Implementation of ECVET for Qualification Design in Drinking Water Treatment Plants and Sanitation for Pure Drinkable Water Erasmus Project

Project Title

Implementation of ECVET for Qualification Design in Drinking Water Treatment Plants and Sanitation for Pure Drinkable Water

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Energy and resources

Project Summary

The establishment of a common European learning and working area is one of the critical tasks posted in the EU’s Lisbon Strategy (1). It is a key element with a medium term, the aim of which is to elevate Europe to the most competitive and dynamic knowledge based economic area (2) and to make lifelong learning and mobility reality (3). The core of this concept coincides also with the National policy, performed in Turkey, as a candidate state, which is eligible for a pre-accession strategy to stimulate and support its educational reforms. This includes an Accession Partnership, combined with a National Programme for the Adoption of Acquis. A number of institutional and legislative elements of environmental reform as well as the infrastructure development have been put on the agenda as part of the environmental planning and education in the country, where drinking water sustainable development is a substantial part. As a whole it needs heavy cost investment not only in sound engineering designs and proper construction, it needs also efficient operation to prevent wastewater pollution. In the 9th development plan (2013-2020) of Turkey protecting the environment and improving the urban infrastructure is one of the development axes in main objectives. Besides other important items in this subject, the item numbered 473 directly supports this project which says “Capacity of municipalities about the planning, designing, implementation and operation of environmental infrastructure services will be improved.” (4) Complying with this, the rationale of the project has been oriented on enhancing the quality and performance of VET system, improving information and guidance systems and strengthening the EU dimension in the operation of drinking water supply and development through promoting creativity, innovation and transfer of EQF principles in terms of increasing the qualification and training of the main target group in the sector.
One of the main focus is to share EU experience in the field of education and training is the lack of mutual recognition of qualifications, often impaired by national restrictions. Thus, the want of transparency among the various qualification systems and VET programmes within EU defined the need for creation of instruments facilitating this process. The recent work in this domain outlined relevant information instruments, such as EUROPASS, EQF and ECVET (5). They had to be tested on a broad basis at various countries and sectors in order to check their feasibility and practical application. This contributed to the recognition and transparency of the qualifications at EU level, as well as fostered a cross-border mobility of trainers and employers within the European single market. The need analysis performed indicated that drinking water supply sector was an excellent ground to test, adapt and implement of innovative model for competence description. This innovative practice was of mutual importance for EC countries and was a complex one in respect to the type of the professionals working in this area. It was also recognized as a sector of special interest for Turkish economic development. The needed opportunity for improvement of transparency and recognition of qualifications was filled by the innovative PureH2O project through development of learning outcomes (LO) based training system and redefinition of competence standards. Thus the VET situation by defining the skills and competences required for the different areas of work, workplaces and workers within the water supply sector for the first time has been enhanced.

For the achievement of these set of goals, the PureH2O project perused the following objectives:
1. Definition of joint LO based Blended learning model in drinking water & treatment plants sector; establishment of innovative competence standard and qualifications description approach in terms of content and target audience.
2. Adaptation and development of VET courses in accordance to define qualification model and implementation of EQF/ISCO/ESCO principles.
3. Use of ICT in training, teaching & learning activities. VET learning & teaching methodologies innovation.

References:
1. http://europa.eu/lisbon_treaty – Treaty of Lisbon
2. http://ec.europa.eu/growthandjobs/ – Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs
3. http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/education_training_youth/general_framework/ef0016_en.htm
4. http://ekutup.dpt.gov.tr/plan/ix/9developmentplan.pdf
5. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/ – EUROPASS, EQF, ECVET

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 195575,25 Eur

Project Coordinator

ORKON INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING TRAINING CONSULTING CO.INC. & Country: TR

Project Partners

• R&D Center “Biointech”
• GAZI UNIVERSITESI
• Nigde Omer HALISDEMIR University
• Planart
• OPEN UNIVERSITEIT NEDERLAND