The growing demand for jobs in Transport & Logistics sectors today require ever increasing levels of qualification. Vocational training centres experience that especially the EQF level 4 qualifications meet the market’s needs in their respective countries. With harmonised standards, tools and methodologies for recognition of qualifications and Learning Outcomes achieved abroad, learners will enrich and optimise their training pathway, enhance their employability and companies easily identify corresponding resources. The project VETMO4TL (Expanding, developing and pushing forward VET mobility at EQF level 4 in Transport and Logistics) aims to enhance European cooperation between VET centres in Transport & Logistics (T&L) in 10 partner countries (Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands) to allow increased recognised learner mobility. Therefore, the project proposes to design bilateral mobility patterns as standardised framework tools for teachers helping them to define possibilities for implementing recognised mobility projects for VET learners in T&L training programmes. To do so, the partnership involves VET providers, counsellors, competent qualification bodies and social partners. The interaction of the large partnership of 11 partner organisations will make a great step forward to increased mutual understanding between partners and enable recognition of learning outcomes from one country to another thanks to the developed documents and tools. The project is structured into 3 major activities: 1/ Expanding the approved methodology for EQF level 4 qualifications in Transport and Logistics The methodology to adopt shared references will be used to compare the existing qualifications at EQF level 4 in Transport and Logistics and for the Road Freight Drivers in Belgium, France, Italy and Spain with those existing in Finland, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Portugal and the Netherlands. The objective is to develop shared references recognised by all partners (common job profiles, occupational and competence standards) including a common methodology and standardised tools according to the ECVET methodology that make possible the comparison and mutual understanding between the Transport and Logistics EQF level 4 qualifications of the concerned partner countries. 2/ Developing and pushing forward VET mobility at EQF level 4 in Transport and Logistics Designing bilateral mobility patterns is an essential part of this project. It means comparing in detail the relevant national competence standards and integrating competent bodies into the work. The aim is to develop detailed documents which will help teachers and trainers to determine the possibilities of recognised mobility and can be used as guidelines for filling in the Learning Agreement. To ease this job for teachers and trainers, we will furthermore develop guidelines on how to use these tools together with the shared references. 3/ Delivering pilot mobilities for teachers and trainers Pilot mobility projects for teachers and trainers with the organisation of transnational learning activities and multiplier events will allow our main target group to get familiar with our documents and tools and learn how to use them. It will moreover be the opportunity to create new partnerships between VET centres. Finally, we aim to strengthen confidence and trust in the NETINVET network and its partners as the project aims to integrate the results into this existing network. NETINVET (www.netinvet.eu) is a European network of more than 75 schools, VET centres and professional organisations from ten European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, UK – Northern Ireland) conducting over 600 mobility operations a year within the network. This strategic partnership is contributing with an innovative solution to strengthening recognition, transparency and comparability of qualifications at EQF level 4 in Transport and Logistics in Europe. This condition is required to aim for qualitative recognised learner mobility that can be realised after the conclusion of this project. In parallel the project activities lead to increased transnational cooperation of VET providers. VETMO4TL includes the increased level of trainers' abilities and an improved quality of the training offer thanks to the production of common job profiles and occupational standards corresponding to sectoral requirements and needs. Competent bodies and social partners will dispose of clear transparent competence standards described in units of LO to compare to when working on qualifications and jobs. The results will be disseminated to teachers, trainers and VET centres, the national qualification bodies, the Transport & Logistics professionals, social partners and to European VET networks.
VETMO4TL was set up in the context of a growing demand for jobs in the Transport & Logistics (T&L) sector all over Europe, the need to attract new profiles to EQF level 4 qualifications that specifically meet the companies’ needs, and the will to enhance European mobility opportunities. The project lasted 30 months, starting in November 2017 and ending in April 2020, and brought together 11 complementary partner organisations, such as associations, T&L research centres, competent authorities and VET centres from ten EU countries: Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain (Catalonia) and the Netherlands. The project objective was to develop harmonised standards, tools and methodologies to ensure transparency and recognition of the national qualifications with the purpose to promote structured and recognised mobility in Europe, for learners in vocational education and trainings (VET) at level 4 of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) in the T&L sector. The project furthermore aimed to enhance cooperation between VET centres and to create new partnerships. Three main activities were implemented, enabling us to reach the following results and impacts: 1/Development of shared references We developed shared references, which allow mutual understanding and comparison of the existing qualifications and trainings in the ten partner countries. They are composed of 3 resources: job profiles (O2), occupational standards (O3) & qualification standards (O4). The first two resources illustrate the three relevant jobs that we identified at EQF level 4 in T&L: The transport technician who works in an office and participates in organising, coordinating and monitoring transport missions. The warehouse technician who works in a storehouse and receives, stocks and prepares goods for delivery. The Road Freight Advanced Driver who drives the truck and executes the transport of goods. The third document describes these qualifications in terms of units of learning outcomes (based on the ECVET methodology). 2/Design of bilateral mobility patterns The shared references build a common framework but they do not provide individual propositions for mobility. We therefore provided 17 bilateral mobility patterns (O5) as an additional tool, which assists teachers and trainers in preparing appropriate mobility projects by determining possibilities of structured and recognised mobility between two partner countries: duration, level, type of mobility, learning outcomes to be achieved abroad, evaluation and recognition procedures. It is “ready to use” and facilitates the filling of the Learning Agreement inherent to every quality mobility project. In addition, we drafted clear guidelines explaining the methodology we used to ensure that it can be applied by other stakeholders to create their own mobility patterns. In this way, this tool is useful for any VET actor, even for countries or economic sectors that have not participated in our project. 3/Elaboration of guidelines and organisation of a training workshop We organised a workshop to train teachers and trainers in the use of the project resources and tools. This event gave the opportunity to reach stakeholders outside our consortium and supported the creation of new partnerships. To smooth the exploitation of our results and support the implementation of mobility, we furthermore provided guidelines (O6) detailing all our resources and tools and explaining how to use them, in a simple and practical way. All results are available on the project website: www.vetmo4tl-project.eu/en/page/deliverables. The VETMO4TL project was conducted in a way to ensure longer-term benefits: This strategic partnership contributed to strengthening recognition, transparency and comparability of qualifications at EQF level 4 in T&L in Europe. In parallel, the project activities lead to increased transnational cooperation of VET providers and the creation of new partnerships. These conditions are required to promote quality European mobility options for teachers, trainers, employers and learners with a view to contributing towards developing better understanding, knowledge and solidarity within Europe. To ensure the use of the project results and to continue promoting the implementation of mobility at EQF level 4 in T&L, they were integrated into the existing NETINVET network (www.netinvet.eu). NETINVET is a mobility network of over 100 VET centres and professional organisations from 13 European countries. Based on mutual trust and quality, NETINVET promotes European mobility in the sectors of international trade, transport and logistics and commercial vehicle maintenance.