Онлайн-конференція «Узгодження систем забезпечення якості у ЗВО та ПТНЗ – висновки з проєкту QA-HEVET Еразмус+»

On Friday, January 17, 2025, an online conference "Harmonization of Quality Assurance Systems in Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training Institutions - Conclusions from the QA-HEVET Erasmus+ Project" was held, organized by the QA-HAVET project consortium and held at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. The QA-HAVET project is a project for higher and vocational education institutions.

The QA-HEVET ERASMUS+ project is:

The development of robust quality assurance systems is essential for both higher education institutions (HEIs) and vocational education and training (VET); the development of quality inclusive education and training that is responsive to labour market demands. Despite some similarities, there is currently no systematic exchange between the two systems. Therefore, the QA-HEVET project aimed to explore the strengths, weaknesses and competitiveness of both systems, and to develop common indicators, metrics and practical digital tools for assessing quality assurance.

The purpose of the conference.

Show the main findings from the QAHEVET Erasmus+ project, including:

to highlight the problems of harmonizing quality assurance systems in higher and vocational education;
to show the differences, common features, strengths and weaknesses of the Standards and Recommendations for Quality Assurance in the European Area of Higher Education (ESG) and Vocational Training (EQAVET) and their implementation in partner countries;
reflect recommendations for the alignment of ESG and EQAVET systems resulting from the project research;
to present a quick scanning tool for VET and HEI service providers, developed as part of the project, which aims to support them in increasing their institutional-wide commitments, policies and action plans for continuous improvement.

Conference program:

Welcome speech. Mariusz Hamulczuk – SGGW;
Project overview. Katarzyna Czech – SGGW;
Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) and the European Quality Assurance Area for Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET) Ali Rashidi – People's University, Luisa Ochnio – SGGW;
Recommendations on the potential alignment of ESG and EQAVET systems Ali Rashidi – Folkuniversitetet Luiza Ochnio – SGGW;
Quick Scan Tool for VET and HEI Service Providers – Practical Digital Tools for Quality Assurance Areti Fourgkatsioti – Dimitra.

The speakers conducted a comparative analysis of the framework for training specialists in higher and vocational education in Europe. It was determined that quality indicators should take into account not only the level of employment of graduates of educational institutions, but also their skills to work and perform assigned tasks. It was also determined that the scope and content of ESG allow to support and coordinate country-specific standards, procedures and indicators for external and internal quality assurance of higher and pre-vocational education. This is a positive marker during the training of specialists.

Luisa Ocnio noted: “National agencies can develop rules and standards for external quality assessment of higher education. In most cases, they are carried out through external evaluations carried out by experts for groups of experts, auditors, and they are also available to the general public, so they are published. And this contributes to continuous improvement. Thus, institutions are encouraged to constantly work on the quality of their programs and services, and both systems contribute to better cooperation of national educational institutions with certain employees, and they can support a timely response to labor market trends. Which is observed at the moment, and this is very good.” So, as a conclusion, it is necessary to harmonize the quality assurance systems of higher education and vocational training with EU standards. Continuous updating of enterprise-based training programs will provide reliable feedback mechanisms and the demand for graduates by employers.

Areti Furkazioti from Greece presented her institution's website as a quick scan tool, that is, a practical tool with the ability to conduct a certain self-assessment of the institution, with the ability to select specific areas of attention and try to answer questions, and at the end receive feedback results with recommendations for improving the functioning of the educational institution.