3 European credit system for vocational
education and training
| (28099)
15289/06
SEC(06) 1431
| Commission staff working document: European credit system for vocational education and training (ECVET): a system for the transfer, accumulation and recognition of learning outcomes in Europe
|
| Legal base | — |
| Document originated | 31 October 2006
|
| Deposited in Parliament | 4 December 2006
|
| Department | Education and Skills
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| Basis of consideration | EM of 20 December 2006
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| Previous Committee Report | None
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| To be discussed in Council | No date set
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | Not cleared; further information requested
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Background
3.1 In the Maastricht Communiqué of 14 December 2004, the
Ministers responsible for vocational education and training in
32 European countries,[8]
together with the Commission and organisations representing employers
and employees, agreed to give priority to the:
"development and implementation of a European credit transfer
system for vocational education and training (ECVET) in order
to allow learners to build upon the achievements resulting from
their learning pathways when moving between vocational training
systems."
3.2 For over a decade, the EC's Leonardo da Vinci programme has
promoted the mobility of people across borders for vocational
training. The programme finances mobility projects for about 60,000
people a year. However, the scale of mobility leading to a professional
qualification is small compared with the number of people who
study abroad for higher education qualifications under the Erasmus
programme. The Commission says that:
"One of the main obstacles to attracting more interest in
mobility within the framework of initial and continuing vocational
training is the difficulty in identifying and validating learning
outcomes acquired during a stay in another country."[9]
3.3 Article 150 of the EC Treaty requires the Community to implement
a vocational training policy to support and supplement the action
of Member States. Among other things, Community action may facilitate
access to vocational training and encourage mobility of instructors
and trainees. The Council may adopt measures to contribute to
the achievement of the Article's objectives, excluding the harmonisation
of the laws of Member States.
The Commission's proposals for ECVET
3.4 The Commission staff working document sets out the case for
ECVET, outlines the principles on which the system might be based
and suggests how it might be implemented. The document is based
on the work of a group of experts assembled by the Commission.
The UK was represented by an official of the Scottish Qualifications
Authority.
3.5 The purpose of ECVET would be to enable people
to earn credit for knowledge, skills or competences acquired while
they are abroad and to enable such credits to count towards a
qualification awarded in the learner's country of origin. Credits
could be earned not only for formal training but also for learning
through work experience, self-teaching and other ways of acquiring
skills informally. ECVET would be developed and implemented gradually
on a voluntary basis without any legal obligation on Member States
or anyone else to participate.
3.6 The Commission maintains that ECVET would not
duplicate the proposed European Qualifications Framework (EQF)
but would complement it.[10]
The EQF is intended to facilitate the transfer and recognition
of completed qualifications; whereas ECVET would provide
a means to accredit knowledge, skill or competence acquired abroad
and to count the credits towards a vocational qualification.
3.7 The document invites comments on the Commission's
proposals by the end of March. It also asks for views on a list
of specific questions (for example, what would be the main added
value of ECVET?). The Commission will summarise the responses
and present them for discussion at a conference in June, which
will be chaired by the German Presidency. The Commission will
then prepare a
"formal proposal on an ECVET system which the
European Commission will put forward as the most appropriate legal
instrument in the course of 2007".[11]
The Government's view
3.8 The Minister of State for Lifelong Learning,
Further Education and Higher Education (Bill Rammell) tells us
that the Government believes that the proposal has the potential
to support greater individual mobility, improve the recognition
of skills and knowledge learned abroad and encourage the acquisition
of skills from a wider range of sources. ECVET could, therefore,
contribute to the achievement of the Lisbon objectives for jobs
and economic growth.
3.9 The Minister adds, however, that the Government
believes that:
"the proposals must be developed carefully and
in close consultation with all relevant stakeholders. The Government
understands that, at this stage, the UK qualifications bodies
have no technical concerns with the ECVET proposals. It is already
common practice in the UK to express VET [vocational education
and training] qualifications in terms of learning outcomes and
units, and the ECVET system will not therefore entail significant
changes to our approach. However, at this preliminary stage we
do question the added value of the proposals."
3.10 In December 2006, the Department for Education
and Skills invited views on the Commission's working document
and asked the administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland to publicise the document and comment on it. The Government
will take account of the responses in drafting its own reply to
the Commission.
Conclusion
3.11 We have no difficulty in understanding the
theoretical attraction of the ECVET system. It is not yet clear
to us, however, whether the Commission's proposals are practical
and whether the costs of setting up the system and administering
it would be proportionate to the benefits. We also note that the
document says that participation in ECVET would be voluntary;
yet the Commission will propose a "legal instrument"
on the system before the end of this year. The document does not
explain why legislation is considered to be necessary and what
it might contain.
3.12 We should be grateful if the Minister would:
- tell us about the responses
to the Government's consultations;
- comment on the points we have raised in the
preceding paragraph; and
- send us a copy of the Government's response
to the Commission.
Pending receipt of this information, we shall
keep the document under scrutiny.
8 The then 25 Member States, candidate countries, Norway,
Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Back
9
Commission staff working document, page 6, final paragraph. Back
10
(27797) 12554/06; see HC 34-xxxvii (2005-06), para 32 (11 October
2006). Back
11
Commission staff working document, page 17, fourth full paragraph. Back
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