EQF-based training course Eco-Qualify
In October 2013 a new Leonardo da Vinci Project startet under the titel „ECVET-based training of trainers in organic food retailing to ‘EcoQualify’ Quality Assurance System“ with Institut equalita as partner. Coordinator is the University of Agribusiness and Rural Development in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Partners are 8 institutions from Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, and Italy; and Turkey.
Background
The reasons for development of the ECVET-EcoQualify project are several aspects. The expanding organic retail sector needs qualified workers and managers, respectively teachers/trainers who will teach them. A training course "Eco-Qualify", based on the European Qualification Framework (EQF) and the European Credit Points System (ECVET), will meet these demands. It will also meet the recommendation of the European parliament to promote ECVET ‘involving VET providers’ and change the VET teacher/trainer’s role, using the competence-based approach and learning outcomes. Furthermore it will response to the need of implementation of new methodological and didactic approaches and innovative training methods, including e-learning.
The project is on the former LdV Partnership "Integration of the quality assurance system ECO-QUALIFY into the European Qualifications Framework EQF".
Objectives and target groups
The main aim of the ECVET-EcoQualify project is to create a training course for teachers/trainers and tutors/instructors oriented to offer them the abilities needed, so that they will be able to design, plan and distribute ECVET and EQF-based training courses in the field of organic food retailing, including e-learning.
In detail the objectives of the project are to translate and adapt of the EQF and ECVET for EcoQualify to NQF of partner countries. For this partners will analyze, compile and define didactics and methodologies for training of teachers/trainers and tutors in organic sector based on the Quality Assurance System “EcoQualify” and following the EQF and ECVET learning outcomes approach. After that they will test the on-line training course and collect feedbacks for its improvement.
Additionally the partnership intends to define of Community of Practice shared interests and manifest a common cooperation agreement among stakeholders of VET in organic retail sector in order to produce a market oriented training course.
The target group includes teachers and trainers, VET providers of services and trainers in the field of lifelong learning. The target sectors are education, agriculture, organic trade and retailing, ecological field and food safety. In fact, we refer in particular to a very specific sector – organic food retailing which is characterized with a gap of well qualified teachers/trainers and tutors.
Results
The main products will be:
- a comprehensive and detailed methodology for EQF and ECVET-based training courses for organic food retailing according to the EcoQualify Quality Assurance System;
- guidelines for VET institutions in organic sector;
- a training course and training materials for it (including e-learning);
- a Social Network Platform for Community of Practice.
In general, it is envisaged that the project activities will enhance the competence of VET trainers in organic retail sector, contributing to the establishment of generally accepted qualification and training standards.
Partners
Coordinator of the project is the University of Agribusiness and Rural Development in Plovdiv, Bulgarien.
Partners beside Institut equalita are:
- Organic Retailers Association /ORA/, Austria
- ZIVY VENKOV, Czech Republik
- FORUM Berufsbildung e.V., Germany
- Ökomarkt e.V. Hamburg, Germany
- Associazione terre dell’Adriatico /ADRIALAND/, Italy
- Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Turkey
- Educational Research Association, Turkey
Project images
