On 6th and 7th of December, ERI SEE, in cooperation with KulturKontakt Austria and Centre for Education Policy, organized an SEE regional workshop on „Promotion of Work-Based Learning and Development of Joint Occupational Standards”, which gathered the representatives of the VET centres and/or Ministries from the ERI SEE countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia), under the framework of South Eastern Europe Vocational Education and Training Network (SEEVET Net), representatives of regional Chambers of commerce, under the framework of Chambers’ Investment Forum, and additionally of representatives of VET centres from Bulgaria, Kosovo*, Romania and Slovenia (not formally members of the ERI SEE initiative).
The workshop built on the conclusion from previous SEEVET Net meeting (of 20th September 2016), with the purpose of further developing the future regional project by connecting representatives of the education and training sector and representatives of Chambers of Commerce from the region, and establishing reliable partnership between the private sector and VET for the development of occupational standards and organizing effective work-based learning.
Additionally, the workshop gathered the representatives of the Tempus + foundation and Austrain Development Agency, who presented funding opportunities, and of ETF, who presented the ex-ante impact assessment of the WBL in the candidate countries.
The workshop focused on the identification of priority sectors relevant for all the countries of the region (tourism and catering; food processing and food industry; transport and logistics; and construction industry); on the steps, necessary for the development of regional occupational standards within those sectors, and identification of relevant actors in the field of WBL, and relevant steps that would have to be taken into consideration when planning for the WBL activities in the region.
The agenda of the seminar can be seen here.
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence