Title SME MASTER Plus - Skilled-Mobile-European MASTER Plus

Project Number 147735-LLP-1-2008-1-DE-ECVET

 

Year 2008

Project Type Other EU-Projects

Individual Participation Not possible

Deadline Participation

Status completed

Country EU-Centralised Projects

Marketing Text SME MASTER Plus is testing the principles of the European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) in the context of the Master Craftsperson qualification in Austria, France, Germany, Norway and Slovenia. It provides an "ECVET-toolkit" covering:

• learning outcome matrixes in the four occupational fields bakery, floristry, hairdressing and joinery / cabinetmaking,

• guidelines for the establishment of sustainable institutional ECVET-partnerships, such as a model for partnership agreements as well as templates for learning agreement and personal transcript,

• recommendations for the assessment, validation and recognition of learning outcomes achieved abroad,

• a mobility checklist for the preparation, implementation and evaluation of transnational mobility projects in Master Craftsperson training.

Summary SME MASTER Plus targets on the enhancement of transparency in the context of Master Craftsperson qualification in skilled crafts and small and medium-sized enterprises. The project provides an "ECVET-toolkit" for the Master Craftsperson qualification.

Description The European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) is a European instrument promoting transnational mobility in vocational education and training. It has been developed by Member States in cooperation with the European Commission.

In 2008 the European Commission issued a call for proposal to finance projects under the lifelong learning action programme whose aim was to test the implementation of the ECVET process. As a result, SME MASTER Plus and nine other pilot projects have been selected.

SME MASTER Plus targets on the implementation of ECVET in the formal training programmes of Master Craftsperson. As entrepreneurs and trainers of tomorrow Master Craftsperson trainees are important multipliers for transnational mobility in VET in their respective countries.

SME MASTER Plus builds on the outcomes of a previous project (SME MASTER), which was focused on the qualification of the Master Craftsperson in bakery. The result of this project was a matrix conisting of units of learning outcomes for this qualification.

SME MASTER Plus has been undertaken in two stages:

The first stage focussed on the implementation of ECVET principles such as the formulation of learning outcomes, design of units, templates for the memorandum of understanding and the learning agreement for the Master Craftsperson education in bakery, floristry, hairdressing and joinery / cabinetmaking. Furtheron requirements for assessment, validation and recognition of units in the context of transnational mobility have been reflected.

During the second stage the different tools have been tested through concrete mobility projects. On this basis the different products were evaluated and modified.

Themes     Recognition, transparency, certification
    Continuous training
    Lifelong learning
    Enterprise, SME

ECVET Components Quality assurance
Documentation of learning outcomes
Assessment of learning outcomes
Units of learning outcomes
Allocation of points
Analysing and writing learning outcomes
Transfer and validation of learning outcomes

Product Types program or curricula
transparency and certification
website

Product information SME MASTER Plus provides an ECVET-toolkit for the Master Craftsperson qualification in bakery, floristry, hairdressing and joinery / cabinetmaking in five European countries (Austria, France, Germany, Norway and Slovenia).

The toolkit includes:

• a methodology for a learning outcome approach of Master Craftsperson qualification (learning outcome matrix) covering
- units of learning outcomes,
- steps of learning outcomes,
in the four occupational fields bakery, floristry, hairdressing and joinery / cabinetmaking,

• guidelines (handbook) and features for the establishment of sustainable institutional partnerships, such as a model for partnership agreements (Memorandum of Understanding) as well as templates for learning agreement and personal transcript,

• recommendations for the assessment, validation and recognition of learning outcomes achieved abroad,

• a mobility checklist for the preparation, implementation and evaluation of transnational mobility projects in Master Craftsperson training.

The toolkit may support competent institutions, such as chambers of skilled crafts, as well as providers of Master Craftsperson training programmes in:

• the adoption and practical implementation of ECVET,

• facilitating mutual recognition of individually acquired learning achievements,

• increasing learner's mobility,

• strengthening cooperation and international partnership on the basis of mutual trust,

• promoting lifelong learning.

All instruments have been tested and feed-backed in several transnational mobility projects. Three project-partners have sent and hosted Master Craftsperson trainees in the relevant sectors (dependent on the exchange partnership). On the basis of the feedback gained by the sending/receiving organisations and the participants the toolboxes have been modified and finalised.

Projecthomepage www.sme-master.eu