Assuring Quality in Vocational Education and Training

Among other objectives, by 2020, an average of at least 40% of the younger generation should have tertiary education and the share of early leavers from education and training should be less than 10% (European Commission, 2010, p. 3).

But “increased investments into educational systems will not automatically increase their effectiveness and efficiency even if the quantitative targets are achieved. This is where the quality issue comes in: ‘This requires improving the quality of our education, strengthening our research performance, promoting innovation and knowledge transfer throughout the Union, making full use of information and communication technologies and ensuring that innovative ideas can be turned into new products and services that create growth, quality jobs and help address European and global societal challenges’ (European Commission, 2010, p. 9-10).

The Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania in order to balance the different levels of education institutions to learn (after the general and secondary schools) accession of flows, vocational education, and training system network institutions is essential to improve vocational training institutions and vocational training services image quality. Under this fact, vocational training institutions consisting the project consortium have been certified and received ISO quality management certificates.

In order to improve already existing QMS, delegates from vocational training institutes from Pavezenys region of Lithuania visited the European Center in Training for Employment – ECTE, to discuss and exchange experience about existing quality managing systems in Greece and Lithuania to ensure an integrated quality management system functioning in accordance with international quality standards of management with specific objectives to:

  • strengthen the administration employees vocational training institutions, QMS working groups, responsible for the functioning of an integrated quality management system and the specific skills;
  • to evaluate the quality management system efficiency indicators for measuring, on the basis of the EU partners’ experience.

The existing systems and procedures followed by the Technical University of Crete were analyzed by Professor Georgios Stavroulakis, president of quality assurance Unit and vice rector of the university. Dott. Maria Kalathaki, School Advisor for Science Teachers of Secondary Eduction in West Crete educational counselor in Sciences for the regional Directorate of Secondary education of Crete, presented the existing schemes and arguments about quality management systems in the public secondary education schools. In the private sector was referred by Mr. Theodoropoulos, Director of a private Vocation Training Institute (IEK), of Chania.

Finally, the situation in Greece, concerning accreditation and Certification ISO 9000ff, for VET was analyzed by Mr. Konstantinos Androulakis director of ECTE.

Mr. Androulakis presented the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework (EQAVET), which is a reference instrument designed to help EU countries promote and monitor the continuous improvement of their vocational education and training systems on the basis of commonly agreed references. It is a voluntary system to be used by public authorities and other bodies involved in quality assurance.

ERASMUS Participants in the 7th International Mountain Psiloritis Race, Crete

ERASMUS participants Follow the steps of Zeus – “Welcome to Greece…, Welcome to Crete… and its highest mountain Psiloritis, where Zeus was brought up.”

ERASMUS Participants hosted by ECTE in Rethymnon of Crete, are volunteering in 7th International Mountain Psiloritis Race.

Psiloritis Race links the myth with contemporary history as the runners follow the traces of their ancestors on the holy mountain of Zeus Cretagenes.The race trail covers the distance that pilgrims of the sacred city of Minoan Knossos used to walk in order to climb Psiloritis mountain and honor their god, Zeus Cretagenes, who according to Ancient Greek Mythology was brought up in the cave of Ideon Andron, worship center, and sanctum during the Minoan and Roman times.

Mountain IDA used to be a holy mountain in Minoan Crete and many myths were strongly attached to it. In Idaion Antron (a big cave at 1495 m of high, 15min walk from Nida Plateau), Zeus was brought up by Kourites and the nymph Amaltheia.

The idea of a mountain race in Crete, with high international standards, was first born in June 2008 on Mt Olympus. Our love for the mountain Psiloritis where Zeus brought up, the promotion of the natural beauty of the area finally transformed the idea into practice .Having the support of the people who love the island and enjoy running in the mountains, this event is organised by the “Psiloritis race team”. The event is organized with the kind support of the prefecture of Rethymno.

The International Mountain Race “Psiloritis Race” is an athletic meeting that forwards physical activity in touch with the natural environment. The race offers the opportunity to experience the unique and exciting character of the mountain along with the opportunity for the participants to experience a unique vigorous seven-hour race. That is the reason why the athletes who will try out their strength in the PR should practice the philosophy of semi-autonomy, carrying a least a necessary equipment that will provide them with security and sustenance during the race ; while there will be a systematical and in regular intervals supply.

Exyonet Network – The Euro Forum Eyes

European Center in Training for Employment – ECTE is an active member of the Exyonet network, a European network for the employability of young ex-offenders and young people at risk of exclusion. The network has launched the Euro Forum Eyes, commenced in the capital of Europe, Brussels, and in a room full with an international audience interested in young people, education, employment and inclusion, with leading voices opening the Conference such as Ms. Ana Nóbrega, coordinator of the Exyonet Network, who shared experiences and good practices on this subject and whose White Paper was presented during the Conference

Euro Forum Eyes, in Brussels, has been an outstanding forum for revealing and sharing ideas, thoughts and proposals about the great challenge of youth unemployment, and, in particular, for groups of young people at risk of exclusion and young offenders.

Leading experts and professionals such as Sir Ken Robinson, Mr. Pasi Sahlberg, Stanislav Ranguelov, Luis Fábrica, or Jane Murphy, among others, have discussed issues such as employment and exclusion, the importance of talent as compared a curriculum, or the influence of educational models on the labour market.

More than 400 attendees actively took part in the event, asking numerous questions which were answered by the speakers for the different discussion groups moderated by the journalist Christophe Robeet.

Social networks were very active during the presentations, with more than 7,500 users on the event’s website, more than 14,000 interactions on Twitter, over 1,200 tweets, and with the hashtag #euroforumeyes, becoming one of the trending topics for that day. More than 16,000 people from numerous countries around the world took part in the event through online streaming, with significant participation from Belgium, France, and Spain.

The outcomes of the EXYONET project (the European Network for employability of Young (ex) offenders), the first European network to address the employability of young offenders and social exclusion, part of the Youth in Action Programme of the European Union, which has drafted the White Paper on youth unemployment, including a full analysis and a set of recommendations and proposals for the employment of young people in Europe, was also presented at Euro Forum Eyes.

All forum presentations can be followed in EYES FORUM PLATFORM

Poland meets the Paleontological Museum of Rethymno

In the Paleontological Museum of Rethymno, the cultural-natural history of Crete met to the cultural history of Poland. Young students, of the High School of Electronics in Rzeszow, in Poland, accompanied by Mrs. Katerina Diamandis, Mr. Charis Pantelidakis and Rodamanthos Androulakis, tutors in international department of the European Training Centre for Employment (ECTE), had the opportunity to tour the museum by Museum Director Mr Vasilis Simitzis, to experience the Paleontological history of Crete and in their turn to present the history, the culture and economic data of their country.

The presentations of students included a wide range of information regarded the history and culture of Poland. They began with a historical review extended from the Middle Ages until today and continued with the Polish education system, presentation of significant Polish portraits such as scientists, writers, politicians, the main economic activities and finalised with a presentation of the Rzeszow’s region culture and traditions.

The meeting provided an opportunity for all participants to come into contact with different cultures and learn about the Cretan and Rzeszow history and culture, proving that different cultures can not only coexist but also to interact and improve.

The international department of the European Centre in Training for Employment (ECTE), hosts a large number of young people from many EU countries that are getting training in ECTE in a different working environment. Moreover, they have the chance to acquire social and transversal skills working in a different cultural environment.