Case Study 5, Estonia, Vocational Education sector, 2009 VÕRUMAA VOCATIONAL EDUCATIONAL CENTRE
Case Study, vocational training The case study, the story The context Võrumaa Vocational Education Centre A purpose of Accreditation of Prior Learning and Work Experience (APEL) is to develop links between different levels of education and to recognise knowledge acquired at previous level of education. Implementation of APEL for this purpose improves the flexibility of education, saves the resources of both the student and the education provider, and opens a quicker access to the labour market for the student. Steps of APEL: • Information and counselling • Submission of application • Assessment • Decision and feedback • Appellation Evidence, material – content Võrumaa Vocational Education Centre (www.vkhk.ee) has over than 800 students and 6 departments: • tourism, • wood technology, • mecatronics, • metal proceeding, • business administration and • IT systems Two levels - Vocational education after secondary school - Professional higher education. APEL system • APEL counsellors in departments • APEL assessors in departments • Director of Studies is responsible for APEL • Tools for APEL • Regulations • Application forms
Tools for APEL: • Description of Estonian educational Support system for APEL • APEL counsellors in every department system • Support materials for: • Regulations – students • Regulations of Admission – APEL counsellors • Study Regulations • Procedure and conditions for accreditation – APEL assessors of prior and experiential learning • Application forms: • for fulfilment of the curriculum • accreditation of prior certified learning • appellation Example During the studies at upper secondary school, the students have an opportunity, in accordance with the curriculum, to choose elective subjects associated with the training of professional skills. At the request of the general education school, the vocational education institution prepares a curriculum for teaching professional skills for the selected economic sector. This curriculum is based on the so-called 'base curriculum' of the vocational education institution. This combination of general education and professional
skills training is categorised as 'vocational training in upper secondary schools'. After general education school, the student applies for admission to studies according to the curriculum of 'Tourism Administration' on the basis of secondary education (volume of the curriculum: 80 credit points). In the course of general education, she had also completed the curriculum of 'Tourism Administration' for vocational training in upper secondary schools (volume of the curriculum: 21 credit points). The student passed the admission tests in accordance with the Admission Rules of the school and was enrolled as a 1-st year student. She then submitted an application for accreditation of the content and results of the prior vocational training as part of completion of the current curriculum. In her application, she requested transfer of 21 credit points. Background The APEL process in the example case consisted of the If a student, having acquired general following stages: secondary education, is admitted to a 1. Advising the applicant – advisory service provided by the vocational education institution, he or she specialist in the organisation of studies may submit an application for the 2. Completion and submission of the APEL application form accreditation of vocational subjects passed – advisory service provided by the head of the study field at upper secondary school as part of the 3. Review and assessment of the application and additional current study programme. documents (school certificate, study results report) by the Transfer between the levels of education is APEL committee appointed by a directive of the head of the facilitated by legal basis, which enables the school. The applicant adds to the application the general school to develop respective internal education school certificate, the results report and the regulations. The school regulations should certificate of completion of vocational training courses. The comply with the statutory requirements for school already had the curriculum, which described the both levels of education. content and learning outcomes of her vocational training. This possibility is also regulated in the annex 4. Adoption of decision and provision of feedback After to the regulation of studies of the school, comparing the goals and learning outcomes described in the which sets out the principles for two curricula, the committee concluded that the application accreditation of prior learning and work should be granted to the extent of all subjects and learning experience. outcomes achieved in the course of prior learning. As a Pursuant to: result, it was considered that the student has completed 80 % of the curriculum for the 1st year, i.e., the theoretical part. • Vocational Education Standard • Regulation of Studies of Võrumaa The uncompleted part, 20 %, of the 1-st year curriculum was a work experience placement, which was not included in the Vocational Education Centre curriculum at the previous level of education. As prior work experience may be also taken into account as part of the studies, the committee asked the applicant to submit additional information on her work experience in the tourism field, if any. The applicant did not have such work experience. 5. Contestation of the decision. According to the Regulation of Studies of the school, a student has the right to contest the decision pursuant to the procedure provided in the Regulation of Studies. The student did not contest the decision.
