1. 1 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS QUALITY ASSURANCE IN THE TECHNICAL VOCATION EDUCATION AND TRAINING Gabriela Ciobanu – head of training programme and quality assurance service Dana Stroie – quality assurance expert

2. 2 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS Quality assurance in vocational training: basic principles Quality Assurance (QA) in vocational training (VT) is a key element in supporting the transition to a knowledge-based society; QA has an essential role in reaching the major objectives on vocational training, set at the European level: - a better correlation between the training demand and offer - increasing the employment capacity - improving access to vocational education and training, especially for vulnerable groups

3. 3 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS Initiatives at the European level (1) The European Council Resolution from 2002, which set the objective that by 2010 the vocational training systems in Europe become world reference systems, launched the promotion framework of a long term cooperation in the field of vocational training quality assurance; The Copenhagen Statement (2002) sets as priority: “The promotion of cooperation for quality assurance, with a highlight in method and model exchanges, as well as common criteria quality principles applied in vocational training”. 

4. 4 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS Initiatives at the European level (2) The European Council Resolution from 2008, referring to the proposal for a Recommendation of setting a European Quality Assurance (QA) Reference Framework in vocational training (EQARF), at the European level EQARF includes:  a model based on the cycle of quality (Planning – Implementation – Evaluation – Improvement);  a methodology for assessment and improvement – accent is focused on self-assessment, combined with an external monitoring;  a measure instruments: a set of quality indicators, at the system and provider level 

5. 5 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS The National Quality Assurance Framework Elements specific to the technical and vocational education and training (tvet)  assembly of principles, methodologies and instruments providing quality assurance in the technical and vocational education and training;  observes the Law on education quality assurance, methodologies and instruments developed by the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in the Pre-university Education (ARACIP);  includes the quality requirements formulated in the European Quality Assurance (QA) Reference Framework in vocational training, (EQARF) supporting the European recognition of vocational qualification certificates

6. 6 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS Initiatives at the national level National Quality Assurance Framework Ministry of Education, Research and Innovation and the National Center for Development of Technical and Vocational Education and Training, by means of the Phare TVET multiannual programme, developed in 2003 the specific TVET elements for the National Quality Assurance Framework, based on the Common European Framework for QA in vocational training; the basic principles developed in the field of quality assurance in TVET were valorized in Law 87 / 2006 on quality assurance in education:  focusing QA on results;  promoting the increase of quality for vocational education and training;  protection of the education beneficiaries (first and foremost the direct beneficiaries – the students);  promoting the development of quality culture at the school level

7. 7 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS Legislative regulations - 1  national standards and methodologies, approved by Government Decision, for authorizing, accrediting the education institutions and for assessing the quality assurance in education;  authorization and accreditation of education institutions by the Ministry of Education, Research and Innovation for each level of education / type of study programme / vocational qualification  Establishment of the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in the Pre-university Education (ARACIP) with the following main attributions: elaborating the standards and methodologies for the authorization, accreditation of pre-university education institutions and for evaluating the education quality in the pre-university education; evaluating the pre-university education institutions in view of receiving the authorization and accreditation; periodical external evaluation (at least once every 5 years) of the quality of education in the pre-university education institutions;

8. 8 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS Legislative regulations -2  monitoring and controlling quality control in education by the school inspectorates and corresponding departments from the Ministry of Education, Research and Innovation;  establishment, at the level of each education unit, of the Commission for Quality Assessment and Assurance, having the following attributions : elaboration and coordination of the application of assessment procedures and quality assurance in education at the school level; annual elaboration of a public self-assessment report; formulating improvement proposals for the quality of education at the school level

9. 9 TVET units Self-assessment / quality internal monitoring school inspectorates (CSI/BSI) monitoring and quality control recommendations to improve the quality in pre- university education ARACIP proposal of authorization / accreditation / evaluation standards and methodologies proposal of authorizing / accrediting the pre- university education unit recommendations to improve the quality in TVET NCDTVET Specific TVET methodologies, complementary with ARACIP elaboration of policies and strategies in the field Ministry of Education, Research and Innovation authorization / accreditation of education units Parliament elaboration, analysis and approval of legal documents on quality assurance in education Government approval of standards and methodologies of authorization / accreditation / evaluation ensuring necessary financing for quality assurance in education

10. 10 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS NQAC - TVET Quality principles 1. Quality management 2. Management responsibilities 3. Resource management 4. Designing, developing and reviewing education programmes 5. Teaching and learning 6. Learning assessment and certification 7. Quality assessment and improvement for each quality principle there is a variable number of performance descriptors correlated with the performance indicators for the quality evaluation and assurance in pre-university education (The annex with the correlation table is presented within the conference)

11. 11 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS Elements supporting quality assurance authorization/ accreditation of education units in order to ensure compliance (the requirements that define the minimum level are referred to as standards in the law); the periodical external evaluation (at least once every 5 years) of the accredited education units ; implementing the Benchmarking (the requirements that define the best level are referred to as reference standards in the law); consolida the beneficiaries’ trust by means of the self-assessment exercise.

12. 12 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS Quality assurance Compliance elements in TVET  auhtorization / accreditation for each vocational qualification  qualifications described by means of vocational training standards: based on competences validated by the social partners represented in the Sectoral Committees  vocational competence certification examinations : semi-outsourced - the participation of employers in certification examinations; monitored from the point of view of the quality

13. 13 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS NQAC - TVET Methodology and instruments  the metodology’s basic element in self-assessment, combined with the internal monitoring and the external monitoring (coordinated by school inspectorates);  QA instruments in TVET: The self-assessment manual The self-assessment manual The Inspection manual for the external monitoring of quality in education and of the vocational training The Inspection manual for the external monitoring of quality in education and of the vocational training

14. 14 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS Implementation of QA instruments in TVET  piloting QA instruments in TVET (2003 – 2006):  By means of the multiannual Phare TVET programme and with the support of school inspectorates – piloting QA instruments in TVET (2003 – 2006): in the school years 2003-2005, in 22 Phare TVET schools with the role of resource centers; in the school years 2003-2005, in 22 Phare TVET schools with the role of resource centers; in the school year 2005-2006, in 122 Phare TVET schools, out of which 22 resource centers in the school year 2005-2006, in 122 Phare TVET schools, out of which 22 resource centers   By means of the M.E.R. Order 4889/2006 - generalizing QA instruments in TVET (starting with the school year 2006-2007) in all TVET units

15. 15 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS Training main actors in the field of QA Target group: deputy general inspectors responsible for QA inspectors of technical subjects principals of TVET units coordinators of Commissions for Quality Evaluation and Assessment in TVET units  By means of the multiannual Phare TVET programme – annual training stages (2003 – 2009) – over 600 trainees  By means of the continuous vocational training for the teaching staff, coordinated by the Ministry of Education, Research and Innovation and the Teaching Staff Center – authorization stage, prior to generalizing the instruments in all TVET units (2006)

16. 16 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS Inter-assistance networks in TVET Created to facilitate cooperation between TVET units (through experience exchanges, dissemination of good practices, personnel training)  Through the multiannual Phare TVET programme: 2004: 122 TVET units assisted with the programme were grouped in inter-assistance networks, in order to benefit from the experience of resource centers; 2005: inter-assistance networks expanded by another 50 Phare TVET schools, from the rural areas  Through the involvement of County / Bucharest School Inspectorates (2006): all the TVET units were included in the county inter-assistance networks

17. 17 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS Collecting and disseminating good practices  Good practice examples in quality assurance, from the Phare TVET resource centers were included in : Guide of institutional practices in quality assurance for vocational education and training programmes (2006) - examples at the national level Set of instruments for quality assurance in vocational training (2007) - examples from 4 European states: Finland, Austria, Greece, Romania  through the multiannual Phare TVET programme and with the support of school inspectorates currently collecting good practices in quality assurance in TVET units (deadline: June 2009) to be disseminated at the national and county level

18. 18 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS NQAC - TVET school level - internal processes  Planning: taking into account the regional and local priorities, the TVET units elaborate the School Action Plan (PAS) (strategic plan for the period 2007-2013 and annual operational plans);  Implementing planned actions;  Assessing performances and drafting the Self-assessment Report;  Reviewe – determining the necessary changes and the elaboration of the Quality improvement plan (used for the SAP update)  Internal monitoring – checks whether the planned actions are implemented according to the planning; allows the immediate identification of difficulties and solving thereof

19. 19 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS Annual cycle of quality assurance – school level METHODOLOGY (policy on quality assurance, procedures, interior regulations, assessment instruments ) PLANNING elaborating the School Action Plan (SAP) REVIEW elaborating the Improvement Plan SELF-ASSESSMENT of VET quality elaborating the Self- assessment Report DEVELOPING the vocational education and training process (VET) INTERNAL MONITORING

20. 20 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS NQAC - TVET school level – external processes coordinated by CSI / BSI  external monitoring visits – guidance and support granted to schools in the quality assurance process, checking the manner in which the quality requirements are observed and formulating recommendations for quality improvement;  inspections for validating the self-assessment report - external and objective check of the manner in which the quality of the education and of the vocational training was checked based on proof supporting the appraisals

21. 21 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS NQAC in TVET - ACTIVITY CALENDAR (1) ACTIVITY DEADLINE / PERIOD At the school level At the CSI / BSI level 15.09 – 15.12 15. 12 15.12 - 15.03 15.03 15.03 - 15.06 15.0 6 1.02 - 1.04 Internal monitoring XXX Filling in the internal monitoring form XXX External monitoring visits

22. 22 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS NQAC in TVET - ACTIVITY CALENDAR (2) ACTIVITY DEADLINE At the school level At the CSI / BSI level 15.04 10.09 1.10 Elaborating the synthetic reports of the external monitoring at the county level X Elaborating the School Action Plan (PAS) X Elaborating the Self- assessment Report X Elaborating the Plan for quality improvement in education and vocational training X

23. 23 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS NQAC in TVET - ACTIVITY CALENDAR (3) ACTIVITY DEADLINE /PERIOD At the school level At the CSI / BSI level 10. 1015.10 1.10 - 1.12 15.12 Integrating the Quality Improvement Plan in SAP X Approving the SAP by the Board of Administration X Inspections for validating the Self-assessment reports Elaborating the inspection reports for validating the Self- assessment reports X

24. 24 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS Quality improvement in TVET (1) : Consolidating cooperation between:  TVET units, within the inter-assistance networks – network reorganziation in order to facilitate the institutional support of TVET units with difficulties from TVET units with experience in the field  TVET units, within the inter-assistance networks – network reorganziation in order to facilitate the institutional support of TVET units with difficulties from TVET units with experience in the field (through peer – learning activities, experience exchanges, personnel training)  the TVET units and other school units in the pre-university education – experience exchange on common topics  the TVET units and the higher education units – continuous vocational training for the school staff

25. 25 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS UNITATE DE IMPLEMENTARE A PROIECTELOR PHARE TVET Quality improvement in TVET (2)   Disseminating good practices at the local, county, national level: organizing annual meetings at the county level with the participation of all coordinators from the Commissions of Quality Evaluation and Assurance, from the TVET units, for presenting best practices in the field publishing the best practices on the schools, inspectorates, NCDTVET web sites Organizing, at the local / county / national level, periodical training / training activities in the field of quality assurance for main actors (members of the Commission of Quality Evaluation and Assessment, CSi representatives, representatives of the social partners etc.)

26. 26 ROMANIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND YOUTH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT PHARE TVET PROJECTS UNITATE DE IMPLEMENTARE A PROIECTELOR PHARE TVET Quality improvement in TVET (3)  :  Improving the quality of on-the-job learning by students through practice stages: training the tutors in enterprises training the tutors in enterprises permanent cooperation between the school representatives and the tutors in enterprises permanent cooperation between the school representatives and the tutors in enterprises  Improving the quality of the competence assessment process (during the ongoing evaluation and evaluation for certification) by: training teaching staff as competence assessors pro active participation of employers in certification examinations