On Wednesday 23rd November, vocational teachers, trainers and managers will come together to help develop a common understanding of ‘Centres of Vocational Excellence’ in Vocational Education and Training (VET) in a webinar organised by the European Training Foundation (ETF), in close cooperation with the European Commission (EC).
The event will give vocational teachers, trainers and stakeholders a chance to shape the new International Self-Assessment Tool for Centres of Vocational Education (ISATCOV). ISATCOV will provide indicators for vocational excellence based on real practice in vocational schools and training centres globally. The webinar will introduce the self-assessment tool and give participants a chance to say what they think.
According to Unai Ziarsolo, International Project Manager at TKNIKA, a leading CoVE based in Basque Region of Spain: "The greatest challenge with self-assessment is that teachers and managers in schools find it difficult to make sense of the indicators - if they are not clear or they don't know which way to interpret them, then they don't find the exercise useful and they give up. That is why Tknika is getting involved in the consultation - so that we get clear indicators. But that is not enough - we need many teachers and trainers to look at the indicators most relevant to them in order to ensure that all of the indicators are scrutinised."
What is ISATCOV?
ISATCOV has been developed by ETF with the support of a Consultation Panel, which comprises representatives from international and national VET Associations, national ministries, Erasmus plus projects, donor organisations, European Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET) and the ETF’s Network for Excellence (ENE).
The framework includes 23 criteria, grouped under three themes:
- Teaching and Learning
- Partnership and Cooperation
- Governance and Funding
Users can select the criteria and indicators relevant to them and also create their own, meaning that the tool can be adapted to particular contexts, as well as newly-emerging objectives.
The self-assessment tool is intended to help schools and centres improve their understanding of what is implied by vocational excellence and to show them how they can move forward. ISATCOV will not only contain indicators but will provide a means to gather examples of good practice and references to frameworks and tools that will inform improvement plans.
Comment on the indicators
In addition to the webinar, ETF is running a survey to give everyone a chance to provide feedback on particular criteria and indicators – whenever they have time. The survey allows users to select precisely what they wish to comment upon – each respondent can give just as much time as they can spare!
The survey will remain open until 30th November 2022.
To register to participate in the webinar, click here: Registration (typeform.com)
Final registration 20th November.