EQAVET Objectives

EQAVET (European Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training) brings together the EU Member States, the Social Partners and the European Commission to develop and improve quality assurance in European VET systems within the context of the implementation of the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework. EQAVET is designed to spread a quality culture in VET institutes, claimed as an essential condition for such improvement - “Participating countries should - by the end of 2015 - establish at national level a common quality assurance framework for VET  providers,  which  also  applies  to  associated workplace learning and which is compatible with the EQAVET framework.” (Bruges Communiqué, EU Commission, 2010).

EQAVET Framework

The EQAVET Framework is designed to promote better VET by providing authorities and VET providers with common tools for the management of quality in VET.

Given the diversity and complexity of approaches to VET quality within and across Member States, the Framework offers a common point of reference to ensure transparency, consistency and portability between the many streams of policy and practice across Europe, in order to increase mutual trust and mobility of learners and workers.

The Framework was developed by Member States in cooperation with the European Commission and adopted by the European Parliament and the Council in 2009. It is a key element in the follow up to the Copenhagen Declaration, which calls for closer cooperation in the field of VET, and in the ongoing work to renew Europe’s education and training systems. In every Member country, a Quality Assurance National Reference Point gives access to information on the Framework and national quality assurance matters in VET.

Building Blocks

The early analysis of approaches to quality assurance by VET providers across Europe, which are in line with the EQAVET Framework, has identified six interdependent building blocks. These six building blocks support and complement each other and build on the EQAVET indicative descriptors and indicators.

The building blocks provide guidance by identifying key activities which could be undertaken in order to improve quality assurance processes in line with the EQAVET Framework. All of the building blocks are supported by examples from European VET providers. You can find full details of these examples at: www.eqavet.eu/index2.html

The building blocks set out activities that would help VET providers to develop and support a quality assuranceapproach in line with the EQAVET Framework. They include:

  • referring to the EQAVET quality assurance cycle
  • a “call to action”
  • identifying the key issues that should be considered and the factors for success
  • referring to “lessons learnt” based on an analysis of recent experiences from European VET providers, which suggest new ways forward