- 2021Design
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
Background
There is no structured and coherent system for monitoring the quality of adult education institutions’ work in Croatia. There are more than 1 000 programmes offered by about 600 adult education institutions, many of which were established without adhering to high quality criteria.
A quality assurance system in adult education is needed. Such a system could also bring about the necessary support measures for the working population. Currently, there is no structured and coherent system that would monitor the quality of work of adult education institutions, and that would implement necessary development and improvement measures based on reliable indicators of the existing and required competences of employees. There is a lack of systematic adult skills tests or coherent assessments, as well as the implications on labour market and economic competitiveness. The lack of such procedures impact the overall quality of existing education provision.
Due to the limited offer of quality and relevant educational programmes, adults in Croatia are not motivated to engage in lifelong learning (SOZT, 2014). In 2017, participation in adult education programmes was only 2.3% of the population aged 25-64, which is significantly below the EU-27 average of 10.9%. It is also stated that, despite the need to strengthen the competences of the working population, there is no confidence in the quality of adult education institutions, cost-effectiveness of investment in lifelong learning or positive evaluation by employers and applicability of acquired competences in the labour market.
Although different quality monitoring procedures are implemented in the system, they are insufficiently interconnected, they are not applied to all levels and types of formal adult education, and are not used sufficiently to improve existing practices and adopt development measures.
Objectives
To eliminate the problems identified and improve adult education quality, the project plans to develop a quality assurance system through the development of models of self-evaluation and external evaluation of adult education institutions in order to improve adult education based on relevant research data.
Description
The project Development of a quality assurance system in adult education is financed under ESF Operational programme Effective human resources 2014-20. The implementation period of the project is 40 months beginning from January 2019. The project has a total value of EUR 2 368 780 (HRK 17 838 099). The body responsible for the implementation is the Agency for VET and Adult Education (ASOO). The project is aimed at improving the quality of the adult education system through the development of a model of self-assessment and external evaluation of adult education institutions to improve adult education based on relevant research data. Within the framework of the project, Croatia will also participate in the Programme for the international assessment of adult competences (PIAAC), the comprehensive international survey on adult competences of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The PIAAC survey measures adult (aged 16 to 65) proficiency in key information-processing skills: literacy, numeracy and problem solving, in more than 40 countries.
The necessary mechanisms and instruments of the quality assurance system in adult education will be developed. The capacities of decision makers, andragogy workers, education professionals working in public institutions, responsible for the development and implementation of education policy at the macro and micro level, will be improved. By implementing...
The project Development of a quality assurance system in adult education is financed under ESF Operational programme Effective human resources 2014-20. The implementation period of the project is 40 months beginning from January 2019. The project has a total value of EUR 2 368 780 (HRK 17 838 099). The body responsible for the implementation is the Agency for VET and Adult Education (ASOO). The project is aimed at improving the quality of the adult education system through the development of a model of self-assessment and external evaluation of adult education institutions to improve adult education based on relevant research data. Within the framework of the project, Croatia will also participate in the Programme for the international assessment of adult competences (PIAAC), the comprehensive international survey on adult competences of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The PIAAC survey measures adult (aged 16 to 65) proficiency in key information-processing skills: literacy, numeracy and problem solving, in more than 40 countries.
The necessary mechanisms and instruments of the quality assurance system in adult education will be developed. The capacities of decision makers, andragogy workers, education professionals working in public institutions, responsible for the development and implementation of education policy at the macro and micro level, will be improved. By implementing self-assessment and external evaluation procedures, adult education institutions will gain fact-based insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the institution. Based on this data, they will be able to plan measures to improve the quality of the institution's work. The project consists of four elements:
- project management and administration;
- national adult competence survey (PIAAC);
- establishment of a quality assurance system in adult education;
- promotion and visibility.
The work on a quality assurance system for adult education started in 2020. So far, a comprehensive model of quality assurance for adult education has been proposed and manuals for self-assessment and external evaluation of adult education, including CVET providers, have been developed.
An external evaluation committee is being set up and support for education institutions will be provided.
Although the project consists of four elements, during 2021 the most common activities were related to the first two, one of which relates to the national examination of adult competences (PIAAC), and the other to the establishment of quality assurance systems in adult education.
Key activities in 2021 for project element Quality assurance system include 15 meetings of the working group for the establishment of a quality assurance system in adult education, as well as two meetings with representatives of adult education institutions involved in piloting the model of self-assessment and external evaluation. A working version of the complete model of quality assurance system in adult education has been prepared, which includes the following: Model of quality assurance in adult education institutions; Manual for self-assessment of adult education institutions; and Manual for external evaluation of adult education institutions. Piloting of the model of self-assessment and external evaluation of adult education institutions was conducted through a selected sample of 25 institutions. During the IX International Andragogical Symposium, a workshop was held to present the model of quality assurance system in adult education. In 2021, 25 education institutions piloted self-assessment and external evaluation procedures.
Activities of the ESF project Development of a Quality Assurance System in Adult Education continued. The methodological framework for self-assessment and external evaluation of adult education providers was finalised and self-assessment was piloted in 25 adult education providers. A pool of external evaluators was formed and trained.
Framework for external evaluation was piloted in 25 adult education providers and e-tools for self-assessment of adult education providers are being finalised.
After the successful development of a complete model of the quality assurance system in adult education, the institutions involved in the piloting of the model prepared self-evaluation reports, and then, based on the analysis of the submitted self-evaluation reports, advisory visits were held, during which individual consultations were carried out with a representative of each institution with the aim of providing support and gathering feedback on the self-evaluation model. Institutions were also advised on how they can improve their reports. After the piloting of the self-evaluation model, workshops were held for stakeholders.
Bodies responsible
- Agency for VET and Adult Education (ASOO)
Target groups
Learners
- Adult learners
- Persons in employment, including those at risk of unemployment
Education professionals
- Adult educators
Entities providing VET
- VET providers (all kinds)
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.
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to all kinds of incentives that encourage learners to take part in VET and lifelong learning; VET providers to improve, broaden and update their offer; companies to provide places for apprenticeship and work-based learning, and to stimulate and support learning of their employees. It also includes measures addressing specific challenges of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) willing to create work-based learning opportunities in different sectors. Incentives can be financial (e.g. grants, allowances, tax incentives, levy/grant mechanisms, vouchers, training credits, individual learning accounts) and non-financial (e.g. information/advice on funding opportunities, technical support, mentoring).
European priorities in VET
VET Recommendation
- VET as an attractive choice based on modern and digitalised provision of training and skills
- VET underpinned by a culture of quality assurance