Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the European Quality Assurance Framework for Vocational Education and Training and the European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training
Date: 2008-10-08
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: EU Member State, apprenticeship, local authority, regional authority, teaching, vocational training

C 325/48

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

19.12.2008

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘European Quality Assurance Framework for
Vocational Education and Training’ and the ‘European Credit System for Vocational Education and
Training’

(2008/C 325/07)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

— agrees that there is a broad consensus in the EU on the need to modernise and improve vocational
education and training in Europe. Quality assurance in vocational education and training is a key part
of this aim

— considers that

the difficulties in recognising learning outcomes from different Member States,

however, have put a brake on mobility in the EU and hinder genuine lifelong learning experiences

— highlights that in many Member States the regional and local level is responsible for vocational educa-

tion and training

— welcomes the Commission's two recommendations, as they aim to propose solutions to the social
and economic challenges of a globalising, knowledge-based world economy and they also aim to
increase mobility within the European Union and encourage skills exchange. Consequently the CoR
believes that it is necessary to develop areas which are important for citizens and activities which local
and regional authorities are responsible for

— considers that the main users of the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework will be
national/regional and local authorities in charge of quality assurance and improvement in education
and training

— asks that

local and regional competent authorities be involved in the exercise of

linking up

national/regional qualifications frameworks to ECVET

— highlights that the actual implementation and take-up of the system will be the real measure of its
success. Local and regional authorities will be useful partners to promote this through their networks
and to make ECVET credible and usable.

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 325/49

Rapporteur: Kent JOHANSSON (SV/ALDE), Member of the Regional Executive Board, Västra Götaland

Region

Reference documents

Proposal for a Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of a
European Quality Assurance Framework for Vocational Education and Training

COM(2008) 179 final, 2008/0069 (COD)

Proposal for a Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of
the European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET)

COM(2008) 180 final, 2008/0070 (COD)

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

1.
notes that vocational education and training are critical
factors for achieving the Lisbon strategy's objectives of raising
economic growth, competitiveness and social inclusion. Educa-
tion and training, skills and lifelong learning form part of the
CoR's key policy priorities;

that

considers

the difficulties

2.
in recognising learning
outcomes from different Member States, however, have put a
brake on mobility in the EU and hinder genuine lifelong
learning experiences;

3.
agrees that there is a broad consensus in the EU on the
need to modernise and improve vocational education and
training in Europe. Quality assurance in vocational education
and training is a key part of this aim;

that

highlights the fact

4.
in many Member States the
regional and local level is responsible for vocational education
and training. Vocational training is financed from a variety of
sources, although in most Member States it is financed by the
government both at national and regional level, with a high rate
of incidence of regional and local funding;

sets out

its views on two communications relating to
5.
European cooperation in the field of vocational
It
endorses both communications and welcomes the proposals
contained in them. In the case of the first one, on the European
Credit System for Vocational Education and Training, the consulta-
tion process is well advanced while in the case of the other one,
on the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework,
the
process is at an earlier stage. For this reason further consulta-
tions will be important and would be welcomed;

training.

6.
welcomes the Commission's two recommendations, as
they aim to propose solutions to the social and economic chal-
lenges of a globalising, knowledge-based world economy we live
in. They also aim to increase mobility within the European
Union and encourage skills exchange, and consequently the CoR
believes that it is necessary to develop areas which are impor-
tant for citizens and activities which local and regional authori-
ties are responsible for;

notes that

7.
the European Credit System for Vocational
Education and Training (ECVET) is a tool for describing qualifi-

cations in terms of units of learning outcomes with associated
points, with a view to transferring and accumulating learning
outcomes. It will aim to provide a methodological framework
which is meant
for learning
outcomes from one qualifications system to another, or from
one learning pathway to another;

to facilitate transfer of credit

8.
considers that the main users of the European Quality
Assurance Reference Framework (EQAF), on the other hand, will
be national/regional and local authorities in charge of quality
assurance and improvement
in education and training. As
opposed to ECVET, the Framework aims at increasing transpar-
ency and consistency of policy developments in vocational
education and training;

9.
agrees with the Commission that participation in the
implementation of ECVET and EQAF must be voluntary but
stresses that there is a need to create frameworks and guidelines
for administering the scheme. User groups (ECVET users group
and ENQAVET) must also have representatives with a direct
mandate from local and regional
level. Similarly, the private
sector and the social partners should also be represented;

that,

points out

10.
irrespective of whether a particular
country participates in the implementation of ECVET or EQAF
or not, regions which have a statutory responsibility for the
education system should have direct access to the joint forums
engaged in developing the systems;

11.
stresses that it is of critical importance in future develop-
ment work to achieve a good balance between the following
two considerations: on the hand, the desire to increase citizen's
mobility by improving the portability of credit systems and
enhancing the quality of activities; on the other hand, the need
to develop the diversity of the education systems which local
and regional authorities in Member States are responsible for;

12.
underlines the fact that ECVET and EQAF are part of a
broader range of initiatives in the education field, which also
includes the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), Europass,
the
the European Quality Charter
Europe-wide principles for the recognition and validation of
non-formal
learning and the European Qualifications Frame-
work for lifelong learning (EQF);

for Mobility (EQCM),

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Official Journal of the European Union

19.12.2008

13.
has pointed out in its past opinions that the constantly
evolving requirements of the workplace involving new systems
of work and adaptation to new technologies call for a continu-
ously trained workforce. Vocational training, following a lifelong
learning approach, can prove to be essential
instruments in
developing this, which is the core element of sustainable
economic and social development (1). Specifically in the light of
the demographic development a more effective use of
the
existing workforce has to be made;

stresses that specific financial resources will be needed

14.
for the testing and further development of the systems;

The European Credit system for Vocational Education and
Training (ECVET)

15.
notes that cross-border learning and professional activity
have a long history in Europe. They have been very important
for the development of the craft sector, manufacturing, trade
and business, laying the ground for rising prosperity at local,
regional and national level;

believes

that cross-border

16.
learning and professional
activity will take on great importance in a highly globalised
economy and that up-to-date tools are needed to support mobi-
lity in this area; further believes that ECVET is one such tool;

thinks that

17.
identification of skills needs takes place
increasingly at regional level; has highlighted the fact that local
is, of course, based on different
and regional development
starting conditions and circumstances but this should by no
means be considered to be isolated from developments in the
world at
large; as old jobs disappear in regions and local
communities, jobs are needed in new areas of production so as
to prevent stagnation, social exclusion in the form of unemploy-
ment for example, high levels of sick leave and high levels of
premature and unwanted exits from the labour market (2);

18.
points out that the labour market in Europe needs to be
characterised by a high degree of flexibility coupled with reliable
social security as outlined in the European Commission's docu-
ment on ‘Common Principles of Flexicurity’ (3);

19.
has agreed with the European Commission in the past
that national and European qualifications frameworks facilitate
the validation of learning in all contexts (4);

20.
has welcomed the European Commission's Framework of
Qualifications (EQF), and supported its double objective of
improving transparency of qualifications and promoting mobi-
lity in the European Union;

(1) CdR 226/98 fin.
(2) CoR opinion of 14 June 2006 on the Proposal for a Recommendation
of the European Parliament and of the Council on key competences for
lifelong learning.

(3) See

CoR
opinion
COM(2007) 359 final.

(4) CdR 335/2006 fin.

274/2007

on

Commission

document

21.
similarly to its request in connection to EQF, asks that
local and regional competent authorities be involved in the exer-
cise of linking up national/regional qualifications frameworks to
ECVET;

22.
reinforces the European Commission's recognition of
ECVET as ‘culturally and technically adapted to the (…) regional
contexts’, and recalls that regional authorities themselves often
have a role in identifying, developing and implementing qualifi-
cation systems and lifelong learning in formal,
informal and
non-formal contexts;

23.
points out that, when examined from a life-long learning
perspective, a large part of vocational training takes place in
knowledge-intensive businesses or business networks
and
increasingly on a cross-border basis;

24.
notes that there are also many good examples today of
cooperation in the area of vocational training between profes-
sional associations and regions in different countries which also
include joint planning and mutual recognition (5). These initia-
tives should be encouraged and their potential tapped;

stresses that various stakeholders should participate in a
25.
recognition system, not only the public sector but also private
players, businesses and the social partners;

welcomes the establishment of an ECVET users group
26.
that updates and coordinates the processes. Insists, however, on
including regional and local authorities, as well as local compa-
nies and social partners, as members of the users' group in
order to allow direct access to ECVET for them, respecting at
the same time national rules and regulations;

27.
highlights the fact that it is often local and regional
authorities that are able to put in place effective operational
actions in VET;

28.
notes that ECVET is a unit-based credit system, providing
a way of measuring and comparing learning achievements, and
transferring them from one institution to another;

29.
welcomes the fact that it is compatible with all qualifica-
tions systems, especially with the European Credit Transfer
System that supports and facilitate the mobility of university
students within Europe and further afield;

highlights however that the actual implementation and
30.
take-up of the system will be the real measure of its success.
Local and regional authorities will be useful partners
to
promote this through their networks and to make ECVET
credible and usable;

31.
believes that the effective use of ECVET requires that
practical examples of how the system works are needed once it
is up and running. This would help to a encourage a broader
range of users to exploit the opportunities offered by ECVET;

(5) For example, the European class in truck maintenance www.anfa-auto.

fr.

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European Quality Assurance

The
Vocational Education and Training (EQAF)

Framework

for

notes that greater efficiency in socio-economic terms in
32.
vocational education and training is determined by ensuring
that vocational education and training is better geared to meet
the
the
constantly changing labour market demands of
knowledge society,
in particular promoting a highly qualified
workforce able to rise to the challenge of globalisation;

33.
stresses that education and training systems should not,
as is sometimes the case, be developed in isolation from the
enterprise, social and innovation environment of a locality or
employment
region as growth,
prospects of an area are increasingly dependent on the skills of
its current and future workforce, as well as on the extent to
which vocational education and training, and retraining, contri-
bute to the ongoing completion and enhancement of skills;

competitiveness

and the

34.
highlights the fact that it is therefore essential to link
EQAF with the needs of the local labour market and calls for
the accreditation of VET centres as part of this process;

recognises the added value that EQAF brings in carrying
35.
forward education and training policy across the EU in particu-
lar the promotion of mutual learning, mobility and exchanges
of best practice;

welcomes the arrangements for an improvement cycle
36.
for EQAF and stresses that quality indicators should not be
regarded as guidelines but rather as reference points which can
be continually developed in various ways,
for example in
bilateral or multilateral contexts;

emphasises that EQAF should not be restricted to being a
37.
statistical system or some kind of monitoring tool but should
instead be seen as an instrument for ongoing quality develop-
ment at different
levels and by different players and stake-
holders;

38.
believes that use of the reference framework should not
be confined solely to national level, but that similar processes
should also be encouraged at local and regional level. The same
also applies to learning systems which are outside public educa-
tion systems so as to ensure that they too can be improved and
developed on an ongoing basis;

39.
feels that consideration must be given to the shape of
the reference framework and to how detailed it needs to be in
order to meet its objectives. The Committee thinks that the indi-
cators must not be so detailed that implementation of the refer-
ence framework and follow-up would result
in education
systems being subject to indirect control;

Brussels, 8 October 2008.

emphasise that the reference indicators proposed by the

40.
Commission

— are to be considered as a toolkit for the purpose of helping
to evaluate and improve the quality of vocational training
systems in accordance with national legislation and proce-
dures;

— do not introduce any new standards, but are intended to
the Member States' efforts whilst maintaining the

assist
diversity of approaches between Member States;

— are to be applied on a voluntary basis, are purely advisory
and are not therefore to be used as a means of comparing
the quality and efficiency of the various national systems in
Europe.

It would therefore be a strength that the various users can select
the indicators that are most relevant to the needs of their par-
ticular quality assurance system;

41.
stresses that the local and regional dimension must be
reinforced in particular through support for local and regional
networks in this field and regrets that the Recommendation
does not give adequate recognition of the importance of the
involvement of local and regional authorities more explicitly;

42.
calls for a stronger direct involvement of the local and
regional level in ENQAVET, the European Network on Quality
Assurance in VET. Regions and businesses involved in EQAF
should be encouraged to network and these networks should be
supported;

43.
suggests the use of a label of quality for VET establish-
ments, similarly to the ranking that already exists for higher
education institutions;

feels that

44.
improvements in vocational education and
training are a considerable advantage for both individuals and
society. Raising overall skills levels helps to improve economic
indicators, such as productivity and unemployment, and social
indicators, such as civic participation, criminality and healthcare
costs;

vocational training has the potential to promote social
45.
inclusion of groups which are at a disadvantage on the labour
market, such as migrants and older people, and early school
leavers;

stresses that attention should be focused not only on
46.
groups within education systems but also on individuals who
do not have access or have limited access to them or who fall
out of them.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Luc VAN DEN BRANDE