Toward an European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET )

1. Toward an European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) Riccardo Mazzarella ISFOL International ThematicWorkshop Naples, 8 November2012

2. EU economic space development policies, based on the principle of free movement of goods, services, capitals and citizens, have been focused, in the last years, on the basic right to workers’ mobility.Mobility is at once conceived as an opportunity for professional and cultural growth of citizens and as a tool of adaptability to labour market. Citizens’ mobility in the framework ofthe EU economicspace

3. Mobilityof people means:◊ geographicalmobility◊ occupationalmobilityIn order to ensure the right to mobility is fully enforced, both geographical and occupational, from 2000 onwards the main issue for European institutions becomes the portability and recognition of qualifications obtained by individuals by learning and working In this context the transparency issue has been tested with reference to:◊ certificates◊ qualification systems◊ ways of representing each qualification and of related skill Citizens’ mobility in the frameworkof EU economicspace/2

4. Transparency, portability and recognitionof qualifications Transparency of certificates, systems and individual qualifications and skills has a direct and significant impact on:◊ labour market◊ learningsystems◊ individualstudents and workers

5. Transparency, portability and recognitionof qualifications:Labourmarket The most significant impacts on the labour market:◊ «Measuring» skills actually acquired by workers◊ improving match between workers’ skills owned and skills required by enterprises ◊ simplifying exchange and knowledge transfer between companies and across sectors ◊ managing occupational and geographical mobility more effectively , in order to combat the mismatch between skills and sectors/enterprises◊ contrasting the decreasing work force trend by promoting active ageing policies ◊ promoting insertion of young people in the labour market by creating a market value of skills, abilities and knowledge acquired mainly in formal contexts

6. Transparency, portability and recognitionof qualifications:Learningsystems In order to ensure transparency, portability and recognition of qualifications, learning systems (main 'producers' of qualifications) are engaged in a far-reaching reform that calls for the adoption of new tools such as:◊ develop a need analysis systems based on minimum information unit consisting of competences ◊ identify a common framework of skills and competences aimed at employability andactive citizenship ◊ invest in innovative methodologies and pedagogies, coherent with competences development ◊ optimize learning systems quality◊ develop a qualification framework at European level to compare national frameworks◊ represent qualifications following the Learning Outcomes approach ◊ develop a system for inter-system credit transfer and with reference to the labour market◊ recognize non-formal and informal learning

7. Transparency, portability and recognitionof qualifications:studentsand workers Significantimpacts from the citizen’s point of view: ◊ improveemployability, on the basisofqualifications more readable and consistent with labour marketneeds ◊ improveprofessionalgrowthopportunities, both with referenceto career promotion and to salaryissues ◊ promoteindividualinvestments in training, via toolsofcustomizationmore coherent with citizens’ needs, with specialreferenceto adultpopolation ◊ increase motivation to learn and improve levels of self-esteem

8. The European strategy for mobility development became operational in 2003, when an ad hoc Coordination Group launched by the Commission stressed the relevance of the following items:◊ Improve transparency and portability of certificates issued by different authorities (Europass Decision 2004)◊ Generate a single framework for the recognition of qualifications and skills acquired by citizens (2008 EQF Recommendation)◊ Develop a European credit system as a currency of the qualification and the LearningOutcomes achieved according the EQF approach (2009 ECVET Recommendation)◊ Identify common criteria for the improvement of the quality of supply(2009Recommendation EQARF)◊ Create the necessarytechnical and institutionalconditions for improvinginformal and non formal learning (Proposal for a Recommendation of the European Council, on the validation of NFIL, September 5, 2012) ECVET in the frameworkof the Europeanprocess fortransparency, portability and recognitionof qualifications

9. ECVET in the frameworkof the reformprocess oflearningsystems In the reformprocessoflearningsystemssome principles and technical solutions have been consolidated over time such as: ◊ Centrality of competence ◊ Descriptions of qualifications in terms of Learning Outcomes (LOs) ◊ Identification of different levels of qualifications and LOs ◊ Representation via Unit of qualifications and relevant LOs ◊ Guidelines for the evaluation and, conversely, lack of criteria relating to training ◊ Plurality and equal dignity of learning contexts ◊ Certificability of qualifications and/or of the individual Units making up such qualifications ◊ Indication of credit points for each unit as a fraction of a broader qualification ◊ Transparencyofcertifications