Training of trainers for further development and use of Qualifications Standards and Occupational Standards in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Having in mind that experts as trainers from all relevant stakeholders in the BiH are crucial for the development and sustainable implementation of the QF-BiH. Joint Project of the European Union and the Council of Europe "Strategic Development of Higher Education and Qualification Standards" organized a training of trainers for further development and use of Qualifications Standards and Occupational Standards in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This is particularly important for the development of qualifications standards and occupational standards and their effective use for the design and validation of study programmes. The most significant reform and modernisation of higher education has to take place at university level where academic autonomy and the responsibility for the design of the curriculum and its quality assurance takes place. Such changes require a cadre of highly trained local experts to lead the required staff development exercises in BiH higher education institutions.

The 'BiH Training Module' and the accompanying detailed 'Qualifications and Occupational Standards Training Workshop Agenda' were developed and piloted 20-24th April 2015 where twenty-one BiH future trainers undertook the full-time training held over five days at Jahorina. Those trained were carefully selected in accordance with the Action Plan for the Development and Implementation of the Qualifications Framework in BiH for the period 2014-2020. All those trained had to pass a rigorous series of tasks and assessments including practical presentations (see a detailed Assessments 1 and 2 below).

The training was intimately linked and supported by the contents of the Training Manual.  The training included all the main aspects of higher education reform with a particular focus on the development and practical application of qualifications standards and occupational standards in BiH. In addition, it covered the: modernisation context in BiH; outcomes of the Yerevan EHEA Ministerial Conference; updated 2015 'Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the EHEA'; updated 2015 'ECTS Users' Guide'; curriculum development and learning outcomes. etc. A crucial aspect of the training was the provision to all those being trained of a hard copy compendium of eighteen key documents.

The key purpose of the training was the capacity building of future BiH trainers who can then pass on their skills and abilities to train other staff and thus lay the basis of a BiH-wide capacity building initiative that will firmly embed qualification and occupational Standards.

The Manual, together with the Training Module and Training Workshop Agenda, is designed to support the ongoing modernisation of higher education in BiH. They are intended to be used as valuable resources that can be adapted to support a variety of training activities associated with the Action Plan for the Development and Implementation of the Qualifications Framework in BiH for the period 2014-2020.

List of trainers

All the relevant documents and materials as an important set of reference materials that trainers and future trainees will need:

• Training agenda
• Traning module
• Manual for development and use of qualifications and occupational standards in BiH
• The Bologna Follow-up group (BFUG) endorsed new (2015) ECTS Users' Guide
• Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area
• Curriculum Development Good Practice Guide
• Action Plan BIH QF
• Roadmap for development of occupational standards 2012
• Handbook development of occupational standards 2012
• BiH Impact assessment of Vocational and Training Reform
• Example of occupational standard for agriculture subject field
• Example of qualification standard for agriculture subject field
• Example of qualification standard for engineering subject field
• Example of occupational standard for ICT subject field
• Example of qualification standard for ICT subject field
• Example of qualification standard for economy subject field
• Example of qualification standard for teacher education subject field
• The BiH Baseline Qualifications Framework
• Workshop assessment (+ possible answer points)
• Workshop assessment (Summative)