Need to improve the quality of adult learning professionals in Romania Ana Elena Costin

1. ADULT LEARNING ACTION PLAN FINAL CONFERENCETHEME 1: MODERNISING ADULT LEARNING SYSTEMSWORKSHOP 1: Ensuring and developing high quality systems of adult learningSESSION 1: Professionals and Professionalism Need to improve the quality of adult learning professionals in Romania Ana Elena Costin National Council of Qualifications and Adult Vocational Training Project “CALISIS – Quality Assurance in CVT System in Romania” Budapest, 8 - 9 March 2011

2. ALPINE Study “The staff is the key-determinant for the quality in the adult learning field” • Bucharest, September 2008 • Final conference of the Leonardo da Vinci Project VINEPAC“Validation of the psycho-pedagogical adult-educator’s competences acquired in non-formal and informal learning contexts” • Presentation of the ALPINE Report • Partnership • IREA, CNFPA, University of Bucharest – Romania • University of Barcelona – Spain • DIE – Germany • ENESAD – EDUTER Institute – France • GWU – Malta • Validpack – set of tools available on: www.vinepac.eu

3. ALPINE Study “The public authorities play a crucial role in QA at system and provider levels”“We need an integrated approach for improving the professional development of people working in the broad field of adult learning” • National Council of Qualifications and Adult Vocational Training • Tri-partite structure, public budget • Responsible for the QA in the CVT system • Study “Key competences for adult learning professionals” • Identifies a variety of roles played by AL professionals • Proposes a general profile of key competences • Romanian experience/actions for improving the quality of AL professionals • Trainer • Assessor of competences (non formal&informal learning contexts) • Evaluator of QAS in AL field (at system and provider levels)

4. TRAINER • Main actor in the AL field • Tasks to fulfill and associated competences – quite clearly defined • Practitioners – a diversity of educational backgrounds • Certified trainers • Diplomas of post-graduation programmes or Master in AE • Competences acquired in working contexts • Teachers (VET schools, HE) working as trainers • Criterion for accreditation of CVT providers • January 2010 – certificate or diploma • Strategic ESF project “FPC - FORMATOR” • Target group: practitioners from the AL providers (mainly trainers) • Specific objective: to develop the generic competence A5 – “being able to deploy different learning methods, styles and techniques in working with adults” • Participants: • 1240 – blended learning • 1760 – access to e-learning platform • 600 – access to competences assessment centre

5. ASSESSOR OF COMPETENCES(non formal and informal learning contexts) • Specific competence B4 –“being an evaluator of learning process” – includes “being able to assess the learning outcomes and the progress of the learners in the learning process” • BUT, being able to assess the competences acquired in non formal and informal learning contexts leads to a different role and to different competences • different working context: competences assessment centres • different methodology: assessment in real working conditions, collecting evidences/proofs • different target group • Solution for AL professionals (see VINEPAC project) • beneficiaries of in-service training • assessment and certification of competences

6. ASSESSOR OF COMPETENCES (2)(non formal and informal learning contexts) • Romania: 61 accredited assessment centres (12 for Trainer) • documents to refer to (profiles of competences, occupational standards) • specific assessment tools • certified assessors • QAS implemented • Proposal: a newspecific competence added to the key-competences profile – being able to assess the competences acquired in non formal and informal learning contexts

7. INTERNAL&EXTERNAL EVALUATOR of QAS/QMS in AL field(at system and provider levels) • Specific competence from the category “supportive” B9 – “being a general manager” – includes “being able to implement organisational procedures and systems of quality management” • BUT, there are specific competences for: • managing financial resources • managing human resources • marketing and public relations • dealing with administrative issues • Proposal: a newspecific competence added to the key-competences profile – being able to evaluate the QAS/QMS (at least at provider level)

8. INTERNAL&EXTERNAL EVALUATOR of QAS/QMS in AL field(at system and provider levels) • Strategic ESF Project “CALISIS – Quality Assurance in CVT System in Romania” • Target group: practitioners involved in QAS implementation at AL system and provider levels (mainly evaluators) • Specific objective: to develop the specific competence “being able to evaluate/implement organisational procedures and systems of quality management” • Participants: • 1130 evaluators • 300 persons involved at system level

9. A NEW LAW of EDUCATION • Stipulates the roles played by the professionals working in the permanent education field: • didactic staff, trainer, trainer for practical learning, assessor of competences, mediator, facilitator of permanent education, counsellor, mentor, facilitator/on line tutor, support teacher, etc. • The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Culture and the (future) National Authority for Qualifications are responsible for establishing the status and the professionalisation route of these categories of professionals (based on a methodology approved by the Government). • Competences developed through specific training programmes: • psycho-pedagogical competences in accordance with the age and profile of the learners • using the modern information and communication technologies • facilitating the learning in virtual media • facilitating the projects based learning

10. Thank you for your attention! Consiliul National al Calificarilor si al Formarii Profesionale a Adultilor – CNCFPA www.cnfpa.ro www.cnfpa.ro/calisis/ ana.costin@cnfpa.ro