Partners’ meeting Haapsalu 2010

1. VET-HEBRIDGE BETWEEN VOCATIONAL AND HIGHER EDUCATION(validation and recognition of learning outcomes from vocational education to higher education) Partners’ meeting Haapsalu 2010

2. Project partnership • Tallinn University Haapsalu College – Estonia • Klaipeda Business School – Lithuania • Academy for Vocational Training – Germany • The School Centre Ptuj – Slovenia • Governorship of Mersin – Turkey • Porvoo Commercial College – Finland • School of Business Administration TURIBA - Latvia

3. Project aims and objectives The aim of the project is to support validation andrecognition of learning outcomes from vocational education to higher education The overall objective of the partnership is to promote the compatibilty, comparibility, complementarity of credit systems (for recording learning outcomes) used in VET (ECVET) and in HE (ECTS) and apply validation and recognition of previous VET in HE in different European countries in accordance with national legislation and practice

4. Project aims and activities Therefore the project will: • share best practice modelsand combine the examples of good practices into common principles that help to built up national (and later international) systems of validation and recognition of formal VET towards HE within the use of credit systems. • use the principlesto support the validation and recognition of learning outcomes from VET to HE and share them within the EQF in the participating countries.

5. Achieving the aims The strategy of achieving these aims will include: 1. Describing, mapping and explaining the implemented models of validation and recognition of former learning from VET to HE in each country and the laws regulating such practice (an overview) 2. Sharing the experiences and working out the reasons and frames of implemented validation and recognition practices 3. Working out the determining factors minuses of validation and recognition in accordance with national legislation and practice

6. Achieving the aims 4. Based on these common principles a summary will be formulated 5. Suggestions will be presented to the national stakeholders in order to improve the regulations towards flexibility 6. The common principles and the implemented models(as best practice examples) will be published 7. A reliable foundation for a transfer of innovation project in this fieldwill be built, with the aim of implementating the theoretical project outcomes into real curricula internationally ?.

7. Results: • 2012 January: Published (electronic) best practice model examples • 2012 January: A published summary (electronic e-book) of principles • 2012 February: A prepared application for a TOI project • 2012 April: A set of suggestions for national stakeholders • 2012 June: An active European network of vocational and higher education institutions and other interested partners

8. Meeting plan: • Kick-off seminar: Introduction into the possibilities of validation and recognition of learning outcomes from VET to HE and cooperation between VET and HE systems. The Estonian example. ESTONIA Oct 2010 • Sharing the already existing models of recognition VET towards HE. SLOVENIA march 2011 • Presentation of Slovenian ECVET experiences in modernizing VET programmes in technical fields. GERMANY 27 – 30 june

9. Meeting plan: • Main principles to support the validation and recognition of learning outcomes from VET to HE. The Lithuanian example. LITHUANIA Sept 2011 • Summarizing the main common principles for validation and recognition of learning outcomes from VET to HE. Introduction into the Turkish VET and HE application of credit systems. TURKEY Dec 2011 • Finalizing the materials for publishing project results and making suggestions to national stakeholders. FINLAND March 2012 • Final seminar: Summarizing the project results, finalizing further plans for the partnership and setting the dissemination plan. LATVIA June 2012

10. Project action plan: • (1-3) partnership meetings/ working with common comparative template (June 2011)  • ( 1-3) formulating common principles (Sept 2011)  • (4) summary of common principles (Dec 2011) • (6) first version of published principles and models (Jan 2012)  • (7) preparing a TOI (Feb 2012) • (5) suggestions to stakeholders (March 2012)  • (6) final published principles and models (March 2012) • (7) dissemination plans (June 2012)

11. Partnership tasks: All partners will be actively involved in the following activities: • Research and mapping • Research and presentation of national previous good practices and projects 3. Comparisons of implemented models with national legislation 4. Analyses of the reasons, frames, for and against factors of implemented models 5. Formulating central principles based on the accumulated knowledge, experience and practice from participating countries

12. Partnership tasks: 6. Participation of VET and HE institutions as partners 7. Inclusion of local and national public authorities in project activities, implementation of results, dissemination and sustainability 8. Events for sharing experiences between partners (seminars, round table discussion) with inclusion of interested business partners 9. Inclusion of professionals and experts (lecturers, teachers) and student representatives in activities and decision making processes of the project 10. Formulating suggestions to national stakeholders

13. Partnership tasks: 11. Publishing the central principles as well as the already implemented models as best practice examples 12. Evaluation in terms of achieving the project aims and the aims of the partnership 13. Dissemination of project results and finding national and international means for ensuring the sustainability of the project results 14. Extensive cooperation between VET and HE sectors 15. Applying for a TOI project for implementation phase of the central principles into curricula

14. WebPage VET-HE • Project web page – all logos, partnership information • Skype contacts – for as • Meeting plan – seminar dates • Google tools – google docs • Google maps from each partner – • Documents uploading ??? • Picture gallery from events • Publish materials to web page (coworking making of publish materials) • SEO - janno?

15. Responsibilities: The project coordinator will be responsible for the overall flow of project activities, evaluation of activities, project progress, results, the degree of reaching objectives and the reaching project's overall aims, international implementation and sustainability. All partners are equally responsible of implementation and sustainability in their institution, region, country.

16. Responsibilities: Overall responsibilities: • The coordinating partner and the Lithuanian partner will be responsible for mapping (research) activities and collecting best practice experiences; • The German partner will be responsible for summarizing the central principles; • Preparing TOI ? • Suggestions for stakeholders ? • Dissemination plan ?

17. Project dissemination and beneficiaries The project results will be presented on national, international levels (public authorities, policy makers, VET, HE institutions). Beneficiaries of the project will be: • VET students (improved conditions for continuation in higher education and ultimately lifelong learning), • VET and HE institutions (new means and ideas for improving cooperation between VET and HE and a better environment for validation and recognition of learning outcomes from vocational education to higher education) • Regional, national companies, businesses, enterprises, employers (more qualified employees and reduced time used for reaching the needed qualification).