On March 18, the Erasmus+ QA4VET project was launched at the Vardenis Medical-Humanitarian College, with the aim of enhancing the VET quality in Armenia. On March 18-19, the project's Armenian and international partners will introduce the work packages, the processes involved and the intended outcomes. The workshop will conclude with a session of the project’s governing board.
Nikoghos Gasparyan, director of the Vardenis Medical-Humanitarian College, welcomed the workshop participants. Mariana Dogaru, president of the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Pre-University Education (ARACIP), highlighted the importance of the QA4VET project, noting that Romania with its Soviet history, encountered challenges similar to Armenia. Ms. Dogaru underscored that quality assurance processes have been launched in the Romanian VET system since 2005, and now, having achieved success and established some best practices, the country is ready to share its experience.
During the workshop, ANQA’s representatives delivered three presentations.
Meri Barseghyan, specialist at Policy Development Division, shared ANQA’s activities and values, highlighting that over the past 16 years, the following has been accomplished:
- institutional accreditation of 57 VET institutions and 36 HEIs;
- 46 progress visits to VET institutions and 132 to HEIs;
- 1125 trained experts;
- 1325 trained student experts.
Ms. Barseghyan also presented ANQA's international activities, highlighting its membership in ENQA, INQAAHE, CEENQA, partnership with ETF, as well as its participation and contributions to the Erasmus+ and UNESCO projects.
Anahit Terteryan, specialist at Institutional and Programme Accreditation Division, introduced the Armenian quality assurance system, covering relevant legislative regulations, the goals for the VET sector set by the State Programme for the Development of RA Education until 2030, internal and external quality assurance processes, and State Accreditation Criteria and Standards.
The key principles of ANQA's policy for VET sustainable development were emphasised:
- directing VET institutions to meet the needs of the local labour market, contributing to the implementation of joint strategic management with employers;
- aligning academic programmes with the needs and economic opportunities of the region;
- encouraging the cooperative use of resource bases of sector employers by VET institutions for the effective implementation of academic programmes;
- increasing the involvement of employer teachers, promoting the accumulation of analytical data in institutions and decision-making mased on this data.
Ms. Terteryan also outlined the planned activities, deadlines and intended outcomes for the development and piloting of VET institutions’ mock accreditation model. It was highlighted that these processes will also support self-evaluation and expert capacity building in partner VET institutions.
The QA4VET project aims to enhance the VET quality in Armenia, developing and implementing mock accreditation processes and tools that support quality assurance in VET institutions, fostering the formation of education quality culture. The project intends to study European practice, strengthen Armenian specialists’ capacities and prepare recommendations for continuous quality enhancement in VET institutions, with a special emphasis on green and digital education.
The coordinator of the QA4VET (Implementing Mock Accreditation for supporting quality assurance in Armenian VET institutions) project is the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Pre-University Education (ARACIP). The Armenian partners are ANQA, Yerevan Regional State College No. 2 named after N. Achemyan, Vardenis Medical-Humanitarian College, and the "Armenian Center for Educational Policy and Management" NGO. The project also involves a German partner, INVOLAS Institute for Vocational Education and Training, Labor Market and Social Policy.