GLAD network newsletter Nr 11 is out!
Have a look what's done and coming up...
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Hello reader,
Welcome to the second edition of GLAD, our newsletter delivering latest updates and insights about the governance of vocational education and training, skills development and lifelong learning. In this edition, we will take a moment to reflect on what has happened in the GLAD network in the first months of 2024.
Moving Forward with Action…
In 2024, we want to shift towards emphasising governance action.
We will continue mutual learning, sharing methodologies, and providing knowledge resources, but resources such as expertise and advice will be used to support small-scale actions that aim at changes in governance of lifelong learning.
On 20th of February 2024, GLAD network members met online to look back on the events of 2023, not only to reflect on the past year but to collectively define the ways moving forward with the GLAD network in 2024. The topics that emerged from the discussion include financing and fund allocation, dialogue with industrial actors and the private sector, overcoming bureaucratic challenges within schools, qualifications development and micro-credentials, initiation and experience-sharing regarding qualification exams, psycho-social support and mental health concerns in educational institutions, prioritizing the inclusion of individuals with special needs and minority groups, and enhancing career guidance within the framework of the Youth Guarantee. Additionally, the importance of non-formal learning, particularly in Georgia and Moldova, was underscored.
GLAD events
GLAD learning events kicked-off 2024 with an engaging online seminar discussing how to make the centres of excellence system wide. The insights from Moldova and Finland have taken us on a journey into the realm of education excellence. Ms Mervi Jansson, Chair of VETQA, OEP (Omnia Education Partnerships) in Finland presented the latest findings of the study on The Role of Excellence in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) focussing on horizontal and vertical dimensions of vocational excellence, underscoring the importance of networking for vocational excellence, that becomes particularly important in the context of climate change, demographic shifts, and skills shortages. Mr Silviu Gincu, Head of Vocational Education and Training Department of the Ministry of Education and Research complemented the contribution and shared the experiences of Moldova in setting up the system of Centres of Excellence unveiling how the Centres of Excellence work and what value they bring, how are the partnership and coordination mechanism working between the Ministry, Centres of Excellence and local communities as well as between public and private partners.
Moldova’s Centres of Vocational Excellence were also at the centre of the empirical analysis of resilience in the week of 22-25th of January 2024. Resilience can be absorptive, adaptive and transformative and we found evidence of these three resilience types through interviews with directors, teachers, and students from Moldovan Centres of Excellence, as well as representatives from civil society organisations and national authorities. We gathered firsthand examples and insights into adaptation mechanisms during times of crisis and discussed the key findings during an Expert Roundtable. The round-table session provided an additional opportunity to harvest feedback and clarify the key elements of resilience that apply in practice on education, training and lifelong learning.
The first quarter of 2024 marked a dynamic period for quality assurance. On January 30th and 31st, 2024, the European Training Foundation (ETF) convened high-level representatives from 14 partner countries' Quality Assurance authorities, along with colleagues from the Italian National Institute for the Analysis of Public Policies (INAPP) and the Piedmont Region in Italy. At the Annual Meeting of the ETF Quality Assurance Forum for VET, discussions centred around the latest developments and future in quality assurance across Armenia, Egypt, Georgia, Jordan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Palestine, Tunisia, and Türkiye. Additionally, participants had the opportunity to visit CNOS-FAP, a vocational training and upskilling centre in Turin, to gain insights into the quality assurance mechanisms of the Piedmont region.
Later in the year, on March 6 2024, we teamed up with the Ministry of Vocational Training and Employment of Tunisia to organize a practical seminar on the Quality Assurance framework for the education system. Seminar titled “L’atelier sur l’assurance qualité” facilitated an exchange of experiences with France (QUALIOPI), Greece (Ministry of Education) and Georgia (EQE).
During the last week of March, we provided a policy advice to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Moldova on quality assurance measures for non-formal and informal learning, as well as accreditation of short-term training to alleviate the skills shortages at the labour market in Moldova.
Cultivating the Lifestyle of Lifelong Learning
On 13th of March 2024, ETF joined forces with the DVV International and European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA) to organize a conference “On the Way towards EU Integration: Countries of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe reforming Lifelong Learning Systems” in Brussels.
The participants from the EU and ETF partner countries (Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan) shared their success stories and challenges in the process of converging Adult Learning and lifelong learning systems and engaged in the exchange of the best practices. As highlighted by the stakeholders onsite: while there are many challenges on the way, the adult learning is a vital aspect of European integration; as a value, now more than ever, adult learning should be preserved and approached as a lifestyle. Explore the enriching contributions from our participants by clicking here.
Embracing the spirit of an enlargement and civil society partnership, on 20th of March 2024, we discussed how to find better ways of engagement with the civil society organisations to ensure successful implementation of the Youth Guarantee in Albania at national, regional and local level. We discussed existing practices with the National Youth Congress Albania, Albanian Skills, Young Professionals Network, the Children's Human Rights Centre, and the Centre for Competitive Skills, just to mention a few of the CSOs connected to the online webinar on "Unlocking the potential of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Human Capital Development (HCD): Opportunities in the context of Youth Guarantee in Albania".
What's next?
The Quality Assurance Forum
? Date: From 21 to 23 May 2024
The Quality Assurance Forum will embark on a peer visit to Armenia from May 21st to 23rd, 2024. During this visit, the Forum members will provide valuable feedback on formative assessment practices and the employer’s role in student assignment preparation- activities aimed at enhancing Armenia's national quality assurance system.
The Tripartite Exchange Seminar (TES)
? Date: From 29 to 31 May 2024
The Tripartite Exchange Seminar (TES) in Brussels from May 29th to 31st, 2024. Representatives from Western Balkan Candidate countries will engage with EU Member States in sessions focused on national policies, social dialogue, and the green fair transition.
The Tripartite Governance Bodies
? Date: TBC May 2024
In May we will explore the effectiveness of tripartite governance bodies with the help of the European Economic and Social Committees (date tbc).
Advocacy Coalition Framework
? Date: June 2024
In June 2024, we'll delve into issues of policy influencing, notably through the Advocacy Coalition Framework during the GLAD seminar with the participation of Adult Education expert researchers. Stay tuned for more details.
Save the date!
In 2024, we organise a very first get-together of the GLAD Network to address the capital “A” of the GLAD- Action. Particularly, how to achieve small but real changes in enhancing governance of lifelong learning, country by country, context by context. We will discuss altogether how GLAD can be more supportive of that, involving EU Member states (i.e. Twinning).
Mark your calendars on the 3nd and 4th of July 2024 (date to be confirmed) and join us in the ETF headquarters in Turin, Italy. More information coming your way soon.
Warm Regards,
GLAD network team
