Network of Trainers in Europe

Hi

At the 2010 TiE Network Conference in Prague, I presented a paper demonstrating a couple of tools that Standards Verification UK has developed and manage which facilitate the transparency and recognition of VET trainer qualification, in particular the Comparison Tool: see www.tariff.svuk.eu/itt-comparison

Currently, under the remit of the sponsors, it is targetted for VET trainers who wish to work in England.  It is limited in its scope and detail.  However, we believe this is a very valuable tool for facilitating the mobilty of VET trainers from and to any European (or other) country and so a proposal for the adaption and development of the tool is being worked up.  However, it’s important to back the proposal with evidence of need and use gathered from the those involved.

So, I am seeking your opinion on the value of the Comparison Tool, whether you are an employer, a VET trainer or an agency/organisation working in the interests of VET and invite you to complete this short questionnaire:  www.surveymonkey.com/s/QCVETT

Please remember the current tool was developed for the English market- what do you think it needs to be really useful for Europe?  If it is adapted and developed – do you think it will have a value to facilitate mobilty – a main aspiration of the European Union?

I would appreciate your time and value your opinion: www.surveymonkey.com/s/QCVETT

The final report of the Consultation Seminars has been published. The Consultation Seminars have been a set of regional workshops in which stakeholders, VET practitioners, and researchers have been discussing the key issues and major trends in VET.
The report can be found here.

The report is published on the DC EAC’s web page.

The Network of Trainers has not been afraid of using new technologies to improve communication. We are happy to go a step further with Jenny Hughes, who will help us in evaluating our network with technologies from Web 2.0.
Since the funding of the commission has run out in October, we want to reflect once again on what is the network about, whom to address and what to do with it. Through this discussion, we we hope to ensure the sustainability of the platform and the network.

Jenny Hughes has developed three questions for the project partners that have guided the video interviews:

What is the network doing that it should do more often?
What is the network NOT doing that it should start doing?
What is the network doing it should do less of or stop doing?

http://www.trainersineurope.org/evaluation/

Please take your time as user, project partner or interested person to look through our evaluation page and comment on the various elements. Raise questions, tell us how this network can contribute to your work and what is missing. Or answer one of these questions as well.

A new Master program at the Danube University in Krems/Austria will start in December 2010. The aim of this program is to impart knowledge, skills and competence in operational further education, longlife learning and at the tertiary sector. Persons who want to improve theirselfs in the work as trainers, coaches, instructors etc. learn to support adults in their process of learning in a constructively and flexible way and to build up an innovative culture of learning for them. At the end of this Master program graduates will have tools at hand to motivate, promote and inspire longlife learners. 

The program can be finished after 4 semestsers with a Master theses or after 3 semesters as academic expert. Interested people can also attend singel modules of this program. For more information please consider http://www.donau-uni.ac.at/de/studium/teachingtraining/index.php (information available in German and English)

A new website makes informations for in-service trainers available: www.trainerguide.eu. This guide leads trainers – especially trainers for apprenticeship trainers – in there work with young people. The website is also available in german, dutch, finnish, turkish, danish and slovene.

The Network to support Trainers in Europe has held its conference “Crossing Boundaries:  The multiple roles of trainers and teachers in vocational education and training”.

The conference proceedings can now be downloaded.

Additionally, the online exhibition will also be updated during the following weeks with new added content from the conference.

We have been set up wiffitti page for our upcoming conference.  We are interested in your questions, ideas, and upcoming issues on the changing role of VET practitioners.

For asking questions go to our crossing boundaries wiffiti and ask a question

The Eurydice network, which provides information and analysis on education systems and policies in Europe has published its annual update of the structure of the European Education systems as well as its school and academic calendars of the EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Turkey.
These reference tools provide essential information for
students and academic mobility, for families moving abroad as well as for European cooperation projects in the field of education.
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/tools_en.php#compulsory

The “Johannes Kepler University (JKU)” was recently certified by the regional chamber of economy to enable the University to educate IVET-trainers in the apprenticeship training. The University has devolped a curriculum for IVET trainers that is based on the 40-hour IVET course with interview, stated in the Vocational Training Act.

18 participants have already finished this course successfully. More information you will find at http://www.jku.at/content/e274/e13412/ (also available in English).

This year (2010) cedefop has published a compilation of good practices of professionalization of in-company trainers. “Professional development opportunities for in-company trainers” gives an insight in examples of 13 different Europaean countries how in-company trainers can be trained or how their IVET and CVET is recognized. The report is available by http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/6106_en.pdf .