Cedefop participated in the 10th certification and accreditation working group (CAWG) meeting, organised by the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) in Malta on 18 and 19 July. This was an opportunity to support the work of the group on the development of occupational standards for asylum officials.

The work on occupational standards has its foundation in the learning-outcomes-based approach of EASO’s training curriculum. The curriculum has been designed to provide common vocational training for employees of the Immigration and Asylum Services in the EU+ Member States to achieve a harmonised implementation of the common European asylum system (CEAS).

Cedefop expert Anastasia Pouliou presented the historical development of learning outcomes with a focus on the approach’s different purposes and the unpacking of occupational standards.

Ms Pouliou stressed that ‘occupational standards signal what students must be able to do in employment and can ideally serve as a link between education and training and labour market needs. They can have a significant impact on the way learning outcomes statements are defined and written, catering to the learning needs of the individual asylum official.’

The CAWG was established in 2015 and played a key role in the development of the EASO training curriculum certification. A mapping exercise of job profiles and tasks for asylum officials has already been initiated between the Member States and EASO (following an inclusive step-by-step approach).

Participants acknowledged the usefulness of Cedefop’s European handbook on learning outcomes and the extensive research carried out by the agency in this area.

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