Duration
36 months
General approach/description of the project
The CREDCHEM project aims to foster mobility in the chemical sector, by creating lasting partnerships. The project assumes that, given the commonalities in work processes and tasks, operators and laboratory professionals in the chemicals sector have comparable knowledge and skills, regardless of the country in which they followed their training. Consequently, this profession provides a good opportunity to test the ECVET principles.
CREDCHEM aims at bringing closer the interests of employers in the chemical sector with those of learners (potential employees). While the former are seeking a skilled workforce, the latter are interested in obtaining learning/working experiences abroad. The integration of recognised mobility periods into the formal training programme would benefit both parties.
The work of CREDCHEM focuses on qualifications for production and laboratory staff. It is interesting to note that in some of the countries, the qualifications concerned are delivered by higher education institutions (thus using ECTS), while elsewhere these are VET qualifications.
Besides the implementation of ECVET principles (i.e. formulation of learning outcomes, design of units, etc.), CREDCHEM tests ECVET during two mobility periods (in 2010 and 2011). The first mobility period targets trainers and teachers while the second mobility period targets apprentices and pupils. It is expected that mobility periods will consequently be mainstreamed into partners’ formal training programmes through the signature of agreements.
CREDCHEM has important synergies with other projects and initiatives related to ECVET:
- It is parallel to a German initiative called DE ECVET (www.decvet.net) which focuses on the permeability of different VET systems. Partners from a DE ECVET project focused on chemistry are involved in CREDCHEM; and
- It builds on experiences gained during an earlier project “ECTS in chemistry”. This project revealed that despite the commonalities in the knowledge and skills of staff within the chemicals sector, the training programmes that are the basis of ECTS, differ significantly.
Target group
Trainers and teachers
Apprentices and pupils
Dissemination
The German projects AEROVET, CREDCHEM and SME Master Plus held their final conference on 16 January 2012 in Berlin. A joint publication (together with the VaLOGReg project) has been distributed (currently only available in in German language).
Transfer And Accumulation
In order to ensure trust and quality assurance, the CREDCHEM approach to mobile learners’ assessment is threefold:
- Teachers and trainers will be sent abroad before the pupils and apprentices to test the selected units of learning outcomes;
- The assessment will be carried out by teachers and/or technical staff who are able to understand the technicality of the work tasks covered by the units of learning outcomes; and
- The assessment will be carried out by mixed teams (from the home and host institutions) during the first cycle of mobility to foster trust among the partners.
The different national boards will be responsible for the validation and recognition of learning outcomes. This aspect will be further discussed in August 2010 in Dresden during the CREDCHEM Summer University.
Units of learning outcomes
The CREDCHEM approach to developing units of learning outcomes is based on analysing work tasks where the knowledge, skills and competences necessary for mastering typical work tasks are described. The CREDCHEM approach follows a similar approach as the one adapted by SME Master Plus.
On the basis of the work tasks, all learning outcomes of a unit will be generalised in a matrix. It is intended that the matrix describes the vocational competences which are to be acquired in a given unit. The learning outcomes are described as follows: levels of competences, knowledge and skills. In addition, for each learning outcome, the matrix contains country specific and general information such as reference to the national qualifications; credits; EQF level; type of assessment; learning measure and proposed duration of mobility period.
The matrix template used by CREDCHEM is presented in the
PowerPoint presentation made by CREDCHEM during the 4th pilot projects seminar in February 2010, slides 8 and 9.
A wide range of actors has been involved in the selection and development of the learning outcomes that would be open to mobility. CREDCHEM partners first agreed on common units of learning outcomes. Then, practitioners and experts analysed the work tasks covered by the selected outcomes. The lead partner was responsible for designing the units of learning outcomes in knowledge, skills and competences. Practitioners and experts were then asked to give their feedback on the analysis (regarding the knowledge, skills and competence) and to agree on work tasks suitable for common assessment.
Nine units of learning outcomes have been identified and described.
ECVET Points
CREDCHEM has not yet developed an operational framework to allocate ECVET points to qualifications and units. However, it is envisaged that all selected units will make up 100 points (reflecting the 100% approach followed by SME Master Plus project).
Consolidation of partnerships in formal agreements
CREDCHEM developed a Memorandum of Understanding,l building on the experiences of the participating partners. For example, the German partners already had a Memorandum of Understanding in use. This together with examples from other partners and the SME Master + project havel been used to discuss a common approach across the partnership.
The CREDCHEM project pays substantial attention to the dissemination and mainstreaming of ECVET into national and sectoral practices in the partner countries. The CREDCHEM partnership has been built accordingly, combining two types of actors:
- National councils have been established in all partners’ countries, except one (i.e. Italy) and bring together policy makers and social partners of the chemistry sector. These councils have the objective of validating the tools developed and ensuring the recognition of credit gained abroad, as well as supporting mainstreaming of ECVET into national VET policies. The outcomes of the project will also be transferred into the European Social Dialogue in the chemicals sector.
- The project has also established communities of practice which operate on a more operational level, linking training providers and enterprises that organise mobility.
For an overview of CREDCHEM partnership, please refer to the
PowerPoint presented by CREDCHEM during the 2nd pilot project seminar in July 2009 and to the
PowerPoint presented by CREDCHEM during the 4th pilot project seminar in February 2010, slide 3.
Partnership
Project Promoter:
Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung
Partners:
Istituto Tecnico per Attività Sociali “Pietro Scalcerle”, Italy
Národní ústav odborného vzdelávání, Czech Republic
Natzionalna agentzia za profesionalno obrazovanie i obuchenie, Bulgaria
Sächsische Bildungsgesellschaft für Umweltschutz und Chemieberufe Dresden mBH, Germany
Štátny Inštitút Odborného Vzdelávania, Slovakia
Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
Lead organisation contact details
Dr. Christiane Eberhardt: [email protected]
Website
http://www.credchem.eu/
The website is not available anymore.
Publication on project results and recommendations (in English)
Publication on project results and recommendations (in German)
Consult article on the projects' approach in the 4th issue of the ECVET magazine
Credchem guidelines to define units based on working tasks
Consult the Credchem presentation on their approach to testing ECVET as made during the 4th pilot projects seminar in February 2010
Consult reference to the CREDCHEM project in relation to the ECVET partnerships in the second issue of the ECVET Bulletin, p.4
Consult the presentation of CREDCHEM project approach to designing partnership
Consult the description of the CREDCHEM project in the first issue of the ECVET Bulletin, p.15