Certification for continuous vocational education and training trainers Erasmus Project

Project Title

Certification for continuous vocational education and training trainers

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: Recognition, transparency, certification; Recognition (non-formal and informal learning/credits)

Project Summary

The job of CVET trainers is still widely unregulated in Europe. Unregulated means that no regulatory body has set standards for this specific occupation. Training and certification programmes for CVET trainers are not organized at a European level. Trainers’ qualifications and competence requirements may vary between European countries, but also within a country. This leads to very different situations within Europe which makes it difficult to compare CVET trainer qualifications, competence requirements, and competence evaluation processes across Europe. In this context, mobility of CVET trainers and transparency of their qualifications remains difficult, if not impossible.

CERTI 4 TRAIN objectives were to develop a dematerialized ISO 17024 compliant European CVET trainer certification scheme based on a competence matrix and using a computer-based assessment process and tool for certification purposes.

The project consortium is composed of six partners: LIST (Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology), a Luxembourg public research center specialized in computer-based assessment and in EQF and ECVET applications; 3S Research Laboratory, an Austrian non-profit research institution specialized in competence matrix development and in EQF and ECVET applications; Great Aprentice – PRISMA, a Portuguese private learning services provider specialized in CVET trainings for trainers and in certification of trainers; Helliwood media & education, a German non-profit organization specialized in e-assessment software for evaluation of competences; ProCert, a French private certification body specialized in standardization and certification activities; and ViaSyst, an Irish private company specialised in SaaS solutions for implementing personal competence and management system certification schemes.

The development of the European ISO 17024 compliant CVET trainer certification scheme manual and of its associated European CVET trainer competence matrix has followed a standardized process that ensures its quality and its recognition by interested stakeholders. It is based on the process used within ISO (International Standardization Organization) to draft and publish standards that is transparent and open to each interested parties and that takes into account all stakeholders’ comments to reach a consensus. The choice to validate the project’s results by an experts committee composed of 52 impacted stakeholders is a guarantee for the viability of the certification scheme and the recognition of interest to all future certified CVET trainers.

The projects results :
– enhance transparency of CVET trainers’ qualifications between countries in order to facilitate mobility of trainers within Europe by developing a CVET trainer competence matrix;
– aim to certify non-formal and informally acquired trainers’ competences;
– propose a certification scheme based on a standard and repeatable way, and accepted by European stakeholders;
– propose an e-assessment process that allows dematerialized and distance assessment, that ensures the same evaluation process across Europe.

The project results contribute to :
– Enhance the professional development of CVET trainers by offering them a way to certify, at a European level, the competence they have acquired via non-formal and informal learning;
– Improve the capacities of VET organizations in the areas of quality of their workforce, and of internationalization of their activity by the recognition, in Europe, of their CVET trainers’ competences;
– Strengthened partners collaboration, the level of cooperation that was reached during the project will continue after project completion via the definition of further European projects.

The Certi4Train project is be a major step towards enhancing the mobility of future certified CVET trainers within Europe and establish mutual trust between European countries. As in most of the participating countries a job profile and associated certification for CVET trainers is missing, the outcomes of the Certi4Train project can now be used on national levels as a starting point for developing national standards for CVET trainers. The project results are transferred to EFCoCert, a Swiss foundation created in Jun 2014 to exploit such projects results. This foundation will respect ISO 17024 requirements to ensure the maintenance and the update of the certification scheme. EFCoCert is in charge of the exploitaiton of the trainer certification. Contacts with certification bodies have been taken in Luxembourg, Switzerland, Belgium and France to ensure the future certificaiton of trainers in Europe. Certified trainers will then be ambassadors of this European certification across Europe, enhancing the transparency and the recognition of their competences.
The project results stimulate dialogue between countries and relevant stakeholders to develop new ISO 17024 compliant certification scheme for other unregulated jobs.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 243687 Eur

Project Coordinator

LUXEMBOURG INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY & Country: LU

Project Partners

• VIASYST MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS LIMITED
• Great Apprentice Lda.
• 3S RESEARCH LABORATORY – FORSCHUNGSVEREIN
• Helliwood media & education im fjs e.V.
• ProCert sarl