ENE - The Network of Excellence Conference
There is power in partnership, which is why last year the European Training Foundation (ETF) launched its Network for Excellence, bringing together an international network for Vocational Centres of Excellence (CoVEs) in the EU neighbourhood.
The network, unique in the world of vocational education and training, has 144 CoVEs registered in eight EU countries, 15 partner countries and six countries in Africa.
To maintain momentum and help foster the approaches, techniques and tools that CoVEs need to maintain the highest standards of state-of-the-art skills training, the ETF is hosting a two-day online conference March 11-12, "Centres of Excellence as engines for vocational education and training development." Streamed from the ETF's headquarters in Turin, Italy, it will be open to members from across the network.
Organisers say the event "aims at continuing dialogue among centres of excellence from ETF partner countries and the EU" and "will be organised on two half days to allow for interactivity amongst participants to foster discussion and peer learning and facilitate networking."
On the morning of Thursday, March 11, results from 2020 will be in focus, looking at how CoVEs and partners worked together to use partnerships to add value to fields such as work based learning, autonomy and public-private partnerships. There will also be a review of the self-assessment conducted by members and the ETF as a baseline for the network.
Friday, March 12, will look at priorities for 2021, including "discussing new areas of partnership, learning, knowledge creation and sharing, and the modalities of networking and knowledge exchange to be implemented in the scenario of prolonged travel restrictions."
Highlights from the event, which will be in English with simultaneous translation in French and Russian, include:
- A keynote address by Joao Santos, DG Employment, EU Support Services and Erasmus+, EU Commission, on the Future of Skills and Excellence
- Contributions from network members in countries that include Serbia, Spain, Latvia and Kazakhstan on subjects such as development towards excellence; the role of CoVEs in work based learning; and cooperation in digitalisation
- Panel discussions on smart specialisation, how to network and develop, and the role of international networks and platforms.
If you are interested in joining the network, follow our Facbook LIVE on the topic on March 10 at 4 pm (CET)
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