EQAVET’s strategic working group Thea van den Boom, Chair of the working group Sofia, June 2018

Focus - the role of quality assurance in the EU policy context Three meetings in the Hague Representatives from 17 Member States, European social partners and the European agencies Working to the mandate which was agreed at the 2017 Annual Network Meeting Take account of the 2017: Recommendation on Quality and Effective Apprenticeships Recommendation on VET and HE graduate tracking Revision of the EQF European Pillar of Social Rights

The working group’s mandate consider and identify priorities for the quality assurance of VET; take account of European initiatives and developments in Member States; prepare early ideas on any revised EQAVET Recommendation; provide the expertise to ensure that EQAVET contributes to the developing policy context and any associated future changes in governance, methodology and focus.

The policy context the 2016 New Skills Agenda announced a possible revision of EQAVET and ECVET; there is a Commission study on how ECVET and EQAVET are being implemented; the future direction for quality assurance in VET at the European level could include a revised EQAVET Recommendation an all-encompassing VET Recommendation something else

Proposals to strengthen the quality assurance of VET in the European context The working group proposes that quality assurance: includes a set of principles for VET covers all types of VET needs to cover all areas of the education and training processes sets out a clear view on strategic issues affecting the implementation, evaluation and effectiveness of any quality assurance approach covers the provider and the system level includes synergies with recent and forthcoming European developments affecting VET

The 10 strategic issues which were considered whether to focus on the whole Recommendation or the QA framework in the Recommendation’s annexes how to cover all areas of VET the indicators the indicative descriptors reporting and/or monitoring connectedness sustainability dissemination placing employers and learners at the centre of VET the question of level – system and provider

The expertise of the working group and the network the working group’s expertise is in using the EQAVET Recommendation and understanding the main issues arising from implementation; the working group was not a decision-making group – it is advisory and has used its experience and knowledge to suggest areas to be considered; the Network is asked to take the same approach.

Questions for the network Does the network agree these strategic areas should be considered as part of a review of the European approach to the quality assurance of VET? Are these strategic areas accurately described in the paper produced by the working group? Are there other strategic areas which should be considered?

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