EU Reference Group of Agencies discuss future cooperation and ways of working

As part of the 11th Annual Meeting of EU Reference Group of Agencies of the DFHERIS, attendees were invited to provide feedback as to how the EU Reference Group Meetings are currently run and present ideas on future topics or directions for the group.  

Much of the feedback was supportive of the Reference Group as a useful information source but there was a consensus that there could be more emphasis on collaboration and active participation. While updates from all agencies were useful, options for more targeted updates or updates in other formats prior to in person meetings were explored. Ideas around World Café formats or webinars were presented as methods for providing updates on work in a more regular and/or interactive way.  

There were suggestions for thematic groupings for future Reference Group Meetings where specific projects or topics could be discussed. It was suggested that a focus on ESCO could be a useful focus as this is a wide-ranging project that cuts across many agencies and could be a good collaborative project for agencies involved in the Reference Group.  

Mobility was another key theme which emerged as a key area of work for many agencies working in both the HE and FE space in terms of implementing and supporting mobility.  

The need for a clearer communications plan from the group was also discussed as it is important that the work, tools, and projects to which Reference Group members contribute need to filter down to teaching staff and in turn to learners. In the longer-term encouraging input from the learner voice could be incredibly useful to highlight the impact of specific projects.  

Consolidation of groups across thematic areas with offshoot steering groups was proposed to determine strategic direction across certain thematic areas which could then report into a broader interagency group. 

QQI’s Qualifications Information and Learner Opportunities team welcome feedback on key themes and emerging areas via info@europass.ie