- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
Background
The establishment of a European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Education and Training has stimulated reforms in VET of the EU Member States, which contributed to the improvement of the quality assurance (QA) in VET systems across Europe. However, there remains a need to address the transparency of quality assurance arrangements at system level, which is an area that requires further attention and work. The introduction of peer reviews can support this procedure.
Objectives
According to the 2020 VET recommendation, peer reviews are aimed at improving mutual learning, enhancing the transparency and consistency of quality assurance arrangements in the provision of VET and reinforcing mutual trust between EU Member States.
Description
In the 2020 VET recommendation a peer review is described as 'a type of voluntary mutual learning activity supporting improvement and transparency of quality assurance arrangements at system level. The are not aiming at accreditation procedures. based on a specific methodology to be developed by the European Network for quality assurance in vocational education and training'.
A peer review offers the chance to the country hosting it to reflect on its practices of quality assuring its national VET system. Peers from other Member States act as critical friends offering external feedback and sharing thematic relevant experiences from their country.
Responding to the call of the 2020 VET Recommendation, and taking under consideration the second edition of the peer review manual, which includes a specific methodology for EQAVET peer reviews and incorporates lessons learned from the nine peer reviews taken place in 2022, the 16th peer review meeting was organised by the Netherlands in Utrecht. More specifically CINOP, an international education research, project management and consultancy enterprise, which houses the Dutch EQAVET NRP, organised a peer review about student involvement and the role of teachers in the improvement of quality in upper secondary VET. In the peer review participated six peers, all network members of EQAVET, from the five following countries: Belgium-fr, Bulgaria, Finland, Malta and Slovenia.
The peer review meeting focused on strengthening VET teachers' bridging role between students and VET institutions and establishing a clearer approach to student engagement in VET (policy) developments.
During the peer review meeting the hosts introduced the Dutch national reference point (NRP) of EQAVET, CINOP, and its role in improving quality assurance in Dutch VET being a key actor at system level.
CINOP is in cooperation with VET institutions and other VET stakeholders responsible for VET Quality assurance (QA) in the Netherlands. Dutch VET providers are given a high degree of autonomy at their work and this autonomy applies also to the area of QA. VET providers are tasked with describing the education quality in accordance with their set goals, which are developed in agreement with their stakeholders. The QA procedure runs in accordance with the current Inspectorate framework and is being monitored by the Education inspectorate.
Although this self-directed quality approach is beneficial for schools since they can for example focus on specific topics, which are important to them, at the same time it is also challenging. Consequently, the education ministry encourages VET providers, teachers particularly, to develop a stronger quality culture with increased initiative and responsibility. Also CINOP intends to support them by organising sessions, developing tools and sharing knowledge on various topics, some of them aiming at strengthening students' involvement in QA and the quality cycle. Current topics and activities include sessions with education teams and QA employees to strengthen their role in QA.
Regarding student involvement in VET and QA, one key actor is the Dutch association of upper secondary VET colleges (MBO Raad). It represents the 57 publicly funded Dutch VET colleges, acts as a connecting link between VET colleges and the government and supports them and their stakeholders among other on policymaking and intended changes in legislation.
Furthermore, the National Youth Organisation and Interest Group for upper secondary VET Students (JOB MBO), consisting of a board of VET students and student council representatives, policy officers and a guest lecturer, also promotes VET student participation in policy making and their image in the media. The legal requirement for the establishment of student councils in all VET colleges since 2011, also contributed to the reinforcement of continuous dialogue of the Dutch policy makers with the VET students. The launch of the project 'You decide' in 2010, aiming at promoting the development of a culture of student participation, has enabled the involvement of VET students in policy making and revealed the challenges that need to be addressed so that this student involvement process can become more effective.
Following the presentation of the Dutch quality assurance system in VET with respects to the teachers' role and the reinforcement of VET students' contribution to it, first conclusions were drawn.
The Dutch host concluded that measures have been implemented supporting an increased participation of VET students in VET policy making and teachers' role in quality assurance. Nevertheless, the system could be less focused on formalities, which may prevent VET students' wider participation on policy processes, including representatives of minorities. Regarding teachers, education teams often face difficulties moving from theory to practice of quality assurance procedure due to lack of support by school support services. Finally, teachers often struggle to translate student's input into actions. A clearer picture of the responsibility and ownership of quality assurance procedure as well as a more structured support system for teachers and students, could be beneficial for more measurable results in this area for the future.
The peers also provided their initial feedback, which is planned to be drafted in detail in the form of a comprehensive feedback report.
This year EQAVET peer reviews took place in Slovakia, Germany and Latvia.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
- CINOP (EQAVET national reference point)
Target groups
Other
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.
Teachers, trainers and school leaders competences
Competent and motivated VET teachers in schools and trainers in companies are crucial to VET becoming innovative and relevant, agile, resilient, flexible, inclusive and lifelong.
This thematic category comprises policies and practices of initial training and continuing professional development approaches in a systemic and systematic manner. It also looks at measures aiming to update (entry) requirements and make teaching and training careers attractive and bring more young and talented individuals and business professionals into teaching and training. Supporting VET educators by equipping them with adequate competences, skills and tools for the green transition and digital teaching and learning are addressed in separate thematic sub-categories.
The measures in this category target teachers and school leaders, company trainers and mentors, adult educators and guidance practitioners.
This thematic sub-category refers to all kinds of initial and continuing professional development (CPD) for VET educators who work in vocational schools and in companies providing VET. VET educators include teachers and school leaders, trainers and company managers involved in VET, as well as adult educators and guidance practitioners – those who work in school- and work-based settings. The thematic sub-category includes national strategies, training programmes or individual courses to address the learning needs of VET educators and to develop their vocational (technical) skills, and pedagogical (teaching) skills and competences. Such programmes concern state-of-the-art vocational pedagogy, innovative teaching methods, and competences needed to address evolving teaching environments, e.g. teaching in multicultural settings, working with learners at risk of early leaving, etc.
European and international dimensions of VET
This thematic category covers both European and international cooperation in initial and continuing VET, aimed at promoting EU VET systems as a European education and training area and making it a reference for learners in neighbouring countries and across the globe.
Expanding opportunities and increasing participation of VET learners, young and adult, and staff in international mobility for learning and work, including apprenticeship and virtual and blended mobility, account for most initiatives in this thematic category.
Apart from established and financially supported EU cooperation, VET opens up to cooperation and promotion of European values and national practices beyond the EU, which is becoming a trend. This thematic category also encompasses internationalisation strategies, transnational cooperation projects and initiatives – including those where joint VET programmes, examinations and qualifications are developed – and participation in international skills competitions that promote the image of VET. Using international qualifications – awarded by legally established international bodies or by a national body acting on behalf of an international body – in the national VET systems and recognising them towards national qualifications is also in focus.
This thematic sub-category refers to transnational cooperation initiatives on VET and lifelong learning, including coordinated and jointly developed programmes among the EU Member States or beyond the EU, bilateral or multi-country: same curricula, one qualification, joint examinations.
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). EQAVET peer review on student involvement and quality improvement in VET: Netherlands. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/45479