Recommendations

As the ECVET reflector project pursued a primarily practical aim, the final step was the formulation of practical recommendations concerning the implementation of an ECVET in the various types of countries: Where is it possible to gain synergy effects with the national dynamics of development? What kind of assistance, information, consultation and support might be rendered with respect to the various constellations of actors? Etc. The following table gives a rough overview.

Various recommendations can also be related to the two approaches described above, e.g. …

“Cross-border-approach”

emphasising the cross-border function inherent to ECVET, i.e. highlight that identification of ECVET “units” does not require a reshaping of VET programmes in terms of modularisation
including all relevant stakeholders at country level, e.g. within the structures of tripartite “ECVET implementation committees”
promoting trust by introducing accompanying quality assurance measures

“Reform approach”

Relating credits to qualifications
Awarding credits for partial qualifications
Decentralising VET systems by increasing the role of VET providers in awarding qualifications
Supporting the learning outcome orientation in qualification/VET systems
Creating outcome-oriented methods of examination and qualification awarding
Providing a basis for accumulation/transfer of learning outcomes as units
Using the potential of ECVET to enhance permeability
Individualising learning pathways
Implementing ECVET as a means of facilitating validation and recognition of prior learning
This group of recommendations depends on the respective objectives of the actors at national level.

The main message of the ECVET reflector study is to keep ECVET as simple as possible in terms of administrative burden and user-friendliness and to confer it the status of an evolving instrument dependant on experimentation.