As part of its regular activities, and supported through the Erasmus+ project European Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training: National Reference Point (EQAVET NRP) for 2017-2019, the Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education has held eight regional teacher-training events for VET teachers and principals whose schools are currently undergoing self-assessment processes. Training events are held with purpose of supporting VET schools and Quality Committees in the implementation of the self-assessment process.

This activity is a continuation of new cycle of professional training and continuous support for VET schools in the process of self-assessment. 

The teacher-training events were held from May to July 2017 in the cities of Zagreb (May 25, June 12, July 7), Osijek (May 30), Zadar (June 1), Rijeka (June 5), Slavonski Brod (June 8) and Split (June 28). They were intended for members of Quality Committees, with the purpose of supporting VET schools in the process of quality assurance and undertaking the process of self-assessment. The teacher-training events involved principals of VET schools, members of school quality committees, as well as coordinators for quality and self-assessment. There were around 250 participants from around 140 VET schools.

As National Reference Point, AVETAE has announced and received a new Erasmus + project "Supporting National Reference Points for European Quality Assurance for Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET NRP)" for 2017-2019. Continuing on the previously completed Erasmus + project, the main objective of new project is continuous improvement of the quality assurance system in VET at the national level, which also includes teacher training events for VET schools from May to July 2017.

Within this cycle of teacher-training events and self-assessment workshops, VET schools were presented with topics related to the establishment of the culture of quality in VET system. The participants were presented with a European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET Framework), the EQAVET Recommendation, EQAVET criteria and quality indicators, as well as the recommended activities which should be undertaken by providers of VET when establishing quality assurance.

The results of the analysis of the Croatian Quality Assurance Model and Self-Assessment Process implemented by VET schools, conducted under the Erasmus + project EQAVET NRP in 2016-2017 were also presented. In this part of the workshop, participants presented their experiences in the process of self-evaluation implementation process and use of the Self-Assesment Manual and e-Kvaliteta online tool. An especially important segment was comparation of individual experiences of self-evaluation process in vocational schools.  Valuable experiences were presented by participants from Vrapče Nursing School Vrapče, Požega Crafts School, Split Medical School, Čakovec Technical School, School Matija Antun Reljković from Slavonski Brod, Bakar Maritime School, Dubrovnik Economics and Trade School and Varaždin School for Transport and Traffic Engineering. Participants rated teacher-trainings as very successful, especially the part related to good practice examples and experience exchange. The teacher-training events were also used as an opportunity for discussing the advantages and recommendations to improve the national framework of quality assurance and self-assessment as tools for quality assurance within the Croatian VET system, as well as the role of the Agency in providing support to schools in the implementation of this process.

Posters of the Quality Cycle and Brochures Ensuring Quality of Work-Based Learning and Creating Quality Assurance Approaches in accordance with the EQAVET Framework were distributed among participants. These publications were developed (translated and customized and printed) under the Erasmus + project “European Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training: National Reference Point (EQAVET NRP)” for 2016-2017 for schools with the purpose of further development of self-assessment process and internal quality assurance. 

These events marked the completion of the cycle of 12 regional teacher-training workshops on self-assessment in VET schools organized with the aim of supporting schools in the process of self-assesment and quality assurance.