- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
- 2025Implementation
Background
The EQAVET network is a community of practice bringing together the Member States, social partners and the European Commission to promote European collaboration in developing and improving quality assurance in VET by using the European quality assurance reference framework.
EQAVET supports the implementation of the 2020 recommendation on vocational education and training for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness, and resilience. The National Reference Point (NRP) brings together various national and regional institutions, social partners and VET providers to pool actions to improve the quality of VET in the country.
Objectives
- to increase the knowledge of European frameworks supporting quality assurance in vocational education and training;
- to initiate activities to support the further development of quality assurance frameworks at national level;
- to ensure the functioning of the National Reference Point.
Description
The EQAVET Network develops knowledge and capacity through various exchange and learning activities. These activities address the current thematic priorities and are organised as part of a comprehensive work programme.
One important activity is peer learning activities, which enable EQAVET national reference points (NRPs) to share and compare approaches to specific topics. These activities foster collaboration and provide valuable insights into different perspectives and practices within the network.
Another key activity is peer reviews, which support the EQAVET Network in assessing and improving the quality assurance of national vocational education and training (VET) systems. The EQAVET Network has developed a manual that outlines its approach to VET system level peer reviews.
The EQAVET Network also holds an annual network meeting to review progress and discuss future activities. This meeting serves as a platform for stakeholders to come together, exchange ideas, and reflect on the achievements and challenges within the network. Typically, the meeting takes place in June, hosted by the country holding the European Union (EU) Presidency.
These activities collectively contribute to the growth and development of the EQAVET Network, enabling stakeholders to improve the quality assurance of vocational education and training systems across Europe.
The EQAVET Network showcases the work and developments in the EQAVET newsletter, as...
The EQAVET Network develops knowledge and capacity through various exchange and learning activities. These activities address the current thematic priorities and are organised as part of a comprehensive work programme.
One important activity is peer learning activities, which enable EQAVET national reference points (NRPs) to share and compare approaches to specific topics. These activities foster collaboration and provide valuable insights into different perspectives and practices within the network.
Another key activity is peer reviews, which support the EQAVET Network in assessing and improving the quality assurance of national vocational education and training (VET) systems. The EQAVET Network has developed a manual that outlines its approach to VET system level peer reviews.
The EQAVET Network also holds an annual network meeting to review progress and discuss future activities. This meeting serves as a platform for stakeholders to come together, exchange ideas, and reflect on the achievements and challenges within the network. Typically, the meeting takes place in June, hosted by the country holding the European Union (EU) Presidency.
These activities collectively contribute to the growth and development of the EQAVET Network, enabling stakeholders to improve the quality assurance of vocational education and training systems across Europe.
The EQAVET Network showcases the work and developments in the EQAVET newsletter, as well as in country factsheets, case studies and other publications available from the virtual library.
In Poland, representatives in the EQAVET network are the Ministry of Education and Science and the Centre for Education Development. The Centre for Education Development also became the National Reference Point.
The main functions of national reference points are as follows:
- actively supporting the implementation of the EQAVET work programme;
- taking specific initiatives to support the further development of quality assurance frameworks at the national level;
- supporting self-assessment as a complementary element and effective quality control measures that measure success and identify areas for improvement in the implementation of the EQAVET work programme;
- ensuring effective dissemination of information to stakeholders.
Participation in conferences and working meetings, dissemination of information on the EQAVET network took place during the year.
- Participation of a Ministry of Science and Education representative in the EQAVET Annual Network Meeting 2022 on 9-10 June 2022, in Paris. Participation in lectures, group work, exchange of good practices, and in peer review.
- Participation in the webinar Quality assurance of flexible VET pathways, on 16 December 2021, and presentation of the Polish vocational education system by a representative of the Ministry of Education and Science.
- Participation in the ERASMUS-EDU-2023-EQAVET-IBA application meeting in December 2022.
- Participation in Quality assurance of micro-credentials in VET in December 2022.
- Organisation by the Centre for Education Development of the international conference Models of consulting work in Poland and Europe - good practices. The conference took place on 15 June 2022.
- Maintaining the EQAVET/NRP website on the Centre for Education Development website, posting information from the European Commission;
- Providing information on enquiries from interested groups. For example, on 15 February 2023, a consultation with a representative of the Institute of Economics and Finance of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences.
- Providing information to the EQAVET newsletter about the activities of the NRP.
The national reference point continued its work by participating in working meetings and conferences, as well as disseminating information on the EQAVET network throughout the year:
- presentation on VET in Poland during the official visit of the Turkish community from Cyprus to the Centre for Education Development;
- maintaining the EQAVET/NRP website on the Centre for Education Development website, posting information from the European Commission;
- preparing and publishing an article on career counselling in social policy;
- providing information on enquiries from interested groups;
- conference organised by the Centre for Education Development entitled Skills development of formal education managers according to the Integrated Skills Strategy 2030;
- conference organised by the Centre for Education Development entitled Crucial skills development in the context of career counselling;
- seminar organised by the Centre for Education Development on Polish skills policy).
The EQAVET National Reference Point (NRP) was actively involved in a series of activities throughout 2024, focusing on assuring and enhancing the quality of Vocational Education and Training (VET).
The year began with participation in the EQAVET annual meeting in Brussels from 12 to 14 June 2024, where the NRP contributed to the discussions on quality assurance in VET.
On 30 September 2024, the EQAVET National Reference Point (NRP) co-organised a study visit for French education representatives to the Centre for Education Development (ORE). The visit included a presentation on the ORE's activities in the context of lifelong learning (LLL), national educational policy, strategy, and education trends. There was also a focus on international cooperation aimed at assuring and enhancing the quality of vocational education and training (VET), particularly highlighting the cooperation undertaken through the EQAVET NRP.
On 10 October 2024, the Coordinator participated in an international scientific seminar for EQAVET members and education centres from various EU countries. Representatives from the European Commission and the EQAVET Secretariat in Brussels attended the seminar, as did representatives from Croatia, Slovenia, Finland and Estonia (including coordinators of the National Reference Points and related projects). The seminar agenda focused on the Peer Review methodology and its application in quality assurance processes in education. It also covered the exchange of good practices, including discussions on self-assessment in VET, and highlighted eco-social education within the EQAVET framework. Further promotion of EQAVET included presentations at conferences co-organised by the EQAVET NRP in November 2024: 'The Role and Significance of Sectoral Councils and Clusters in Adapting Vocational Education to Labour Market Requirements' (on 13 November 2024) and 'Challenges of Vocational Education in the Era of New Technologies' (on 22 November 2024).
Throughout the year, ongoing cooperation with the EQAVET Secretariat and the Ministry of National Education ensured effective quality assurance measures. Active participation in monthly online meetings with EQAVET members facilitated the exchange of knowledge, while the NRP managed the EQAVET section of its website to provide resources and updates. The organisation also contributed to educational research and the EQAVET newsletter to share information and good practice.
The Annual EQAVET Network Meeting was held on 12–13 June 2025 in Warsaw, with the support of the EQAVET National Reference Point (NRP), which assisted in organising the event.
The EQAVET NRP also co‑organised the first seminar in the series Trends and Challenges in Vocational Education and Training, which took place on 16–17 October 2025 at the ORE Training Centre in Sulejówek. The seminar aimed to strengthen cooperation with regional educational authorities and to promote the quality of Vocational Education and Training (VET) through the application of the EQAVET quality assurance framework, descriptors, and indicators. It consisted of two thematic modules: the first focused on directions for the development of vocational and lifelong learning and related standards; the second presented good practices in sectoral and lifelong learning from the perspectives of educational institutions, employers, and other stakeholders.
In October 2025, the EQAVET NRP participated in the EQAVET Implementation Survey and prepared a key publication entitled 'Quality Standards in Vocational Education and Training in Light of Current Legal Acts and Recommendations', which included analyses related to the EQAVET framework.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of National Education
- Centre for Education Development
- Ministry of Education and Science (from 2021 until 2024)
Target groups
Entities providing VET
- VET providers (all kinds)
Other stakeholders
- Social partners (employer organisations and trade unions)
- National, regional and local authorities
Thematic categories
Governance of VET and lifelong learning
This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.
This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.
The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.
This thematic sub-category refers to further development of national quality assurance (QA) systems for IVET and CVET, for all learning environments (school-based provision and work-based learning, including apprenticeships) and all learning types (digital, face-to-face or blended), delivered by both public and private providers. These systems are underpinned by the EQAVET quality criteria and by indicative descriptors applied both at system and provider levels, as defined in Annex II of the VET Recommendation. The sub-category concerns creating and improving external and self-evaluation of VET providers, and establishing criteria of QA, accreditation of providers and programmes. It also covers the activities of Quality assurance national reference points for VET on implementing and further developing the EQAVET framework, including the implementation of peer reviews at VET system level.
European priorities in VET
VET Recommendation
- VET underpinned by a culture of quality assurance
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2026). National reference point for quality assurance of vocational education and training: Poland. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2026). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2025 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/de/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/45397