qualifications in Finland and Estonia and improvement of free movement of residents and labour force in this area.
7 VET organisations and stakeholders both from Finland and EstoniaSectors:vehicle technology, business and commerce, catering,hotel and tourism, cleaning services, construction andsocial and health care
HETA-ECVET
HETA-ECVET main objectives
• EQF (European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning): deeper comparison of Finnish and Estonian qualifications, describing of learning outcomes
• comparison of competences, skills and knowledge’s (learning outcome) in pilot sectors,
• keep closer of education and training, • ECVET (European Credit System for Vocational Education and
Training) process in Finland and Estonia: developing and testing materials and equal units in working groups of pilot areas,
• increasing co-operation and mobility for employers and individuals.
MAIN ACTIVITIES
• Seminars, conferences, work group meetings – dissemination of EAF and ECVET idea, training for ECVET, building of trust
• Visiting of VET organisations, work placements – increasing of knowledge, building of trust
• Documentation (MoU, LA, UNITs, Assessment forms)• Describing of curricula by KSC principle• Choosing material for international UNITs in 7 sectors• Working out assessment forms for specific UNIT• Testing of UNITs in Finland and Estonia (students’ mobility)• Training for teachers and instructors (about ECVET and
documentation, assessment)• Collecting of ECVET vocabulary (English, Estonian and Finnish)• Collecting ECVET Guidebook
www.assetecvet.euThe ECVET ASSET project is focusing on the automobile servicessector. The automobile services sector has a clear Europeandimension:
* The products concerned as well as the job tasks across Europe are the same or are very similar;* These products undergo constant technological changes requiring updating of qualifications; * The sector concerns a large number of enterprises, mostly SMEs.
The aim of ECVET ASSET is to use ECVET as a means to integrate mobility in the initial training programmes and pathways of students in the automobile services sector.
The ECVET ASSET Project aims at testing the ECVET system, as described in the proposal of the European Commission Recommendation.
The ECVET system is focused on recognition of Learning Outcomes (LO) obtained during a mobility period: a real mobility action (with learner) is scheduled in the project.
This test will be based on Automobile Services Branch and will deal with the certifications related to the job profile of electro-mechanic (field of diagnosis/maintenance) which exists in each country.
It will concern 4 countries (Hungary, Romania, Finland and France) representing the 4 VET sub-systems identified in the ECVET Connexion Study.
ASSET ECVET
1- Review of the 4 qualification curricula (frame done prior to the project start)2- Identification of the units “opened” to the mobility3- Design of a common writing of these ECVET units4- Development of the transfer process and Mutual trust tools: MoU (Memorandum of
Understanding, which will include a quality insurance strand), Learning agreement. A specific attention will be pay to assessment and validation criteria. NB: the objective is to get a SIGNED MoU before testing the ECVET Mobility.
5- Elaboration of a method of credit point allocation6- Development of ECVET mobility organization scenarios7- Two mobility test phases are scheduled: through a research/action process (platform / round
table) and through a “genuine” mobility programme (financially outside the project proper).8- Elaborating a report as a feedback of both research action and mobility test.Expected results:> Common reference of units of LO dedicated to mobility> An effective MoU and Learning Agreement frame (models)> Report / analysis of the mobility test> Productions available in paper and electronic based, in English and partnership languages> Mobility set (guide) for ECVET mobility
ASSET ECVET: main steps
TOOL TO IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY OF PROFESSIONALFOREIGN LANGUAGE SKILLS
http://tool-tipls.eu 2009 – 2011 LdVTool-TIPLS addresses directly one of the priorities set by the Copenhagen Declaration-to investigatehow transparency, comparability, transferability and recognition of competences and/or qualifications,between different countries and at different levels, could be promoted by developing reference levels,common principles for certification, and common measures, including a credit transfer system forvocational education and training. Analysis of the current situation in all of the partner countries andresearch by project partners shows that professional foreign language competences are evaluated bydifferent systems and criteria not only in each country, but also at institutional level according to theirneeds.
The consortium of the project consists of VET institutions from Lithuania, Latvia and Finland, Language teaching professional institutions from Lithuania and Romania and internal evaluator from the UK.
TOOL TIPLS
TOOL TIPLS - objectives
-define the levels of skills developed using existing VET curricula in each project partner country-prepare the tool of descriptors of professional English language skills and competences(TOOL) based on CEF and ECVET-implement international piloting in partner countries -consult social partners–potential employers and professional consultants to implement the final improvement of the TOOL-disseminate and valorise the project products via local, regional, national and international networks, via a project conference and other means as opportune In addition the project's general objectives are to:-develop vocational skills through professional foreign language knowledge, specifically in relation to the Hospitality industry -enhance young peoples’ potential for mobility within the European labour market-encourage intercultural learning and empathy in the Hospitality industry for international communication in different countries -integrate professional language learning in theory with practical application within specific occupational sectors.
EVOCwww.evoc.fi/main/ecvet 2008 - 2010 LdVECVET unit for vocational studies in child careFinland, Germany and Sweden
Aims:•to develop a common Ecvet unit for child care education and training•to increase transparency in child care education and training•to encourage the employers, VET providers, teachers, unions to participate into project development•to promote the utilisation of the ECVET system in the partner countries, especially in the child care sector•to educate staff to use Ecvet procedure•to encourage to learn foreign languages•to improve the transparency of qualifications both in the form of vocational upper secondary education and within the context of adult education•to improve European mobility
Result: HANDBOOK
