IER is part of a consortium led by University of Bremen undertaking a project funded under the EU’s Leonardo da Vinci programme. IER will contribute to work packages aimed at establishing an operational framework to develop tests on the European credit system for vocational education and training, focusing on the sector related qualifications required to work in the European Aeronautic and Space Industry.

The AEROVET project builds on the outcomes of the AERONET pilot project which looked at qualifications and work tasks in four partner countries in the aeronautic sector. As part of the pilot project, an inventory of ‘typical professional tasks’ common to the work of all aircraft construction professional across Europe was identified. Combining the work processes in different plants, the project partners found a set of very clear ‘work steps’ which are repeated in workplaces in almost all plants.

The aim of AEROVET project is to develop units of learning outcomes based on an inventory of Typical Professional Tasks (TPTs) to cover the profession of aircraft maintenance staff too. Qualifications in the aeronautics sector are characterised by:

• The existence of European standards regarding qualifications of certain professions in this industry (namely regarding maintenance);

• The fact that aeronautic products for a single airplane are produced in different countries across Europe and have to meet the same quality criteria;

• Constant changes of work processes and materials used.

As such, this high-tech professional sector requires the establishment of a common language and strong transnational cooperation in order to ensure the quality of the final product.

The project outcomes will be tested during three-month transnational exchanges of trainees within Airbus. Whilst exchanges currently exist, the learning outcomes of participating students will be recognised as part of the AEROVET project. Given that some qualifications are awarded by higher education institutions using ECTS, the relationship between ECVET and ECTS will also be explored by analysing the permeability of different programmes.

The following site was used for development purposes during the lifetime of the project Aerovet Project website but the project results can be more easily accessed from the following AEROVET pages on this website.

Funder: EU

Project duration: March 2009 - February 2012

 

Principal Investigator:
alan dot brown at warwick dot ac dot uk