Participants in this week’s workshop on the European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) identified the steps that various actors should take to make the system work and warned of a persisting ‘cultural gap’ between policy makers and practitioners.

Some conclusions:

  • Governments should make clear policy decisions; at the moment many are still keeping a ‘wait and see’ approach;
  • National agencies should spearhead a communication campaign to explain the added value of ECVET for  education;
  • All stages of implementation should closely involve the people who will implement the system, i.e. teachers and training providers.

The workshop, held in Thessaloniki on 30-31 May, was the first to place practitioners at the centre of ECVET implementation issues. Apart from discussing the wider questions, participants also presented detailed case studies from their own countries.

Mainstreaming ECVET to practitioners: http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/events/17992.aspx