Montenegro: Regional Partner Meeting of vocational education and training institutes
Melanie Hoppe
Translated by: Sarah Zimmer (English Language Service)
The Second Regional Partner Meeting involving representatives of VET institutions from Serbia, Rumania, Austria, Germany and Montenegro took place in Podgorica, Montenegro on 21 and 22 November 2011. The workshop was jointly staged by the Montenegrin Centre for Vocational Training and BIBB and marks the continuation of a successful series of Partner Meetings, the aim of which is to exchange information and learn from one another.
Exchange of bilateral information and experiences
The main focus of discussion over the two days of the event was "Modularisation and credit rating of VET curricula". Following an initial presentation of individual country experiences, participants then took advantage of the opportunity to explore selected facts and circumstances in more detail in bilateral talks. The presentations on national developments made it clear that the topic of permeability and the related issue of the credit transfer of acquired knowledge are of great educational policy significance.
Montenegro, for example, is seeking to reform its vocational education and training system in a way which will see all curricula broken down into modules and allocated credit points. The future aim is for curricula to describe the modules which are necessary for the achievement of a certain qualification. With one eye on the country's impending candidacy as an EU member state, the objective of the modularisation process is to secure connectivity to the European Union.
The topic of modularisation was addressed in Austria as long ago as 2003 as part of the government programme. The plan now is to adopt modularisation for dual vocational education and training only, although statutory stipulations are in place which dictate that vocationalism must be secured.
Representatives of VET institutions from Serbia, Rumania, Austria, Germany and Montenegro
The German representatives reported on their educational policy activities and on the strategic alignments introduced in Germany in order to endeavour to improve permeability between and within educational areas. This presentation was based on the individual problem areas at the interfaces and made reference to aspects such as the development of two-year training occupations and the development of VET and training modules.
The full results of the Partner Meeting will be published as a BIBB Academic Research Discussion Paper in the first quarter of 2012.
