ECVET meets EUROPASS mobility

Transcription

1 45 leonardo da vinci ECVET meets EUROPASS mobility Documenting learning outcomes in mobilities Project results Studies Conferences Documents

2 Imprint Publisher: Nationale Agentur Bildung für Europa beim Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (NA beim BIBB) Accountable party pursuant to German media law: Klaus Fahle Editorial Committee: Chaired by: Grzegorz Szarowski, Dr. Thomas Reglin Members: Tanja Bacher, Furio Bednarz, Uta-M.-Behnisch, Małgorzata Chmielecka-Gumoś, Jörg Engelmann, Gabriele Fietz, Maria Gatz, Christiane Langweg, Sonja Lengauer, Folene Nannen-Gethmann, Serge Rochet, Tomas Sprlak, Grzegorz Szarowski Layout: kippconcept, Bonn Printing: Medienhaus Plump, Rheinbreitbach Status as of October 2012 Please send orders to: Forschungsinstitut Betriebliche Bildung (f-bb) ggmbh Obere Turnstraße 8 D Nürnberg info@f-bb.de Reference Number: This publication has been supported with European Commission funds. The authors assume sole responsibility for the content of this publication; the European Commission bears no responsibility for any further use of the information contained herein. ISSN ISBN

3 ECVET meets EUROPASS Mobility Documenting learning outcomes in mobilities Series of reports published by the National Agency Education for Europe at the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training

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5 Content Preface 5 Prof. Dr. Eckart Severing 1. EUROPASS Mobility in Europe and in Germany 7 Uta-M. Behnisch 2. ECMO: ECVET meets EUROPASS Mobility an overview 16 Grzegorz Szarowski 3. VQTS matrices Bridging ECVET to EUROPASS Mobility? 24 Tanja Bacher & Sonja Lengauer 4. Measuring learning outcomes in the Polish context 36 Małgorzata Chmielecka-Gumoś 5. Proposal for modification of the section 5.a. of the EUROPASS Mobility according to ECVET criteria 43 Maria Gatz, Grzegorz Szarowski 6. Evaluation of competencies for sustainable employability 57 Tomas Sprlak & Serge Rochet 7. Advantages of the use during mobilities of instruments developed by the ECMO project 70 Folene Nannen-Gethmann & Christiane Langweg 8. The acceptance of the EUROPASS Mobility the function of the ECMO Guidelines 78 Jörg Engelmann 9. ECMO and Beyond: Lessons learned and perspectives from the viewpoints of stakeholders and practitioners 92 Furio Bednarz, Gabriele Fietz ECMO project partners 111 Appendices 113 3

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7 Preface Prof. Dr. Eckart Severing There are by now a multitude of European initiatives in existence which aim at increasing the transparency of educational results and in this way supporting the mobility of learners and employees in Europe. The range of these initiatives includes: credit systems intended to make learning outcomes in the field of higher and vocational education transferable across national borders; internationally comprehensible standardized documentation instruments such as the EUROPASS; and the construction of an architecture for a general trans- European qualification framework. It comprises a whole series of different approaches, from initiatives that make visible the results of informal learning, through to measures aimed at promoting the development of quality in education based on common Europe-wide standards. Some of these instruments have already passed far beyond the phase of implementation and initial testing; others have still to become established in educational practice. In the light of what has already been achieved, the main emphasis of the discussion has now shifted. What is being discussed now is not so much if processes and instruments for supporting mobilities are needed, but rather which of these processes and instruments are of prime importance, how to develop them further, which help and support the educational practitioners need to use them without excessive expenditure, and what synergies can be created between the different initiatives and instruments. In short, what is on the agenda for discussion in this area today are questions concerning the actual practical realization, and the fine-tuning, of these processes and instruments. The ECMO project, the results of which are presented in this volume, is to be situated in this context. The idea at the centre of this project has been the connection of the EUROPASS Mobility with ECVET, with the aim of increasing the benefits yielded by both of these latter instruments ECVET helps to increase the quality of documentation of mobilities in the EUROPASS by offering a learning outcome -oriented language of description for these mobilities. Conversely, the anchoring of ECVET in EUROPASS serves to support a firmer establishment of the credit system. As a result, not only is the quality of the documentation of mobilities improved; ECVET also helps to define more 5

8 clearly the specific goals of mobilities and can thereby also have a positive impact on the quality of the execution and concrete realization of these latter. The essential issue in the course of the next few years will be the testing-out, within several branches and sectors as well as within different constellations of countries, of how this European tool-box of instruments, the component parts of which have emerged from a whole series of different initiatives, can be developed and synthesized into a single comprehensive and coherent system of transnational communication in the field of education. The structures for exchange of ideas and cooperation between experts and professionals that have been developed in the context of the LEONARDO DA VINCI Programme can make an important contribution here. 6

9 1. EUROPASS Mobility in Europe and in Germany Uta-M. Behnisch 1.1. Introduction Transparency and comparability of learning- and work-experience plays an increasingly important role in an expanding European education area and European labor market. With EUROPASS the European Commission has created a personal, coordinated portfolio of documents which helps European citizens present their skills, competences and qualifications in a clear, standardized form which is understood internationally. At the same time, the EUROPASS promotes the mobility of citizens and increases job opportunities on the European labor market EUROPASS Framework The EUROPASS Framework is based on the Decision of the European Parliament and the Council of 15 th December It consists of five documents aimed at increasing transparency: EUROPASS CV EUROPASS Language Passport EUROPASS Certificate Supplement EUROPASS Mobility EUROPASS Diploma Supplement These five tools followed the EUROPASS Training, which was the direct predecessor of EUROPASS Mobility and paved the way for the whole framework. After conducting an analysis of EUROPASS Training, the Commission decided to implement a whole framework the aim of which would be to help citizens to present their skills and competences in a transparent and standardized way which all authorities and institutions all across Europe would be able to read and understand. This was meant to facilitate mobility throughout Europe, for both lifelong learning and occupational purposes, and thereby contribute to the development of ever higher quality in education and training. 7

10 1.3. From EUROPASS Training to EUROPASS Mobility EUROPASS Mobility was developed in 2005 specifically to document organized learning steps abroad. All learning experiences regardless of their specific objective can be described here. This is what distinguishes EUROPASS Mobility from its predecessor, EUROPASS Training, which applied exclusively to workrelated stays abroad from January 2000 until the end of EUROPASS Training, however, had been so well-received that an extension of the project to encompass further target groups beyond vocational education and training became inevitable. With EUROPASS Mobility all types and levels of study-visits within Europe can now be certified for pupils attending vocational schools or schools of general education, for apprentices, students or jobseekers. It also applies to educational staff, and to adults flexible enough to want to gain experience learning abroad, which is then certified by the sending organization in the country of destination and the host organization abroad National EUROPASS Centres (NECs) There presently exist National EUROPASS Centres (NECs) in 33 European states. These NECs have the task of ensuring that the EUROPASS framework is as widely known as possible and of making the individual documents available to all interested European citizens. A further important task of the NECs is national and international networking with all relevant experts and stakeholders, in order to be able to advise interested citizens about learning opportunities in Europe. A common European EUROPASS homepage is hosted at the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP), based in Thessaloniki, Greece. All general information about EUROPASS can be found here and the EUROPASS CV and EUROPASS Language Passport are to be created and downloaded here. All national EUROPASS homepages are connected to this EU server which can be reached at 8

11 1.5. EUROPASS in Europe The EUROPASS framework has now been up and running for seven years. The latest figures show that the decision was a well-founded one: the backbone document, the EUROPASS CV, has been used by almost 20 million people since The European EUROPASS website, based in Thessaloniki, is currently visited by about 43,000 visitors per day (53.2 million since 2005). These figures are steadily rising year by year, demonstrating that the EUROPASS framework is becoming increasingly well-known and that its documents are proving useful throughout Europe. Close cooperation between the worlds of education and work, and better recognition of skills and qualifications, are essential in order to boost employability and fight unemployment. By setting out an individual s skills and qualifications acquired both through formal and through non-formal learning in a clear and understandable way throughout Europe, EUROPASS facilitates communication between jobseekers and employers and acts as a mediator between the worlds of education and training on the one hand and the realities of the labor market on the other. This is a big plus in uncertain economic times EUROPASS in Germany The German NEC is based at the National Agency Education for Europe at the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (NA at BIBB) situated in Bonn. It is like all NECs responsible for the overall dissemination of information regarding EUROPASS, and for the publication, provision and issue of EUROPASS documents in Germany. A national website has been created for this purpose and for the purpose of communicating specifically German contents. It was revised and updated in the middle of 2011, so that information tailored to specific target groups is now provided for all EUROPASS documents. In Germany the EUROPASS framework has been implemented with all five documents. The EUROPASS CV and EUROPASS Language Passport can be created via the EU server see above. A national database was developed for EUROPASS Mobility in As part of this process, EUROPASS Mobility can be applied for online in five languages: DE (German), EN (English), FR (French), ES (Spanish), IT (Italian). The template of the EUROPASS Diploma Supplement can be applied for by higher education institutions and universities in 9

12 English and German via a closed section of the EUROPASS website, and the EUROPASS Certificate Supplements can be accessed in German, English and French for almost all jobs in the German dual system Distribution of EUROPASS documents in Germany EUROPASS Mobility is particularly well established in Germany. Since the introduction of the database developed by the NEC for the preparation and issuing of EUROPASS Mobility documents, a large amount of database improvements have been realized which make the application and filling-in process easier for the applicant institutions that is, mostly the sending organizations together with the host organization abroad. Thanks to this database, the signs are already very good for the distribution of EUROPASS Mobility documents within Germany: 85 % of the over 112,000 documents (as of 25 th July 2012) are issued as part of funded vocational education programs (procedure type A); 14 % for mobilities without funding, or in other words for so-called hidden mobility (procedure type B); and 1 % of those issued are for individual persons as part of funded EU Programs see the section From vocational education and training to adult education on page 13 (procedure type C see page 12). In the case of the EUROPASS CV and EUROPASS Language Passport, it is more difficult to get an idea of how widely these are disseminated and in use in Germany and Europe. Here, only estimates are possible; no information is available regarding their content or use, as both documents can be accessed centrally via the EU server and data protection requirements apply. Data is only available about the number of documents issued per member state and per language which need not necessarily be the same thing, as English-language CVs, for example, are not only filled in in the UK, and German-language CVs filled in, besides in Germany, also in Switzerland and Austria, and for some applications made for jobs in Germany from abroad. Feedback from citizens who have used the CV is usually positive. The opportunity to complete and update the document via the internet is particularly appreciated. Feedback from industry indicates that the unique structure makes it easier to scan large numbers of applications; the only problem seems to be that the general awareness of EUROPASS within companies is not high enough. With regard to the issue of EUROPASS Diploma Supplements the following must be noted: universities are increasingly issuing the Diploma Supplement for 10

13 completed Bachelor and Master s degrees on documents with their own layout, i.e. without the clear EUROPASS design. Nevertheless, the structure has remained the same even beyond the borders of Europe. And trade and industry have also reacted to this, with personnel managers in companies more and more frequently explicitly requesting the Diploma Supplement from applicants, as it provides them with a quick overview of the university study completed. 303 EUROPASS Certificate Supplements are available in German. Most of them are available in English and French (as of January 2012). These 303 EUROPASS Certificate Supplements are going to be constantly added to until all of the approximately 350 dual job Certificate Supplements are available in Germany. Furthermore, the NEC plans to encourage those responsible in each of the individual German federal states to issue Certificate Supplements for fulltime school-based vocational trainings. These should then become available centrally for each German federal state so that they can be accessed via the EUROPASS homepage The edition procedure of EUROPASS Mobility in Germany In Germany there is an online database for the issuing of EUROPASS Mobility documents. The document can be completed in German, English, French, Spanish or Italian and can be issued via three types of procedures: Procedure Type A, Type B, or Type C. Procedure Type A applies to projects funded as part of the EU Lifelong Learning Program (LLP), to the predecessor programs of these latter, and to bilateral nationally-funded programs all of which undergo a selection procedure which certifies that they meet the quality criteria laid down in the European Council Decision establishing the EUROPASS. In these cases, the entering into the database of the project number of the approved project is required. There is also the opportunity to transfer details such as: name and address of all three parties involved, i.e. the individual participant, the sending and the host organizations into the participant contract, the learning agreement, or the confirmation of partnership forms. For this purpose, these data have first to be entered into EUROPASS Mobility; the EUROPASS Mobility document itself can then be finalized later. 11

14 Procedure Type B applies to projects lying outside of any program. This procedure only requires a short description of the stay abroad, stating that the quality criteria of the EUROPASS Decision are being complied with. With this procedure, for example, a small craftsman s business, which sends its apprentices abroad, can confirm what these apprentices have learned, i.e. the learning outcomes, in the EUROPASS Mobility. Applications will be checked and approved by the NEC or other competent organizations. In both cases i.e. Procedures A and B the sending institution applies for the document and comes to an agreement about the learning content with the host organization. Those participants in study visits or learning periods abroad, who do not have a sending institution which applies (applying) for their EUROPASS Mobility documents who did not have a sending institution were, until recently, excluded from this. However, the NEC has now created a solution Procedure Type C which takes into account the needs of specific target groups and the requirements of the EU Commission for the certification of study visits and learning periods abroad with a EUROPASS Mobility. Procedure Type C was introduced in 2008 and applies to learners who are taking part in a European- or national-funded project, but do not have a sending institution who will apply for and complete the EUROPASS Mobility for them. It requires the application number of a funded and approved project belonging to one of the following programs: EU study visits, COMENIUS assistant placements, Measures of the Bilateral Foreign Language Assistant Program, GRUNDTVIG visits /-exchanges /-assistant placements /-workshops, GRUNDTVIG further training measures for employees in adult education. These participants are gaining intercultural experience as part of individual measures and they now have the opportunity to apply for the document themselves and to complete it. The EUROPASS Mobility is authorized by the stamp and signature of the host organization alone. The relevant National Agency, through which the mobility program has been authorized and funded, is entered automatically in the EUROPASS Mobility document, in the field for the sending organization. This process enables EUROPASS Mobility to fulfill the requirements of the EU Commission and of the committed learners and has made the step up from vocational education and training to adult education. 12

15 1.9. From vocational education and training to adult education While EUROPASS Mobility is still being used intensively as part of vocational education and training particularly through the funding opportunities available as part of the LEONARDO DA VINCI Program for Lifelong Learning interest in the document is also growing in other areas of education. This applies to groups of disseminators, communities of experts, teachers, lecturers, and educational institutions, as well as personnel managers in companies and in industry-related institutions (professional associations), and also generally in adult education. International cooperation is becoming increasingly relevant, indeed indispensable for these target groups. Extending knowledge and getting to know other cultures, working methods, and teaching and learning methods is now almost an everyday part of working life. This can take the form of joint projects with foreign partners, the employment of foreign citizens in one s own company, the placement or preparation of schoolchildren or teachers abroad in a mobility project, or long-term work abroad. This creates an increased demand for certification tools, which has led in turn to the extension of EUROPASS Mobility to another target group, as is described under Procedure Type C. The German EUROPASS homepage with access to the EUROPASS Mobility database can be found at Requests for information can be sent to this address: europass@bibb.de National Coordination Centre ECVET and NetECVET One important tool to increase the quality of EUROPASS, and here especially the quality of the descriptions of learning outcomes in the EUROPASS Mobility documents, is ECVET. On November 1st 2010, the National Coordination Centre ECVET was set up in the NA at BIBB. On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) it has the task of supporting education experts testing the European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) within the context of transnational mobility projects in Germany. Furthermore, since the end of 2010 the EU-funded network NetECVET has been integrated into the NA at BIBB. Representatives from the National Agencies of 13

16 14 member states work together on the development and testing of possible models for the description of learning outcomes. Over a hundred projects, supported by the Program for Lifelong Learning, examine and test current ECVET components and principles. This is the starting point for the development of a toolbox for the practical application of defined ECVET principles within the individual member states. These two initiatives can together provide the stimulus for the use of ECVET in connection with national and transnational mobility projects. EUROPASS Mobility is already being used to record learning outcomes achieved during a stay abroad. In collaboration with the ECVET Coordination Centre and the NetECVET, support and implementation guidelines will be developed and offered to those sending and hosting organizations which issue EUROPASS Mobility documents, thus helping them to clearly describe learning outcomes achieved abroad Prospects The development, now pending, of a European Skills Pass will also bring about alterations in EUROPASS. The new arrangement will make a clear distinction between the EUROPASS CV, as the backbone, on the one hand and the European Skills Passport on the other. The European Skills Passport might take the form of an electronic file, where the other EUROPASS documents would be gathered: i.e. the EUROPASS Language Passport; the EUROPASS Mobility; the EUROPASS Certificate Supplement; the EUROPASS Diploma Supplement and two more new developments: the EUROPASS Experience for all learning outcomes gained in a national, non-formal setting, and the EUROPASS ICT Skills, describing functional and advanced ICT skills within a common European reference-framework. In these documents, all skills, knowledge and competences (= learning outcomes) can be documented, independent of where and how they were acquired and how long their acquisition took. This means that, alongside the learning experiences acquired abroad, non-formal learning will also be presented. This will enable a more structured and comprehensive presentation of the individual s full range of qualifications. 14

17 At the same time, there will also be taken into consideration the question of how non-formal knowledge wherever it was acquired and whatever it was based on can be recognized by an institution/organization. Learning outcomes are the key to mutual understanding within Europe. They will be implemented with the help of the EQF and the ECVET. While the EQF is the instrument which simplifies transparency, comparability and the transfer of acquired qualifications as a translation tool, ECVET aims to take into account and to bring about an ordered accumulation of learning outcomes, which are then added up to form an overall qualification-picture. The true recognition of learning outcomes across the whole of Europe will ensure that EUROPASS enjoys an even greater acceptance and emphasis in the future. There are exciting times ahead for the EUROPASS framework! 15

18 2. ECMO: ECVET meets EUROPASS Mobility an overview Grzegorz Szarowski The European Union makes it easier for its residents to live and work in other EU states. This is not just important for personal decisions and development; it is also crucial as regards a transparent and open labour market in Europe. Mobility in the context of Vocational Education and Training and the experiences of the trainees can encourage them to be more open toward the idea of moving to another European country. Among the things that would be required in order to make mobilities more attractive for trainees is a transparent procedure of documentation of learning outcomes acquired abroad. There already exist European transparency instruments that aim at achieving this goal, such as ECVET and the EUROPASS Mobility. The goal of the ECMO project has been to improve the documentation of learning outcomes acquired during mobilities. To achieve this goal, ECVET and EUROPASS Mobility have been interconnected. This chapter provides an overview of the project goals and results What is ECVET? The European credit system for vocational education and training (ECVET) is a powerful tool of the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020) for increasing cross-border cooperation in education and training. It should lead to portable qualifications and transferable learning outcomes, thereby making learning mobility and lifelong learning a reality for young and adult learners. 1 Two important preconditions for the successful implementation of ECVET are: to communicate, in a transparent manner, the added value of this approach for VET and to employ the learning outcomes approach in different stages of the ECVET process 2. In the course of the ECMO project the partners have worked on these preconditions and conducted discussions about them with the stakeholders involved. 1 CEDEFOP, 2012, p.1 2 CEDEFOP, 2012, p

19 2.2. What is EUROPASS Mobility? The EUROPASS is a European instrument that has been developed in order to promote transparency of skills in qualifications in Europe. It consists of five documents which can be used to document the qualifications and competences acquired in different contexts: Curriculum Vitae, Language Passport, Certificate Supplement, EUROPASS Mobility and Diploma Supplement 3. The EUROPASS Mobility has the goal of documenting skills and competences that have been acquired in another European country e.g. during a mobility project. At present, section 5 of the EUROPASS Mobility allows transparent documentation of tasks carried out during mobility phases and of skills and competence acquired abroad. However, the evaluation study on the utilization of the EUROPASS Mobility has shown that the spaces in the document set aside for the description of the acquired skills and competences were not used as often as those set aside for the description of tasks and activities carried out in the mobility 4. There seems to be a problem in differentiating between, on the one hand, the descriptions of jobs/tasks carried out and, on the other hand, the description of the skills/competences acquired because, to an extent, the same contents tend to be filled in for both 5. Moreover, the activities carried out and the skills and competences acquired have to be filled in by the institutions involved, even though these institutions possess no guidelines for this task 6. This can overtax the institutions, so that they either ignore the spaces set aside for the description of the competences or fill in general tasks and activities without a learning outcome orientation Need for action The European Union has made a clear statement expressing its intention to combine the existing European transparency instruments and to develop them further. This linkage directs the attention of important stakeholders to these instruments and may prove a development capable of improving the quantity and quality of their use. The ECMO project contributes to the realization of 3 (accessed ) 4 Nationales Europass Center (NEC), 2009, p.8 5 Nationales Europass Center (NEC), 2009, p.8 6 Nationales Europass Center (NEC), 2009, p.7 17

20 these political statements by combining two of these instruments: ECVET and EUROPASS Mobility. ECVET and EUROPASS Mobility are two instruments which are currently being used in the European Union with a more or less professional approach. These instruments, however, are being used in a whole series of different ways and there may be several reasons for this. It could be due to their complexity or, alternatively, to a lack of comprehensive guidelines outlining how to deal with these approaches in a structured and professional way. Another reason could be that the added value that might be gained by using these instruments is not clear. However, a clarity about the potential added value to be gained through these instruments is a very important precondition not just for the successful implementation of ECVET 7 but also for that the more professional use of the EUROPASS Mobility. The added value can be created when both instruments are used in conjunction. This connection can be an advantage for the implementation of both ECVET and the EUROPASS Mobility. First of all, these instruments can thereby reach a broader audience and become more popular. Secondly, the added value can become clearer to everyone in the course of discussions about the linkage of these approaches conducted with important stakeholders Project s goals The aim of the project was to improve the quality of the documentation of mobility results in the EUROPASS Mobility through the application of ECVET criteria. Furthermore, the project aimed at supporting and encouraging the recognition and validation in the home country of learning outcomes that had been achieved during a mobility. In addition, the project had the goal of making proposals for the further development of section 5.a. of the EUROPASS Mobility, i.e. the section designed for documenting skills and competences acquired during a mobility phase. The EUROPASS Mobility can be applied as a document for quality assurance when documenting competences for ECVET. However, an evaluation study 8 7 CEDEFOP, Nationales Europass Center (NEC),

21 concerning the utilization of the EUROPASS Mobility has shown that the spaces in the document intended for the description of the acquired skills and competences were rarely or improperly used. To document the results of mobility projects according to ECVET criteria in the EUROPASS Mobility, the learning outcomes achieved should be described and their relation to the qualification in the home country should be specified. In this way mobility projects gain additional value: learning results acquired abroad will be not only documented but also validated, and can even be recognized and integrated into the qualifications pathway which a learner may be following within his/her home country. At the same time, for the implementation of ECVET in Europe it is necessary to report the experiences acquired with mobility actions in a bottom-up process, proceeding from the base to the EU-level, in order to enhance the practicability and the acceptance of this approach. Different requirements apply regarding evaluation and documentation in the different countries. In the project, the EUROPASS Mobility has been used as a basis for mutual trust and as something which provides a possibility of mutual recognition. It was the aim of the project to incorporate the EUROPASS Mobility as an added value for the trainees, by seeing that it was filled out with learning outcomes proven through competence-assessment procedures. The project was led by f-bb, which has long and significant experience in research activities concerning European Transparency Instruments. The consortium running it consisted of 6 core partners, including the coordinator and 3 associated partners. Some core partners (Italy and Poland) are experts in the area of the documentation of knowledge, skills and competences. The French partner is the National Framework Organization dealing with the Bilans de Competence and therefore also an expert in the area of the documentation of competences. The Austrian partner was responsible for, amongst other things, the innovation transfer from the project ECVET-tour and has long-term experience in projects dealing with ECVET, especially in the HoReCa sector, as does the UK College as well. The two German associated partners are experienced in mobility projects in the above-mentioned sector and were responsible for testing the suggestions for the modification of the EUROPASS Mobility in practice. Furthermore, an advisory body was also established, consisting of several National EUROPASS Centres and relevant stakeholders. This was ex- 19

22 pected to have an impact on the quality assurance of documentation of learning outcomes as a basis for recognition. Another important aim of the project was the drawing-up of a concrete proposal for using EUROPASS Mobility as a documentation instrument for ECVET validated by competent bodies (e.g. by the associated partner IHK Munich) and relevant stakeholders (e.g. Verband Systemgastronomie). A further added value was the giving of some impetus to the idea of learning-outcome-oriented curricula for specific qualifications in the hotel and restaurant sector. The target groups of the project were practitioners as well as representative from the political level. For the first target group, guidelines and tips for organizing a mobility project according to ECVET criteria are provided. For political actors, this publication is also of great potential interest, especially the proposal for the modification of the EUROPASS Mobility in respect of a better documentation of learning outcomes Results The consortium worked on the project s goals in several project meetings and through regular exchange of opinions. First of all, common job procedures were identified for the hotel, restaurant and catering sector (HoReCa) and for the occupational areas cook, hotel- and restaurant-trade commercial assistant and Professional Caterer ( Systemgastronom ). To achieve this goal VQTS Competence Matrices were used, wherein spaces were set aside for the description of the learning outcomes for specific occupational areas. 9 A Competence Matrix displays competences in a table organized according to core work tasks ( competence areas ) and the progress of competence development ( steps of competence development ). 10 For the last-mentioned occupational area, Professional Caterer, a VQTS matrix was developed in the course of the project based on comparisons of similar qualifications in the partner countries. For the first two qualifications, the VQTS matrices of the project ECVET-Tour were used. Moreover a comparison between the Polish and the German educational systems as regards the category 9 For more information see: (accessed ) 10 Luomi-Messerer & Markowitsch, 2006, p.11 20

23 specialist in food services ( system gastronomy ) and an identification of the learning units common to the two were carried out by way of an example. Based on the results of a questionnaire, it was decided to use the first part of the VET profile for the mobility projects in order to facilitate communication between the hosting and sending partners. The VQTS matrices, accompanied by filled-in VET-profiles, were used in the mobility projects in order to facilitate communication between the hosting and the sending partners. Both sides agreed on the learning units to be tested by means of the matrices. Although it requires expert knowledge to develop VQTS matrices, it was decided within the consortium to recommend the development of such matrices in preparation for mobility projects in line with the ECVET criteria, provided only that experts are involved and other tools are not available. The learning outcome approach exemplified in the matrices contributes to the transparency of qualifications across the borders of European countries. The two most important results of the ECMO project are: the proposal for the further development of the EUROPASS Mobility; and the supporting guidelines which enable teachers and trainers to conduct mobility projects in accordance with the ECVET criteria. Both products were discussed in the consortium. Moreover, drafts of these products were discussed with important stakeholders. After the feedback from the VET experts, trainers and other actors involved in the mobility projects, these products were modified so as to accord with the needs of the target group. The guidelines also comprise recent developments on the national and European level. They aim at assisting teachers and trainers in the preparation, realization and documentation of the learning outcomes of mobility projects according to ECVET criteria. Recommendations for the validation and recognition are also part of the guidelines. The ECMO guide will also contribute to increasing the quality of mobility projects, because it supports teachers and trainers in defining exactly what learning outcomes are to be achieved and how they are to be assessed and documented in section 5.a. of the EUROPASS Mobility. The guide offers explanations of the respective steps and in addition practical support: namely, links to checklists and templates as well as models and reports of experience acquired in recently-completed LEONARDO DA VINCI projects. 21

24 The proposals made for the modification of the EUROPASS Mobility and the supporting guidelines were used and tested through negotiation processes in mobility projects (i.e. both ongoing and separately applied mobility projects) in the HoReCa (Hotel Restaurant Catering) sector. As a basis for the identification of common job procedures, the VQTS model was transfered to the HoReCa sector. Outcomes of the europass+ project were also used. Several sorts of dissemination activity have been carried out so as to inform the stakeholders involved about the project s results. The project has its own website as part of this dissemination strategy (www. ecmo-europe.de). This website gives a more in-depth insight into the project. The project folder is another part of the dissemination strategy. It informs about the general characteristics of the project and serves as an initial point of access to the project s contents. There is also a link to the project website which contains more elaborated information. The comprehensive quality assurance plan, as well as monitoring and evaluation measures, were the main tools of quality management in the project. The Quality Management bore both upon process issues and on the products delivered by the project, in order to ensure the achievement of the effectiveness expected of them. The Quality Management also aimed at providing the coordinator, the partnership and the Advisory Board (in charge of validating and evaluating results) with data and information useful for adjusting the management of the different work packages. In the following sections of this publication some ECMO project partners will describe the development of the instruments involved in the project. First of all, there will be described the use made, in the project, of the VQTS matrices. Then, the advantages and disadvantages will be discussed of using a well-structured and flexible instrument to measure learning outcomes in the Polish context. The next article then deals with competence-assessment in the context of mobilities, and with the role of mobility as regards employability. There will then follow a section dealing with the use of the ECMO instruments in practice. The advantages of the developed instruments used during the mobilities, as well as the acceptance of the EUROPASS Mobility and the role of the guidelines, will be discussed. 22

25 Finally a description will be given of the evaluation process and of the results achieved in the project Perspectives In the future, the results of mobility projects should be documented in a European database that should be available for institutions organizing mobility projects. The results of these projects could consist in the comparison of core work tasks of specific occupational areas in the countries involved, the acquired learning outcomes and the experiences contributed by involved organizations and trainees. Such practical information would then facilitate the organization of subsequent mobility projects and might potentially increase the frequency with which mobilities are organized in future. References CEDEFOP, 2012, Necessary conditions for ECVET implementation Luomi-Messerer, K. & Markowitsch, J. (Eds.) (2006). VQTS model. A proposal for a structured description of work- related competences and their acquisition. (accessed ) Nationales Europass Center (2009): Europass Mobilität Evaluationsstudie zeigt: Europass Mobilität erfolgreich etabliert. (accessed ) Websites (accessed ) (accessed ) (accessed ) 23

26 3. VQTS matrices Bridging ECVET to EUROPASS Mobility? Tanja Bacher & Sonja Lengauer Abstract The following article discusses the approach followed in the ECMO project, where the VQTS model was used as a bridging tool between two European transparency instruments: ECVET and EUROPASS Mobility. The article briefly discusses ECVET and EUROPASS Mobility, but places its main emphasis on the VQTS model and focuses on the usability of this instrument during the ECMO project. The article thus presents an overview, outlining, on the one hand, what has been done in ECMO and, on the other hand, the added value gained by using the VQTS model for formulating and illustrating learning outcomes. Finally, conclusions are drawn as to how the instruments described can be brought together, and perspectives are developed on how possible future developments of EUROPASS might serve to increase mobility in VET within the European Union Introduction For some years now, the European Commission has sought to strengthen vocational education and training (VET) and to increase the mobility rate of young people in VET. With the Lisbon Strategy (2000) 11, vocational education and training became a crucial and integral part of the overall European strategy to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world. In the following decade, the European Commission issued several policy documents that focused on creating more transparency and recognition of skills and competences and thus enhancing transnational mobility in VET. The Copenhagen Process (2002) 12 played a crucial role in raising awareness of the importance of VET on both national and European levels. In 2010, the Bruges 11 (accessed ) 12 p.4 (accessed ). 24

27 Communiqué 13 called for establishing communication strategies for different stakeholder groups, and focused on the implementation and the added value of transparency tools (for example, EQF, ECVET). Finally, one of the long-term strategic objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy (2010) 14 has been set as making lifelong learning and mobility a reality. However, VET students do at present not study abroad as frequently as university students. This might be because of the lack of appropriate structures (such as a central office to coordinate mobility) or because of language and financial barriers as well as the diversity of VET systems in Europe, which results in a lack of understanding of foreign education systems, programmes and contents. As a result, young people in VET tend not to take the opportunity to learn abroad, even for short periods. However, such a stay abroad can be highly valuable for young people, because it can contribute to their personal development and can enhance their opportunities in the labour market. It is for these reasons that the European Commission has encouraged the development of transparency instruments to help improve mutual understanding of VET systems and thus boost transnational mobility. This article discusses the approach adopted in the LEONARDO DA VINCI project ECMO ECVET meets EUROPASS, which combines two transparency instruments: ECVET and EUROPASS Mobility. In the ECMO project, the VQTS model uses Competences Matrices as a common language to describe competences and their acquisition and serves as a bridging tool for supporting ECVET mobilities by documenting the learning outcomes acquired by a learner during a mobility period. For this reason, we will devote the first three sections of the article to briefly discussing the instruments used in the ECMO project: namely, ECVET, VQTS and EUROPASS. The last section will draw conclusions regarding how the instruments described can be brought together, and will present an outlook on possible future developments of EUROPASS in order to increase mobility in VET within the European Union (accessed ) 14 (accessed ) 25

28 3.2. European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) ECVET is a technical framework for the transfer, recognition and, where appropriate, accumulation of individuals learning outcomes with a view to achieving a qualification 15. Therefore, ECVET represents a framework that serves primarily to transfer and recognize individually achieved learning outcomes. The main pillars of ECVET consist of units of learning outcomes, the transfer and accumulation of learning outcomes (mainly in ECVET partnerships), learning agreements, personal transcripts and ECVET points. ECVET seeks to facilitate the recognition of learning outcomes in order to establish a qualification. The ECMO project focused on the transfer and recognition of learning outcomes acquired during transnational mobility. The project followed the VQTS approach to formulating and illustrating learning outcomes. Therefore, the following section presents the VQTS model including its main elements: Competence Matrix, Competence Profiles and Competence Profile Certificate. The section also describes the procedure for developing Competence Matrices Competence Matrices as a framework for describing and assessing learning outcomes in terms of work processes the VQTS Model 16 Because of the wide variations in national approaches, concepts and traditions available for designing and describing qualifications, one of the main challenges of ECVET implementation is that of comparing training programmes and understanding qualifications from other countries VET systems. The VQTS model seeks to overcome this problem of the partial incomparability of qualifications and training contents in different countries by focussing on work processes (Luomi-Messerer 2009: 10). In this section, we will give a general description of the VQTS model as well as note the practical implications of using the VQTS model for ECVET mobilities. The LEONARDO DA VINCI project VQTS (Vocational Qualification Transfer System) first developed the VQTS model. It was then refined by the Lifelong Learn- 15 (Official Journal of the European Union 2009: For further information visit: (accessed ). 26

29 ing project VQTS II. The VQTS model is built on the assumption that modern work processes involve many similar tasks despite national differences in the manners of offering and organising training. For example, different countries/ professions tend to apply similar materials, technologies and processes. For this reason, it is more feasible to compare the occupational requirements, or the core work tasks and necessary vocational or professional competences, in a specific occupational field than it is to compare the training programmes leading to these competences. Thus, the VQTS model provides a common language for describing competences and their acquisition and offers a way to relate these competences to specific training programmes (Ibid.:10-11). Core work tasks are defined as comprehensive tasks related to the working context of a particular occupational field. Since the VQTS model follows a developmental-logical approach to the differentiation of competence profiles (competence-development), it can also facilitate the process of describing the acquisition of competences. Hence, the description of competences in relation to core work tasks can be seen as an attempt to bridge the terminological and ideological gap between the world of education and the world of work (Ibid.:11). The VQTS model can be used for different purposes, such as: (a) transferring vocational competences acquired abroad, as was done in the ECMO project; (b) transferring and recognising competences acquired within the official VET system as well as competences achieved through non-formal or informal learning; (c) developing qualifications; (d) composing job profiles as well as engaging in personnel (human resources) planning and (e) enhancing the permeability between VET and Higher Education (Ibid.: 30). The main elements of the VQTS model are the Competence Matrix, Competence Profiles and Competence Profile Certificates (Ibid.: 11) Development process of a Competence Matrix A Competence Matrix should enhance transparency of competences and qualifications and thus increase mutual understanding between different countries and different contexts in order to compare qualifications with one another. The Competence Matrix uses a table to present learning outcomes in a manner which relates them to an occupational field. The vertical axis of the Competence Matrix contains the competence areas, based on the various core work tasks of the respective professional field. The horizontal axis shows the steps of competence-development described in learning outcomes, which indicate the 27