1. 1 Contribution to the Dublin Conference Towards 2010 - Common Themes and Approaches across Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training in Europe Group 2 Building credit systems and improving transparency 08. March 2004 by Isabelle Le Mouillour Centre for Research on Higher Education and Work (WZ I) University of Kassel, Germany Functions and expectations on Credit Systems in Training and Education

2. 2 Functions and Expectations on Credit Systems 1.The stakeholders 2.Mobility and the role of credit systems 3.Challenges of recognition and transparency

3. 3 The stakeholders In the EU: 58% of young people under 30 years are pupils or students 32% of adult learners are engaged in learning At least two main logics (within VET): Education/training logic Employment/labour market logic

4. 4 Stakeholders of the VET system

5. 5 Overview of European VET and HE students (2000/2001)

6. 6 The learners Heterogeneity: professional experience, employment situation, nature of work, gender, motivation, legal situation, health situation, age and status. Datas: HE + VET > 50 Mio. persons (2000-2001) ECTS = 100.000 ERASMUS students (2000) LdV = 76.000 mobile students (2000-2002) Results: Personal development (self-esteem), language skills, understandings of different cultures, work techniques and organisations, employability Students (HE & VET) expect recognition of mobility experience abroad, a procedure including credits allocation and documentation

7. 7 Involvement of stakeholders in ECVET? The degree of involvement depends on the phase concerned! In the definition phase: Role of the Technical Working Group on Credit Transfer Role of the Leonardo da Vinci Programmes Role of the Virtual Community on Credit Transfer Do not underestimate the degree-ocracy!

8. 8 Mobility schemes MobilityEducation & TrainingFunctionalities sectors 1) Geographical HETransfer 2) Vocational/VET; new HEAccumulation occupational VET; new HEAccumulation VETTransfer & Accumulation 3) Outside - InsideVETTransfer

9. 9 Pre-requisites Credit system can only work as means of transfer and accumulation of educational attainments within parts of a course programme, if a course programme is sub-divided into a number of relatively small parts (courses, modules, units, etc.) and if the assessment of educational achievements is similarly sub-divided according to those parts, whereby the overall assessment is cumulative.

10. 10 Recognition Credits acquired within various national VET systems will rather never be 100% equivalent. The point is rather to define how wide variations could/should be allowed. The credit-type quantitative accounting system ECTS in fact leads to a higher degree of recognition than other forms of recording and recognising study achievement abroad upon return to the home university. The quantitative measurement facilitates but does not guarantee recognition. This depends much on regulations at national and European levels concerning what has been learned and what can be learned.

11. 11 Recognition and Transparency The credit system needs information as well as understandable and compatible recognition procedures comparable to a quality management. Definition of quantitative equivalences via credits Definition of qualitative equivalences. Need for a minimum of assessment of foreign qualifications. Recognition is about assessing a foreign qualification with a view to finding a correct place and path in another countrys education or employment system.

12. 12 Towards unification? Integration of general and vocational curricula Reduction/elimination of differences between educational tracks Development of seamless opportunities for access and progression in lifelong learning Grey zones: ECTS and ECVET: two credit systems within lifelong learning? Value of vocational qualifications and experience for HE …for VET by mobility?

13. 13 Possible level structure VET Level 1Attestation of competence VET Level 2Certificate VET Level 3 Diploma certifying successful completion of a short training course VET Level 4Diploma certifying successful completion of an intermediate training course VET Level 5Diploma certifying successful completion of a higher training course VET Level 6Diploma certifying successful completion of a long higher training course HELevel 1 Bachelor degree HE Level 2 Master degree HELevel 3Doctorate degree