www.ecvet-team.eu

ECVET development
Anette Curth, ICF GHK
An ECVET-solution to the reco
in Germany – The ESyCQ project
The project ESyCQ
(European Credit System
for Commercial Qualifications)
aims at establishing
a procedure for the
validation and recognition
of formal, non-formal
and informal learning
for individuals.
Six professions/qualifications were selected
in which lateral entry on the basis
of informal and non-formal learning
are typical (commerce and IT training);
and overlaps regarding the learning
outcomes related to those professions
were identified.
Subsequently, the project developed a
way of assessing those learning outcomes
using the CEMES-database –
an instrument previously developed by
the lead project partner. The project also
aims to establish a procedure for validation
and recognition of those learning
outcomes with the regional competent
institution.
The ESyCQ project aims at establishing
a procedure for the validation and recognition
of formal, non-formal and informal
learning for individuals in a selected
area of vocational training in Germany.
32 ECVET magazine n°12 / December 2012
The project deals with six qualifications
from the field of IT and commerce:
• Salesman for logistic and transport
services (a IVET qualification comprising
three years of studies);
• Office clerk (IVET, three years of studies);
• IT management assistant (IVET, three
years of studies)
• Commercial assistant, main focus: office
economics (IVET, two years of studies);
• Commercial assistant, main focus:
data processing (IVET, two years of
studies);
• Network administrator (CVET, certified
by the Chamber of Commerce).
Typically, these qualifications are acquired
through formal initial vocational
training (IVET) or continuing vocational
training (C-VET) in the dual system or in
school based-VET. A learner completes
a two- or three-year learning period,
dividing his/her time between schoolbased
and work-based learning. However,
many of these qualifications are
typical for side-entry and for learningon-the-job.
Many employees working in
jobs related to the qualifications above
have acquired the knowledge, skills
and competences they need through
formal learning paths concerning other
qualifications, leading to similar learning
outcomes. Yet others have acquired the
necessary learning outcomes through
non-formal or informal learning. Hence,
although both groups may do a perfect
job and possess all the skills and competences
they need; they have never
acquired a formal qualification for their
current job. This may have a negative
effect on their employability.
Consequently, ESyCQ aims at enabling
the validation and recognition of units
of learning outcomes relating to the
six professions above. The idea is to
enable the recognition of learning outcomes
acquired in other formal learning
paths (I-VET and C-VET) as well as the
recognition of non-formal and informal
learning.
Describing existing
qualifications in terms
of units of learning
outcomes
All of these qualifications are based on
nationally regulated training curricula,
which do not yet work with learning outcomes.
So the project conducted the
pilot work to reformulate the learning
content and the curricula and break it
down into units of learning of outcomes;
closely involving experts, such as experienced
trainers, training consultants,
representatives from the competent institutions
regulating these professions as
well as national ECVET experts from the
Federal Institute for Research in Vocational
Education and Training (BIBB).