EU cooperation

The Swedish National Agency for Education participates in a number of EU initiatives related to vocational education and training. These are geared to supporting mobility and lifelong learning, increasing transparency of different countries' education systems as well as increasing the quality of VET in Europe.

Cedefop

The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) is a reference centre that supports and helps further develop VET in EU member states. You can find the latest information on a range of VET-related issues throughout the EU at Cedefop's website.

ENQA-VET

The European Network on Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training (ENQA-VET) was established by the European Commission in 2006.

ENQA-VET is part of the process of Promotion of Enhanced European Cooperation in VET, involving the participation of Member States, the Commission, candidate countries, EFTA-EEA countries and Social Partners. Cedefop provides technical and scientific support to this process and the ETF liaises with candidate countries.

The Network's activities support the goals set by the Barcelona European Council in 2002 to make Europe's education and training systems a world quality reference by 2010.

New Board elected with Swedish representation

The 25 participating countries in ENQA-VET elected a new Board in November 2007 comprised of the following national representatives:

Jürgen Horschinegg of the Ministry for Education, Science and Culture in Austria (Chair); Giorgio Alluli of ISFOL in Italy; Jenny Burnette of the Quality Improvement Agency in the UK; Leena Koski of the Finnish National board of Education; Shawn Mendes of the Swedish National Agency for Education; and Katalin Molnar-Stadler of the National Institute of Vocational Education in Hungary. Janja Meglic of the European Association of Craft Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (UEAPME) and Hermann Nehls of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) represent the Social Partners.

In addition, the member state assuming the current EU Presidency, the European Training Foundation (ETF) and the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) are associated with the Board.

The Commission official in charge of the ENQA-VET dossier is João Delgado, Head of the Professional Training and "Leonardo" Unit at the Directorate-General for Education and Culture. The Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) in Ireland hosts ENQA-VET's four-person secretariat.

ReferNet

ReferNet (the European Network of Reference and Expertise) is a structured, decentralised system of information collection and dissemination. It provides quality information on a wide range of developments in vocational education and training in the European Union by bringing together the expertise of key organisations.

ReferNet was established by Cedefop to meet the growing demand for information that makes comparisons possible between Member States, on their developments and policies. Consequently, ReferNet helps Cedefop carry out its task to compile documentation on the current state of VET, the latest developments and research in the relevant fields, and to matters of vocational training structures.

ReferNet Sweden

For further information on European cooperation - see "Work abroad".

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