The Quality Management Recommendation for Vocational Education and Training has been adopted by the Finnish Ministry of Education to support and encourage VET providers to pursue excellence when improving the quality of their operations. The recommendation is based on the Common Quality Assurance Framework (CQAF) in vocational education and training and it forms an important part of Finland’s implementation of the Copenhagen process measures.
The Quality Management Recommendation for Vocational Education and Training has been adopted by the Finnish Ministry of Education to support and encourage VET providers to pursue excellence when improving the quality of their operations. The recommendation is based on the Common Quality Assurance Framework (CQAF) in vocational education and training and it forms an important part of Finland’s implementation of the Copenhagen process measures.
The recommendation has been prepared by the Finnish National Board of Education working in co-operation with VET providers, representatives of the world of work and business as well as students.
The purpose of the Quality Management Recommendation is to provide a framework for long-term development of quality management in all types of vocational education and training. The recommendations can be applied to vocational education and training implemented in different ways: initial VET and further and continuing training, competence tests and training preparing for competence-based qualifications, as well as curricular or school-based VET, special needs VET and apprenticeship training. In addition, the recommendations have been prepared such that they can be applied at both VET provider and individual unit levels and that they are relevant to users at different stages of quality improvement.
The Quality Management Recommendations below are divided into sections on the basis of the characteristics of an excellent organisation. Within each section, in turn, the recommendations are grouped in accordance with the different phases of the CQAF model. Each section presents recommendations relating to different phases of the model: planning, implementation, evaluation and assessment, as well as feedback and procedures for change.
The recommendations have been prepared such that they can be applied within different types of VET provider organisations. In addition, they take into account special characteristics, key priorities and development targets of vocational education and training, as defined in national strategies.
Alongside recommendations, the document also sets out specifications and examples intended to help VET providers to put the recommendations into action. The examples are indicative and do not cover all forms and situations of vocational education and training.
