The value of apprenticeships and other forms of work-based learning for students and unemployed people, such as internships and traineeships, has been recognised Europe-wide and is among the policy priorities of European Commission and Member States. In 2015, Cedefop released Information notes on the issue for Greece, Slovenia and Lithuania, the main points of which Bequal.app takes into consideration. The central idea of the Bequal.app project is to develop, test and mainstream two online benchmarking tools for quality assurance in apprenticeships and work-based learning, one addressing VET providers and one addressing companies, involved in apprenticeships. The general objective of Bequal.app project is to promote and ensure the quality of apprenticeship and work-based learning. The specific objectives of the project are: 1. To develop quality assurance framework for apprenticeship and work-based learning addressing VET providers and companies. 2. To develop self-assessment questionnaires for quality assurance in apprenticeship and work-based learning for VET providers and companies. 3. To develop an online platform on quality assurance in apprenticeship and work-based learning with various resources, documents, links, articles, videos 4. To develop 2 on-line benchmarking tools for quality assurance in apprenticeship and work-based learning, one addressed to VET providers and one addressed to companies. Using the benchmarking tools, users will be able to compare their performance to similar organisations in the same country or other European countries, learn from each other and engage in promoting quality in work-based learning. 5. To establish the Bequal.app badge for VET providers and companies, engaged in apprenticeships and work-based learning and demonstrate good practices. The project targets primarily VET schools (upper secondary vocational education and training schools), VET organisations providing post-secondary initial VET, VET organisations providing continuing VET, Companies providing apprenticeship and work-based learning. At second level, it targets VET stakeholders and policy makers, National representatives of European networks as well as VET practitioners and experts. Applicant is Kaunas Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts (KCCIC) in Lithuania. Partners are Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training (CPI), the Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education (ASOO) in Croatia, the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts (HOK), Effebi Association in Italy, IDEC in Greece (managing the www.bequal.info portal), the University of Regensburg (UREG) and the European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB). The partnership therefore includes employers' associations (KCCIC, HOK, Effebi), national VET organisations (CPI, ASOO), research and quality assurance/technical organisations (UREG, IDEC) and a European network (EVBB). The results of the project are: Intellectual outputs − O1. Benchmarking methodology and tools − O2. Online benchmarking tool − O3. Online platform Other results associated with the intellectual outputs are: − Quality assurance framework for VET schools and organisations to be used by VET schools and organisations in their quality assurance system, regarding the organisation of apprenticeships and work-based learning. − Quality assurance framework for companies to be used autonomously by companies, when designing their apprenticeship offer. − Benchmarking questionnaires. Addressing VET providers and companies, the benchmarking questionnaires can be used for self-assessment of organisations. − Promotional videos and articles that will be developed and posted in the online platform can be used for promotion of apprenticeship and work-based learning in other activities and projects of the partners. Multiplier events − E1 Infoday in Zagreb − E2 Infoday in Ljubljana − E3 Employers event in Rome − E4 Transnational conference in Kaunas − E5 Quality day in Athens − E6 Transnational conference in Brussels − Bequal.app badge campaign An important activity for the promotion, engagement of target group and the sustainability of project results is the establishment of the Bequal.app badge for VET providers and companies that display good practices in organising and managing apprenticeships and work-based learning. The project will organise an European quality practices contest, in which VET providers and companies will be invited to use the online benchmarking tool and submit in a given template their good practices. The evaluation of the submissions will be based on a mixed system of quantitative evaluation, through the online benchmarking tool and a qualitative evaluation, through the submitted good practices. Winners will gain the Bequal.app badge. Partners are engaged to maintain and further invest in disseminating project results, for at least 5 years.
The value of apprenticeships and other forms of work-based learning for students and unemployed people, such as internships and traineeships, has been recognised Europe-wide and is among the policy priorities of European Commission and Member States. Bequal.app project developed, tested and mainstreamed two online benchmarking tools for quality assurance in apprenticeships and work-based learning, one addressing VET providers and one addressing companies, involved in apprenticeships. Bequal.app project promoted the quality of apprenticeship and work-based learning. During project was developed platform bequal.info based on: 1. Quality assurance framework for apprenticeship and work-based learning addressing VET providers and companies (indicators). 2. Self-assessment questionnaires for quality assurance in apprenticeship and work-based learning for VET providers and companies. 3. Online platform on quality assurance in apprenticeship and work-based learning with various resources, documents, links, articles, videos. 4. Two on-line benchmarking tools for quality assurance in apprenticeship and work-based learning, one addressed to VET providers and one addressed to companies. Using the benchmarking tools, users are able to compare their performance to similar organisations in the same country or other European countries, learn from each other and engage in promoting quality in work-based learning. 5. Bequal.app badge for VET providers and companies, engaged in apprenticeships and work-based learning and have scored higher in the benchmarking tools than others. This badge recognizes their engagement to develop quality assurance in apprenticeships and work-based learning in their country as well as in Europe. The badge is valid for one year from the date it is received. Bequal badge was awarded to 28 companies and 50 educational institutions (data from reporting period). The project targets primarily VET schools (upper secondary vocational education and training schools), VET organisations providing post-secondary initial VET, VET organisations providing continuing VET, companies providing apprenticeship and work-based learning. At second level, it targeted VET stakeholders and policy makers, National representatives of European networks as well as VET practitioners and experts. Project applicant: Kaunas Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts (KCCIC) in Lithuania. Partners: Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training (CPI), the Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education (ASOO) in Croatia, the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts (HOK), Effebi Association in Italy, IDEC in Greece (managing the www.bequal.info portal), the University of Regensburg (UREG) and the European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB). The partnership therefore includes employers' associations (KCCIC, HOK, Effebi), national VET organisations (CPI, ASOO), research and quality assurance/technical organisations (UREG, IDEC) and a European network (EVBB). Intellectual outputs of project: − O1 Benchmarking methodology and tools − O2 Online benchmarking tools − O3 Online platform Other results associated with the intellectual outputs: − Quality assurance framework for VET schools and organisations for VET schools and organisations in their quality assurance system, regarding the organisation of apprenticeships and work-based learning. − Quality assurance framework for companies. − Benchmarking questionnaires addressing VET providers and companies (can be used for self-assessment of organisations). − Promotional videos and articles developed and posted in the online platform (for promotion of apprenticeship and work-based learning). - Research on impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Work-based Learning in Europe (12-2020). In online multiplier events (Zagreb, Ljubljana, Rome, Kaunas, Athens, Brussels) in 2020 were participating more than 330 participants. All project results can be found on www.bequal.info, which is friendly to use from mobile devices, already visited by 2639 unique visitors and evaluated by 57 users.