ERI SEE Support to the Modernisation of VET in the WB Region – EQET SEE Project Contribution
EQET SEE Project Finalised: Key Results of the VET Component
The Enhancements in the Quality of Education and Training in South Eastern Europe – EQET SEE project (2021–2025) has been finalised, concluding a three-and-a-half-year regional effort aimed at strengthening the quality, relevance, and coherence of vocational education and training systems across the Western Balkans (WB) and Moldova. The project was coordinated by the Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe – ERI SEE and implemented within two components: (1) Vocational education and training strand (VET) component and (2) quality assurance strand.
The EQET SEE VET strand, implemented in cooperation with VET, qualification agencies and chambers of commerce from six Western Balkan economies, focused on the continuation of the ERI SEE’s flagship initiative: the development of regional occupational and qualification standards, as well as increasing and supporting the regional cooperation between VET and qualification agencies and chambers of commerce. The VET strand had two main objectives: (1) Development of national curricula that integrates WBL elements and are based on regionally agreed OS and QS (2) Increment competences of teachers and company instructors for the implementation of curricula by developing teaching and learning material and WBL guidelines and trainings for teachers and company instructors.
The first main objective, the improvement of national VET curricula through the integration of work-based learning elements and alignment with regionally agreed occupational and qualification standards was implemented in cooperation with VET, qualification agencies and chambers of commerce from all six economies. Building on previously developed regional methodology developed within the TO REGOS project, two regional occupational and qualification standards were developed in the agriculture and metal sectors, covering the occupations of Agricultural Technician of Traditional and Organic Cultivation and Locksmith. These regional standards served as a reference framework for the adjustment and adoption of 12 national occupational standards, 10 national qualification standards, and 12 national curricula across participating economies.
The development process relied on regional methodologies designed around the lowest common denominator of national rules and procedures, ensuring compatibility with existing legal and institutional frameworks while supporting regional comparability. The standards and curricula were developed with explicit attention to labour-market relevance, learning outcomes, and the applicability of skills in both school-based and work-based learning contexts. The results also provide a basis for further use in adult education, reskilling, and upskilling initiatives at national and regional levels.
The second main objective, supporting continuous professional development (CPD) of teachers and company instructors responsible for implementing updated curricula. This included the development of regional teaching and learning materials (TLM) and work-based learning guidelines (WBL) for both occupations and on cross-cutting topics, as well as trainings for teachers and company instructors.
TLM and WBL guidelines for agricultural technician and locksmith were developed at regional level and subsequently adjusted, translated, and endorsed at national level, with availability in Albanian, English, Macedonian and Serbian.
In addition to occupation-specific teaching and learning materials, the project developed analytical studies addressing the social dimension of education and environmental sustainability. These studies were conceived as cross-cutting reference documents, providing both a theoretical framework and practical guidance for teachers, learners, school management, and institutions responsible for vocational education and training, qualifications, and quality assurance, with the aim of supporting the social and environmental sustainability of education systems. Building on these general studies, a set of dedicated guidance documents and training modules was subsequently developed to support teachers and company instructors in addressing the social dimension of education and sector-specific environmental aspects within the agriculture and metal sectors.
The CPD component was further supported through the development of structured training programmes and implementation of trainings of trainers of teachers and company instructors. Two regional trainings for trainers of teachers and two regional trainings for company instructors were delivered, alongside extensive national-level trainings. Each training had three components (1) occupation-specific component (2) social dimension of education (3) environmental sustainability of schools.
In total, the project contributed to the training of 58 trainers of trainers of teachers, 50 trainers of trainers of company instructors at regional level, and over 450 teachers and over 80 company instructors at national level, strengthening national capacities for sustainable delivery of VET programmes aligned with updated standards and curricula.
Through its VET component, the EQET SEE project established a structured link between regional cooperation, national implementation, and institutional sustainability. The developed standards, curricula, materials, and training programmes are embedded within national systems and supported by VET and qualification agencies and chambers of commerce, providing a foundation for continued use and further development beyond the project duration.
