What are the strengths of the RA’s VET system? What challenges do we face? How can we improve formative assessment to boost the alumni employability and better align skills with the needs of the labour market? Today the experts from the ETF partner countries summarised the peer review of the RA VET system conducted on May 21-23 and offered enhancement-led recommendations. At ANQA’s proposal, the experts representing Israel and Georgia presented additional reports on the progress of their VET system and the practice of formative assessment.
Representatives from the RA ESCS Ministry, ANQA and state and non-state VET institutions took part in the summary of the Forum titled "Quality Assurance of Employment-oriented Formative Assessment".
Armenuhi Poghosyan, head of the Department for Preliminary (Craftsmanship) and Vocational Education and Training of the RA ESCS Ministry, emphasized that the RA VET system is currently undergoing significant reforms. Ms. Poghosyan highlighted the practice from ETF partner countries and the enhancement-led recommendations can be localised, get legal force and enhance the VET quality. Armenuhi Poghosyan expressed confidence that through comprehensive measures, we will attain the expected education quality.
Ruben Topchyan, ANQA’s director, attached importance to the feedback received from the perspective of further enhancement of the RA’s VET system. "Our partners presented their countries’ practices, trying to connect them with our local context. In the near future, ANQA will work with the ESCS Ministry to adapt the recommendations locally. We have already had a preliminary discussion on some of the recommendations", mentioned Dr. Topchyan.
Let us recall that on May 21-23, the Republic of Armenia hosted the ETF Forum for Quality Assurance in VET, titled "Quality Assurance of Employment-oriented Formative Assessment" at ANQA’s suggestion. During the three days, the international experts held meetings with a diverse range of RA VET stakeholders, including representatives from the RA ESCS Ministry, the RA Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the RA Ministry of Economy, accreditation experts, employers, employer teachers, VET institutions’ management staffs, managers of academic programmes, representatives of career centres, quality assurance managers and students. Additionally, they conducted professional talks, observing examples of formative assessment at the three VET institutions.
The ETF established a Forum for Quality Assurance in VET in 2017. This Forum is a transnational collaboration initiative between 20 national institutions with VET quality assurance mandates in selected ETF partner countries. The peer visit is expected to contribute to the modernisation and enhancement of the quality assurance system in the RA VET sector and the internationalisation of the country’s best practices. ANQA has been a member of the ETF Forum for Quality Assurance since 2020.