The Small Enterprise Institute of the Hellenic Confederation of Professionals - Craftsmen & Merchants (IME GSEVEE), as a Partner of the Erasmus+ project: “QA HiVETnet “Promoting and Implementing European Principles of Quality Assurance for Qualifications on EQF-Levels 5 to 7”, organized a Transnational Multiplier Event in the premises of Cedefop in Thessaloniki on Friday morning 9/12/2016.

The primary aim of this Multiplier Event was to inform about the project and the consultation of the draft version of the project’s main Intellectual Output titled: “European Guidelines on Quality Assurance in Higher VET (levels 5-7 of the European Qualification Framework”.

The event was attended among others by the Secretary General Lifelong Learning and Youth Mr Pafsanias Papageorgiou, the A’ Vice President of GSEVEE Mr Variamis Dimitris, the Cedefop Public Relations & Events Expert Mrs  Corinna Frey, the expert of Cedefop Mrs Anastasia Pouliou, Prof. Stamatis Dimosthenis, Member of the Hellenic Organisation for the Certification of Qualifications and Vocational Guidance (EOPPEP) Council, Prof. Tsaklis Panagiotis, Member of the Hellenic Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency (HQA) Council, and the President of Thessaloniki Federation of Craft Associations Mr Papargyris Ioannis, and by many representatives of the business world, academia community and municipalities.

The event was also honored by the presence of 6-members delegation from Istanbul Union of Trade & Craft Chambers (ISTESOB) led by President Mr. Faik Yilmaz.

The main conclusion of the event is that the quality improvement & assurance in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) is a key strategic objective of the relevant European policies, since it is the only vehicle to increase recognisability of VET, and especially of the Higher VET.

But, too many things have to be done at national and European level to achieve this objective, which have been delayed, and for this reason the specification and implementation of quality assurance principles in VET, should be accelerated, with special focus on level 5 of the European Qualifications Framework.