- 2022Implementation
Background
The EQAVET network is a community of practice bringing together the Member States, social partners and the European Commission to promote European collaboration in developing and improving quality assurance in VET by using the European quality assurance reference framework.
EQAVET supports the implementation of the 2020 recommendation on vocational education and training for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness, and resilience. The National Reference Point brings together various national and regional institutions, social partners and VET providers to pool actions to improve the quality of VET in the country.
Objectives
- to increase the knowledge of European frameworks supporting quality assurance in vocational education and training;
- to initiate activities to support the further development of quality assurance frameworks at national level;
- to ensure the functioning of the National Reference Point.
Description
The EQAVET Network develops knowledge and capacity through various exchange and learning activities. These activities address the current thematic priorities and are organised as part of a comprehensive work programme.
One important activity is peer learning activities, which enable EQAVET national reference points (NRPs) to share and compare approaches to specific topics. These activities foster collaboration and provide valuable insights into different perspectives and practices within the network.
Another key activity is peer reviews, which support the EQAVET Network in assessing and improving the quality assurance of national vocational education and training (VET) systems. The EQAVET Network has developed a manual that outlines its approach to VET system level peer reviews.
The EQAVET Network also holds an annual network meeting to review progress and discuss future activities. This meeting serves as a platform for stakeholders to come together, exchange ideas, and reflect on the achievements and challenges within the network. Typically, the meeting takes place in June, hosted by the country holding the European Union (EU) Presidency.
These activities collectively contribute to the growth and development of the EQAVET Network, enabling stakeholders to improve the quality assurance of vocational education and training systems across Europe.
The EQAVET Network showcases the work and developments in the EQAVET...
The EQAVET Network develops knowledge and capacity through various exchange and learning activities. These activities address the current thematic priorities and are organised as part of a comprehensive work programme.
One important activity is peer learning activities, which enable EQAVET national reference points (NRPs) to share and compare approaches to specific topics. These activities foster collaboration and provide valuable insights into different perspectives and practices within the network.
Another key activity is peer reviews, which support the EQAVET Network in assessing and improving the quality assurance of national vocational education and training (VET) systems. The EQAVET Network has developed a manual that outlines its approach to VET system level peer reviews.
The EQAVET Network also holds an annual network meeting to review progress and discuss future activities. This meeting serves as a platform for stakeholders to come together, exchange ideas, and reflect on the achievements and challenges within the network. Typically, the meeting takes place in June, hosted by the country holding the European Union (EU) Presidency.
These activities collectively contribute to the growth and development of the EQAVET Network, enabling stakeholders to improve the quality assurance of vocational education and training systems across Europe.
The EQAVET Network showcases the work and developments in the EQAVET newsletter, as well as in country factsheets, case studies and other publications available from the virtual library.
In Poland, representatives in the EQAVET network are the Ministry of Education and Science and the Centre for Education Development. The Centre for Education Development also became the National Reference Point.
The main functions of national reference points are as follows:
- actively supporting the implementation of the EQAVET work programme;
- taking specific initiatives to support the further development of quality assurance frameworks at the national level;
- supporting self-assessment as a complementary element and effective quality control measures that measure success and identify areas for improvement in the implementation of the EQAVET work programme;
- ensuring effective dissemination of information to stakeholders.
Participation in conferences and working meetings, dissemination of information on the EQAVET network took place during the year.
- Participation of a Ministry of Science and Education representative in the EQAVET Annual Network Meeting 2022 on 9-10 June 2022, in Paris. Participation in lectures, group work, exchange of good practices, and in peer review.
- Participation in the webinar Quality assurance of flexible VET pathways, on 16 December 2021, and presentation of the Polish vocational education system by a representative of the Ministry of Education and Science.
- Participation in the ERASMUS-EDU-2023-EQAVET-IBA application meeting in December 2022.
- Participation in Quality assurance of micro-credentials in VET in December 2022.
- Organisation by the Centre for Education Development of the international conference Models of consulting work in Poland and Europe - good practices. The conference took place on 15 June 2022.
- Maintaining the EQAVET/NRP website on the Centre for Education Development website, posting information from the European Commission;
- Providing information on enquiries from interested groups. For example, on 15 February 2023, a consultation with a representative of the Institute of Economics and Finance of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences.
- Providing information to the EQAVET newsletter about the activities of the NRP.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education and Science
- Centre for Education Development
Target groups
Entities providing VET
- VET providers (all kinds)
Other stakeholders
- Social partners (employer organisations and trade unions)
- National, regional and local authorities
Thematic categories
Governance of VET and lifelong learning
This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.
This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.
The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.
This thematic sub-category refers to further development of national quality assurance (QA) systems for IVET and CVET, for all learning environments (school-based provision and work-based learning, including apprenticeships) and all learning types (digital, face-to-face or blended), delivered by both public and private providers. These systems are underpinned by the EQAVET quality criteria and by indicative descriptors applied both at system and provider levels, as defined in Annex II of the VET Recommendation. The sub-category concerns creating and improving external and self-evaluation of VET providers, and establishing criteria of QA, accreditation of providers and programmes. It also covers the activities of Quality assurance national reference points for VET on implementing and further developing the EQAVET framework, including the implementation of peer reviews at VET system level.
European priorities in VET
VET Recommendation
- VET underpinned by a culture of quality assurance