The Qualifications of »Happy Farm«
Results of the research and analysis of certification systems in partner countries of the »Happy Farm« project
(Slovenia, Austria, Belgium, Ireland and Hungary)
Joint analysis
Editor: Danica Hrovatič, M.Sc.
Translated by: Andra Lujić
Proofread by: Donegal Cheese
MARCH 2008
Table of contents
O. / Introduction to joint analysis / 41. / Presentation of Happy Farm partners
2. / Methodology
2.1. Structure of the questionnaire and the answers
I. / Platform of the qualification systems and the REVANIL process / 8
1. / Conceptual frame
2. / Characteristics of vocational education and training per country
3. / National strategies and (formal) frames of the recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning (REVANIL) / 13
3.1. Slovenia
3.2. Austria
3.3. Belgium
3.4. Ireland
3.5. Hungary
4. / Regulation of the certification system and integration of the procedures of validation of non-formal and informal learning – case presentations (Slovenia and Ireland) / 17
4.1. Recognition and assessment procedure in Slovenia
4.1.1. Recognition process
4.1.2. Procedure of assessment and validation
4.2. Procedure of recognition and assessment - Developing FETAC Awards (Ireland)
4.2.1. Developing certificates and modules as per the NCVA processes
5. / Role of the stakeholders, conditions for participation and financing of the REVANIL process / 25
5.1. Stakeholders and partners in the process
5.2. Target groups
5.3. Age limitation and other conditions
5.4. Financing
5.5. Aims of the process
5.6. Link between the REVANIL process and the acquisition of VQs
6. / European Qualification Framework (EQF) / 30
II. / Education and training of persons with disabilities and of persons disadvantaged in the labour market / 32
1. / Target groups in the project
2. / National policy on education and training of people with disabilities
2.1. Slovenia
2.2. Austria
2.3. Belgium
2.4. Ireland
2.5. Hungary
3. / Key partners in the implementation of activities for persons with disabilities / 36
4. / Financing the training system
5. / Is there a special legislation of REVANIL procedure for persons with disabilities?
5.1. Financing of the REVANIL process for persons with disabilities
5.2. The REVANIL process and needs of persons with disabilities
6. / Centres for education and training
7. / Satisfying persons’ needs in the frames of education programmes
8. / Innovative employment programmes
III. / Comparable vocational qualifications / 43
Conclusions of Joint Analysis / 49
National data bases and legislations / 53
References / 54
Appendix / 55
Tables and schemes
Table 1 / Characteristics of partner organisations / 5Table 2 / Topic sets of answers and added topics / 8
Table 3 / Terminology in different languages / 10
Table 4 / Link between the education system and the system of the acquisition of vocational qualifications / 13
Scheme 1 / Procedure of assessment and validation / 22
Table 5 / Stakeholders and partners in the process of REVANIL / 26
Table 6 / Target groups of REVANIL process / 28
Table 7 / Financing the process / 30
Table 8 / Main goals of the REVANIL process / 31
Table 9 / Formal role of the REVANIL process in the acquisition of VQs / 31
Scheme 2 / 10 levels of Irish NQF / 32
Table 10 / Stakeholders and partners in the process of REVANIL for persons with disabilities / 37
Table 11 / List of comparable vocational qualifications in Slovenia / 44
Table 12 / Content of the selected vocational qualifications / 44
Table 13 / Training programmes – Austria / 46
Table 14 / Content description of the selected vocational qualifications / 46
Table 15 / Training programmes – Ireland / 47
Table 16 / Structure of organic farmer training programme - Hungary / 49
Scheme 3 / Basic characteristics of REVANIL / 50
Scheme 4 / EQF levels as support for NQF and installation of qualification / 51
Scheme 5 / National strategies and legislation for project target group are divided between 3 systems / 51
Table 17 / A selection of existing vocational qualifications for farm work and the work in social enterprises in partner countries, and needs for new qualifications / 52
O. Introduction to joint analysis
The project »Education for the start and work in a social firm/enterprise on a farm and in the countryside«, with a shorter name »Happy Farm«, aims to achieve the following general guidelines of the Leonardo da Vinci programme:
- improving knowledge, skills, and competences of individuals and
- promoting and enhancing the contribution of vocational and professional education in the process of innovation.
The first task of the Happy Farm project is stimulating the transparency of qualifications. Its role is to contribute to the development of practices which will ease the access to training for the most deprived individuals in the labour market, including persons with disabilities, and to stimulate social dialogue and vocational education.
Five European countries cooperate in the partnership: Belgium, Ireland, Hungary, Austria and Slovenia. Two partners are from Austria and two from Slovenia, so seven organizations are included in the project. The project was carried over a period of two years. It started in October 2006, and concluded in December 2008.
Project aims are placed within more general goals, designed for:
- development of a social enterprise in rural settings with socially beneficial services having recreational and educational elements, together with organic food production and processing
- enhancement of possibilities for employment and creation of values in social enterprises
- support of programmes in the operation of social enterprises or the possibility of establishing cooperatives in rural settings (on the basis of exchanging mutual experiences between the partners) and
- preparation of vocational programmes for working on a farm, intended for the most disadvantaged groups in the labour market.
The purpose of the analysis is to support the project while it achieves its concrete goals:
- training the members of the project groups and potential providers of social enterprise in the rural settings, especially in tourism, recreational, and educational development, and other possibilities of organic food production and food processing, and other socially beneficial services on a farm, in order to raise the quality of life and life long learning of the wider community.
- preparing training programmes (vocational standards) for the most disadvantaged persons up to the 3rd or 4th level of complexity (e.g. animator on the farm)
- preparing 3 practical strategic plans of social enterprises on a farm (one in Slovenia).
For vocational programmes prepared on the basis of the different partner countries in the field of rural employment of the most disadvantaged persons, and in accordance with European strategies and the legislative possibilities in individual countries, we have created an analysis of the certification programmes (acquisition of vocational qualifications) in the partner countries: Belgium, Ireland, Hungary, Austria and Slovenia and taking into account European strategies and legislation and how it is enacted in the individual countries. We have also analysed the certification procedures and programmes on how to assess and achieve vocational qualifications in the different partner countries i.e., Belgium, Ireland, Hungary, Austria and Slovenia.
1. Presentation of Happy Farm partners
Partner organizations in the Happy Farm project have different characteristics and play various roles in their states. Below you will find presentations of the key roles in their national environment.
VDC Polž Maribor is a public institution in the field of social care. The centre performs social services, care services, employment and work under special conditions, ensured by the state for persons with reduced abilities.
National Institute for Vocational Education and Training (CPI) is national coordinator in the field of vocational education. The centre is responsible for the cooperation of social partners in the process of decision making and implementation of national qualification structure.
Chance B is an NGO, established by parents of children with disabilities and teachers in special education whose aim is to prevent the institutionalization of the children and their marginalization in the education process. Their goal is »a life, like everybody else«, which forms their methodological concept »you only can learn to live like everybody else if you live like everybody else«.
Büro für Integrationprojekte (BIP) is an enterprise dealing with the integration of persons with disabilities. Their approach is based on the concept that the apprenticeship (part of the educational system) should be adapted to the abilities of an individual.
The European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) is European organization with 8000 member organizations Europe wide. Its role is to promote equal opportunities for persons with disabilities and they thus support a quality system of services in Europe.
Donegal Cheese is an organization dealing with persons marginalized in the society and groups disadvantaged in the labour market. Innovative employment programmes in a rural enterprise are prepared for persons with mental health problems.
Szimbiozis Alapitvany is a foundation dealing with training and social programmes for persons with disabilities, especially those with autism. The foundation developed training programmes in the field of organic farming and basket making. Currently, a programme for goat breeding and goat cheese making is being developed.
Table 1: Characteristics of partner organisations
Partner / Characteristics / CountryP1 / VDC Polž / public social care institution for the employment of persons with disabilities / Slovenia
P2 / CPI / national organization in the field of vocational education
P3 / Chance B / NGO in the field of care, training and (re-)integration in the (open) labour market for persons with disabilities / Austria
P4 / BIP / consultant company in the field of integration of persons with disabilities
P5 / EASPD / European organisation, connecting service providers for persons with disabilities / Belgium
P6 / Donegal Cheese / government organisation dealing with training persons disadvantaged in the labour market, mostly persons with mental health problems / Ireland
P7 / Szimbiozis Alapitvany / private foundation, implementing trainings and social programmes for persons with disabilities, mostly for autistic persons / Hungary
2. Methodology
The basis for the joint analysis is a questionnaire with the title National strategy that defines the system of recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning, its draft was formulated by CPI (Slovene National Institute of Vocational Education and Training). For project purposes, another questionnaire was developed, entitled: Occupations and training programmes. The results of the 2nd questionnaire served as a basis for the preparation of new training programmes for new vocational qualifications and these results are not included in the joint analysis so far.
Both questionnaires were prepared in February 2007, after a joint international coordination with all project partners; its structure and content was defined and accepted by the end of the month. Later on, partners started by gathering the relevant data.
The data collection took more time then envisaged (March); most of the partners provided the completed questionnaire on time, however due to various difficulties, the time for handing in the questionnaires was left open until the middle of the summer. That is why data gathering finished at the end of July 2007, when the last questionnaire was delivered. Partners were preparing the answers for five months.
In order to ensure a better coherence of the content of joint analysis on recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning in each country, we also used desk research of EU and national documents.
2.1. Structure of the questionnaire and the answers
Questionnaire 1, treated in the present analysis, comprised of 25 questions, which are structured in 3 chapters:
I / National strategies and legislative frame in the field of recognition and validation of knowledge, acquired by non-formal and informal learning (questions 1-13);
II / National strategies in the field of education and training of persons with disabilities; frame of 11 questions (14-24) was oriented towards education systems and trainings for persons disadvantaged in the labour market due to disability or qualification barriers;
III / Comparable vocational qualifications in practice (last question 25).
Questions in the 1st chapter were explicitly linked to the process of recognition of informal and non-formal learning. Regarding the fact that all partner countries do not have a formal certification system or their recognition process is established in another way, it was essential to review the platform of the countries in the field of their qualification system. In addition, it was important to include a conceptual frame, even though the frame can be read in many European documents[1].
Considering that partners could not provide concrete answers to all detailed questions due to differences in their state’s systems, we linked answers into content topics, as presented in table 2. Topics are treated in a similar sequence throughout the analysis structure.
Table 2: Topic sets of the answers and added topics
question no. / question summary / content topic / added topics / chapter1. / national strategies / 3.national strategies and formal frame of the REVANIL process / 1. Conceptual frame
2. / legislation / 3.1. Slovenia
3.2. Austria
3.3. Belgium / 2. Characteristics of vocational
education per country / I. Platform of the
qualification systems and the REVANIL process
3. / aims and principles in the legislation / 3.4. Ireland
3.5. Hungary
4. / stakeholders in the process / 4.1. stakeholders in
the process
(table) / 4. Role and characteristics of the process in acquiring VQs
5. / process description / K3. presentation of the REVANIL process
6. / target group of the process / 4.2. target groups
7. / age and other limitations / 4.3. conditions for the acceptance and age limitations
8. / acceptance/entrance conditions
9. / who is the main financer
10. / who else is the financer / 4.4. financing the process
11. / who ensures the funds
12. / what is the cost
13. / what is the main aim (to circle) / 4.5. aims of the process / 4.6. interaction of the REVANIL process in the qualification system
14. / national strategies in education and training for persons with disabilities / 2. national strategies and legislation frame
2.1. Slovenia
2.2. Austria
2.3. Belgium / 1. project target
groups / II. Education and training of persons with disabilities and of persons disadvantaged in the labour market
15. / legislation / 2.4. Ireland
2.5. Hungary
16. / stakeholders in the process / 3. stakeholders (table)
17. / who is the main financer / 4. financing
the system
18. / legislation, regulating the recognition of knowledge and skills for these persons / 5. REVANIL process for
persons with disabilities
19. / who ensures the funds / 5.1. financing
the process
20. / what is the cost for the participant
21. / how is the recognition system adapted to the persons with disabilities
22. / how many training centres exist, where are they located, for which target groups / 6. training
centres
23. / how do training programmes satisfy the needs of these persons / 7. satisfying the needs in
training programmes
24. / roles of institutions; innovative policies/employment programmes/employability / 8. innovative employment
policies
25. / comparable vocational qualifications / vocational qualifications / Slovenia: content of 7 qualifications, appendix
Austria: content of 3 programmes
Ireland: programme or module transfer
Hungary: organic farmer
Belgium: transfer of approaches / III. Comparable vocational qualifications
I. Platform of the qualification systems and the REVANIL process