European MOOCs for the Labour Market; Microcredentials for continuing education EODLW 2020

Friday, 6 November 2020, 13:00 CEST

EODLW webinar

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Description

According to recent sources, many European countries are not going to reach attainment targets set for either higher education completion or for lifelong learning. That’s a worry when you consider that 40% of European employers face problems with recruiting employees with the right qualifications.
So even though the workforce is in real need of continuous learning opportunities – the current education and training offer is structurally not enough. 
The EMC-LM project is addressing this specific challenge by combining the world of education and training (universities, MOOC platforms) and the world of work (Public Employment Services, companies, sectoral organisations). 
 
To achieve the objectives outlined above we involve individual learners and learners who are collectively served by public employment services, universities or companies, MOOC platforms and  higher education institutions.  
Next we address employment services, companies, social partners and decision makers at different levels (EU, national) to ensure coherent policies in the use of MOOCs in different countries.
 
In concerted actions and dialogue we strengthen the relevance and connection of MOOC-based offerings and short learning programmes for the labour market. The project has a direct relation with online continuous education policies aiming at scalable, high quality and efficient provisions for continuous education/continuous professional development in European countries, which will be illustrated. Essential element in supporting continuing education is the development of microcredentials. In relation to this the European MOOC Consortium (EMC) developed the Common Microcredential Framework (CMF).
 
The CMF aims to encourage the development of qualifications that will better meet the needs of modern learners anywhere in the world. The framework helps you gain knowledge and skills at a higher education level in smaller units, delivered in a way that fits around your lifestyle and tailored to meet your interests and needs. It also allows for learning to be recognised towards formal qualifications in a seamless way. The Common Microcredential Framework (CMF) uses the European Qualification Framework (and other national qualification frameworks of recognised universities) to provide high-quality courses that award academic credit.
 
The CMF applies to MOOC programs and short learning programs online as well as to other short higher education programs for continuous education/continuous professional development. The university networks behind the EMC platforms support the Common Microcredential Framework.
 
 

Moderator:

Ebba Ossiannilsson
EDEN EC, EDEN SIG TEL QE, EDEN NAP, EDEN Council of Fellows, ICDE EC, ICDE OER Advocacy Committee, Chair, Swedish Association for Distance Education, Digital Job and Skills Coalition Sweden, Swedish Institute for Standards, ISO

Pr. Dr. Ebba Ossiannilsson, Sweden is a senior independent researcher, expert, advisor, consultant, quality reviewer, and influencer in the fields of open online flexible and distance learning. She is on the Executive Committee of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) and the European Distance and E-learning Network (EDEN). She is also the Chair of the ICDE OER Advocacy Committee. She works with ISO, especially on quality, but also on Futures Concepts. At national level Ossiannilsson is the Vice President of the Swedish Association for Distance Education (SADE) and Board member at the Swedish Organization for E-Competence (REK). She has worked with OER in different areas and perspectives at national and international projects and levels. Since 2000, she has worked at Lund University Sweden. She is a frequent consultant and quality reviewer at several prestigious national universities. Ossiannilsson earned her PhD at Oulu University, Finland in 2012. Ossiannilsson has 200+ publications in peer-reviewed journals and books, as well as technical reports. She is a member in the Swedish Standard Institute (SIS) and the Job and Skills Coalition Sweden. She is in the Editorial Board for several Journals, and in addition, she is Guest Editor for several Special Issues for a variety of Journals.

Panelists:

George Ubachs

 

 

Drs. G.L.A. Ubachs

George Ubachs is Managing Director of EADTU, the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities. EADTU is Europe’s institutional association of leading universities in online, open and flexible higher education, and is at the heart of the modernisation agenda of European universities. Growing from its eleven founding members in ten European nations, EADTU now has a membership of fifteen institutions and fourteen national associations across 25 nations. Its membership covers over 200 universities and around 3 million students.

George Ubachs  is responsible for the development and support of the EADTU network, policies and execution of its goals in online, open and flexible higher education.

He is coordinator of international academic cooperation networks on networked curricula, virtual mobility and on business models for lifelong learning. He is further coordinator of the European MOOC Consortium (EMC), representing the Common Microcredential Framework (CMF) and the E-xcellence movement on quality assurance in online, open and flexible education. In this position, EADTU is leading the ICDE-UNESCO focal point for QA in online education for Europe. With the EMPOWERing universities network, EADTU represents some 80 experts that cover 12 specific fields of expertise related to online, open and flexible education. As coordinator of these networks he is working closely with the EUA, ENQA, ESU, ICDE and Unesco.

Before joining EADTU in 2002, George Ubachs has been working on various European programmes in the public and private sector in the field of regional social economic developments and was coordinator of the European Network of E2C-Europe (Cities for Second Chance Schools). George Ubachs graduated at State University of Leiden and Erasmus University Rotterdam on Public Administration with specialization in European Integration.

Main links to EADTU and running programmes:


Catherine Mongenet
CEO of FUN-MOOC


Catherine Mongenet is professor in Computer Science. From 2009 to 2012, she has been vice-president of the University of Strasbourg in charge of the digital strategy. In May 2013, she was appointed Policy Officer at the French Ministry of Higher Education in charge of the project “France Université Numérique”. The aim of this national project is to support the French universities to develop online education and promote innovative teaching and learning methods using digital and online tools. She was responsible for the development of one major project is this agenda: the FUN MOOC platform, launched in October 2013 and dedicated to French and Francophone universities and their international academic partners. Since September 2015, she is the CEO of the public organization that has been created to carry on the FUN platform. The objectives of this organization are to manage the platform and its evolutions, to develop new partnerships and activities, especially in the context of life-long learning education and to increase its Francophone and international visibility.