
ETF support and development activities for VET
During 2021 the European Training Foundation undertook a number of valuable initiatives and actions to further support VET developments in the EU neighborhood. Some of them are presented below:
1. ETF’s New Learning Initiative and Community for innovative educators
In 2021, ETF started the multi-annual, multi-thematic initiative (2021 – 2027) called New Learning Initiative combining several themes, spanning learning and curricula, teaching and teacher training, qualifications and distance and digital learning, and more.
As a part of the initiative, the ETF is supporting an international community of innovative educators . The community will foster the promotion, discussion, validation and adoption of innovative teaching and learning practices among teachers, trainers and other education professionals. Innovations addressed include: personalised learning, digital and online learning, new learning environments, professional development and key skills.
In order to value both grassroots innovation and international collaboration, the community will organise and promote activities at the local/national level (in national languages) as well as international cooperation through events, competitions and knowledge exchange.
What you can do in the community?
Through this community you can:
- Learn about innovative teaching approaches through discussions and events
- Promote your work or that of your organization or network by writing a post (in your language of preference) in the community blog
- Find out about opportunities to participate in projects, training activities and international cooperation
- Participate in the competition “ETF most innovative educator” (upcoming in 2022)
Who can be involved?
All educators interested in new teaching and learning practices. We welcome participants particularly from the ETF partner regions but any educator is welcome to join. This includes academic teachers, vocational and technical teachers, practical instructors, general subject teachers, principals, pedagogues, adult educators, mentors, teacher trainers and education solution providers.
To join the community please follow this link.
2. The ETF Network of Excellence
The ETF Network of Excellence (ENE) is an international network of Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) in the EU neighbourhood. The ENE is a platform to discuss the needs of CoVEs and how these are linked to skills demands and smart specialization strategies. Since its creation in 2020, the ENE has grown steadily and it now comprises 217 members from 29 countries (142 from ETF partner countries, 68 from EU member states and 7 from Africa).
The aim of the ETF’s ENE is to encourage the sharing of ideas, practices and experience between centres of excellence at both national and international levels, supported by the network’s self-assessment tool that helps centres align their own development with the developments of other members of the network. In addition, ENE has initiated six Development Partnerships through which groups of centres of excellence are working together to improve in specific domains of excellence.
To learn more about ENE and join the Network please see: https://www.etf.europa.eu/en/projects-campaigns/projects/vocational-excellence
3. Learning Connects – ETF campaign offering support during COVID-19 crisis
Learning Connects is the ETF campaign that aims at offering support during COVID-19 crisis. The world is facing an unprecedented crisis: social distancing measures to combat COVID-19 are having a massive impact on education and training, everywhere. Schools and training centres have had to close from one day to the next.
To help people deal with this unprecedented challenge and ensure that learning continues to connect individuals and institutions, ETF has launched an initiative focusing on how education and training systems, businesses, schools, teachers, students and their families can adapt to the challenges of teaching and learning at a distance, often using unfamiliar and untried technology and imperfect systems and infrastructure.
More about campaign is available on the ETF website.