The Malta Qualifications Council (MQC), St Lucia, is holding a series of local information meetings regarding developments on the European Qualifications Framework (EQF).
By 2010, all EU member states must use a learning outcomes approach to relate their national qualifications levels to the EQF, and by 2012, EU member states should take the necessary steps to ensure that reference to the EQF is introduced in individual qualifications documents such as certificates and diplomas.
The MQC, as the national co-ordination point for the European framework, is holding a series of information meetings on the subject at its premises, as follows:
On May 23, at 8.30 a.m., for college co-ordinators and school heads;
On June 25, at 3.30 p.m., for NGOs;
On July 2, at 3.30 p.m., for directors of public and private training institutions;
On August 6, at 8.30 a.m., for human resource managers;
On September 3, at 8.30 a.m., for representatives of parents' associations;
On October 22, at 8.30 a.m., for counsellors and career guidance officers;
On November 5, at 3.30 p.m., for employers and trade union activists;
On December 10, at 3.30 p.m., for students' organisations;
On January 21, 2009, at 3.30 p.m., for teachers and lecturers.
Registration for these meetings is on a first-come-first-served basis, against a registration fee of €15, and only 30 registered participants can attend each session. To register, send an e-mail to MQC communications manager Valerie Attard on valerie.a.attard@gov.mt, indicating the session to be attended.
This year and next, the MQC will also host a series of six European meetings on quality assurance in VET organised by the European Network on Quality Assurance for Vocational Education and Training (ENQA-VET).
Two of these meetings will be held by thematic group that is expected to recommend Europe-wide policies on how to make VET attractive to learners. Two peer learning activities are expected to hold meetings focusing on the recognition of prior learning, and the impact of a common quality assurance framework on VET respectively.
ENQA-VET's mission is to develop, disseminate and promote best European practice and governance in the field of quality assurance in VET. It also works with general and higher education authorities to further develop and support entire education and training systems within and across Europe.
Charles Mizzi is MQC's chairman while James Calleja is the council's chief executive.