VETENTRE_IO1_Toolkit_FV

competence areas and a total of 15 competences. You can see all of the competences in the graph included in the third section of this unit. Quality Assurance Frameworks for VET Based on the Skills Agenda published in July 2020, future-proof vocational education and training (VET) are among the skills that the EU will invest in over the next five years. The aims are to achieve employment for more than 4/5 VET graduates, at least 3 out of 5 VET learners to be engaged in work-based learning such as apprenticeships and increase the number of learners who learn abroad by 1/3 (EC, 2020). Vocational education and training (VET) responds to the economy's needs and provides skills to help learners with their personal development and active citizenship. 4 Vocational education and training (VET) systems in Europe include the initial VET (I-VET) and the continuing VET (C-VET). The I- VET is usually offered at the upper secondary level and can take place at either a school context or work-based contexts (e.g. training centres and companies), varying from country to country (EC, 2020). The main EU bodies on VET are:  the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop)  the European Training Foundation (ETF) A relevant financial instrument is the European Social Fund (ESF) which supports VET-related activities. Among various deliverables developed on an EU level for 2015-2020, notable developments include the European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) and the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework (EQAVET). The ECVET allows learners to gain validation and recognition for the knowledge and skills from various systems and countries. In addition, the EQAVET acts as a reference instrument for each country to monitor their progress regarding VET systems. 4 European Commission (N.D.). What is vocational education and training?. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/eu-policy-in-the-field-of-vocational-education-and-training-vet_en Stay Updated: To be up-to-date with news on VET, the following bodies offer relevant information and updates:  Representation of the European Commission: The European Commission has representations in different EU countries. Representations upload relevant EU information and news.  CEDEFOP: CEDEFOP publishes up- to-date national news on VET for each EU member country.  ET 2020 Working Groups: The working groups have been set-up to support policymaking at national and EU levels. The ET 2020 Working Group on VET has also published a report focused on innovation and digitalization in VET.