This project will look at how ECVET can be used to support the achievement of credit bearing learning outcomes (LOs) that contribute directly to lower level vocational qualifications, in the context of mobility activity. We will work with 6 partner countries, who all offer structured international work placements that contribute directly to their learners’ vocational course of study, avoiding the need for classroom based duplication. Our target group is vocational learners, studying qualifications up to level 3. Most learners are young people who may not have travelled/studied abroad previously.Through national mapping activities, we will gain an insight into approaches to validating work based (WB) learning in different European contexts and understand the challenges/barriers faced by the key actors within mobility activity, in terms of their engagement with ECVET. In response to our findings, we will develop six intellectual outputs (IOs), through which we will offer innovative approaches to supporting the key actors to better engage with the ECVET process and understand how their roles are interlinked. IOs will be led by different partners, according to the topic and their own area of expertise. A corresponding transnational meeting will be hosted by the partner leading the specific IO.We will develop resources for each stakeholder group, to support the implementation of ECVET and the achievement of credit bearing LOs. Resources will be accessible and user friendly, in order to demystify the implementation of ECVET and encourage active engagement with the framework. We intend for the materials produced to be used in a range of European contexts.We expect 1360 participants to be indirectly impacted by the project itself. This can be broken down into three key stakeholder groups, learners, vocational college tutors, and host organisation mentors.We will carry out a pilot mobility activity to provide an opportunity to test the resources developed as well as gathering feedback from other stakeholders at national level. The results we expect to see are:>The development of an approach to break down the perceived barriers to using ECVET by simplifying the approach to evidencing learning outcomes.> Stronger integration of WB mobility opportunities into vocational curricula> Improved learner mobility experience> Improved cultural awareness of staff, and increased international staff development opportunities> Increased awareness of mobility activity as a credit bearing course component amongst national accrediting bodies.By directly engaging national accrediting bodies we hope to raise their awareness of mobility activity as a viable learning opportunity that will be credit bearing for learners. We will also examine how the national accrediting bodies correspond to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). The results we expect to see will all contribute to the overall anticipated impact: - Improved quality of WB mobility opportunities- Improved use of European reference tools (ECVET) for recognition, validation & transparency of competencies & qualifications - Increased use of learning outcomes when describing and defining qualifications and validating WB mobility learningThis project will produce, a model for the validation and recognition for WB learning within mobility activity that is clear, accessible and deliverable across multiple EU countries and in alignment with the parameters defined by a range of accrediting organisations. We expect this to lead to a more cohesive transnational framework and formal recognition of WB learning opportunities, which will increase the portability of national accreditation. By achieving greater recognition of work based mobility placements as a viable and enhancing component of a vocational course, we see the potential for impact amongst all stakeholders involved; vocational colleges, we expect to see stronger integration of mobility activity as part of their wider internationalisation/course enhancement strategy. Learners will be encouraged and better supported to broaden their horizons and access the European labour market, and to be able to demonstrate a set of key skills and expertise through a widely recognised framework. We expect the project to lead to improved access to WB learning opportunities that are formally validated by the learning institution and their accrediting body, and an increase in the number of validated WB learning opportunities taken up by students. Through dissemination actitvities, we will ensure the impact of project is far reaching, to ensure the results are useful and utilised by organisations, and countries, beyond our immediate networks. As well as promoting the project and its outputs nationally, we intend to share results digitally, to enable wider access, and also via European forums, such as ECVET network, in order to contribute to the ongoing development of tools and discourse in this field.
Our goal within the SEPLO project was to simplify the evidencing process for Learning Outcomes, to demystify the framework & make it more accessible to users. It was important that our starting point was the real context that we are working within, rather than the aspirational end goal of ECVET. The SEPLO project collaboratively developed, delivered and disseminated resources to aid those involved in transnational mobility activities to use ECVET to support the achievement of credit bearing learning outcomes (LOs) that contribute directly to lower level vocational qualifications. The partnership comprised organisations from 5 European countries: REY Europe - United Kingdom, Alfmed - France, CELF - Denmark, STICHTING EURICON (Euricon) - Netherlands, European Grants International Academy S.R.L. (EGInA) - Italy. All partners offer structured international work placements that contribute directly to their learners’ vocational course of study, avoiding the need for classroom-based duplication. Our target group was vocational learners, studying qualifications up to level 4. Most learners were young people often from socially or economically disadvantaged backgrounds, who may not have previously travelled/studied abroad. Initially a sixth partner from Finland was to be involved, but had to withdraw very early in the project, requiring re-allocation of one of the intellectual outputs. REY Europe led the partnership using its recognised experience of ECVET methodology to build and broaden understanding and strengthen practice of the effective use of ECVET. Partners were identified following a partner mapping exercise following engagement with national ECVET experts and the European ECVET network. Through initial discussions with our partners, it emerged that they faced similar challenges within their national context and we worked together to refine the project approach. Through an in-depth mapping exercise, we gained an insight into the range of approaches to validating work-based learning in different European contexts and an understanding of the challenges/barriers faced by the key actors within transnational mobility activity, in terms of their engagement with ECVET. Each partner consulted a national consortium of representatives from all stakeholder groups to inform the development of our intellectual outputs. Our stakeholder groups were learners, vocational colleges, host organisations and national/regional accrediting bodies. We also examined how the national accrediting bodies correspond to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). It was our intention to design a ‘common Learning Outcomes framework’ that could be applied across our partner countries & beyond. We realised that the countries involved are at different stages of integrating Learning Outcomes & recognising both work-based learning, & transnational mobility as an accredited component of a vocational course. The variability of different approaches made it a challenge to create an overarching framework, so instead we developed a tool that will help shape & guide the process of identifying & developing Learning Outcomes, which can be applied in a range of contexts. Based on our findings, we developed six intellectual outputs (IOs), through which we offer innovative approaches to supporting the key actors to better engage with the ECVET process and understand how their roles are interlinked. The six intellectual outputs and the relevant lead partner were: 1. A pedagogical paper covering research into the requirements of the accrediting bodies in each of the partner countries (UK). 2. Guidance to the recognition and validation of learning outcomes with examples from the partner countries (IT). 3. Resource guide to support college tutors to engage and integrate ECVET into work-based mobility activity (DK/UK). 4. A series of training videos to support participants to engage with learning outcomes (NL). 5. Guidance to support hosting organisations to engage and implement ECVET process (FR). 6. A review of how to make effective use of the European Qualification Framework when implementing ECVET (UK). We have developed resources, which can be used by each stakeholder group, to support the implementation of ECVET and the achievement of credit bearing LOs. Resources are accessible and user friendly, in order to demystify the implementation of ECVET and encourage active engagement with the framework. We believe that the materials produced can be used in a range of European contexts.