SOLITY – VET SOCIAL UTILITY MONITOR

EACEA-41-2016 call: Support for Policy Reform
ERASMUS + Key Action 3
Sub-Action: Forward Looking Cooperation Projects

 

 

4 national partners:  

1. ENAIP NET, Italy (Coordinator) 
2. AFPA – Agence Nationale pour la Formation Professionnelle des Adultes, France 
3. IB – Internationaler Bund, Germany 
4. LE FOREM – Service Public Wallon de l’Emploi et de la Formation, Belgium 

2 international partners: 

1. EVTA – European Vocational Training Association 
2. EVBB – European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training 

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WHAT 

The Erasmus+ KA3 project entitled "VET SOCIAL UTILITY MONITOR" - acronym: SOLITY was born from the idea of enhancing the social impact of Vocational Education and Training, through a system of self-assessment and benchmarking. In terms of innovation and added value, SOLITY focuses in particular on the following two aspects: 

• BUILD A BOTTOM-UP INSTRUMENT: FROM VET CENTRES FOR VET CENTRES 
• HELP MAKE VET A FIRST CHOICE 

HOW 

The project aims to create a solid bottom-up model, which can also be transferable, to enhance the social utility of VET, based on a specific set of qualitative and quantitative indicators. 

For the selection and definition of indicators to be used in the SOLITY reference framework, tools already existing in quality systems for VET, both at transnational (EQAVET, ISO) and national level (accreditation systems, AFPA model), have been taken into account: starting from this wide and heterogeneous basis and following a strong and broad cooperative approach, the project has developed a model able to measure the social utility of VET centres. 

The four key steps that led to the implementation of the self-assessment tool were: 

1. Research
2. Development
3. Testing and validation
4. Dissemination and promotion

The project model was developed, tested and approved through a series of actions involving, among others, VET experts from all EU countries. 

WHY 

The objective of the project is to provide all European vocational training centres with a common tool to assess their impact, quality and performance at different levels, but always in terms of social utility. 

SOLITY offers a number of advantages to the different target groups involved: 

- VET centres

• identify strengths and weaknesses
• understand how and where to intervene in order to improve and/or innovate their performance

- Policy makers à make public funding for VET more transparent 

• enhance the overall quality and social utility of VET
• understand how to best build VET development and support policies 

- Stakeholders à better understand the activities and social impact of VET centres 

• benefit from quality services