Developing Synergies #1

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The original idea of the ECCOE project sprang from the recognition of the excellence of several high-quality EU projects that were already working in the field of open learning validation, and skills- and competence-based higher education provision. MicroHE, OEPass, e-SLP, eLene4Life, Open Virtual Mobility and ReOPEN had overlapping interests and complementary objectives, duly acknowledged by these initiatives’ representatives. The (then prospective) ECCOE partners also appreciated the great potential that collaboration between these initiatives could fulfil during and beyond their contractual lifetimes.

Consequently, all those ambitions that could have only been achieved beyond the time-frames of the individual projects were listed in order to establish the groundwork for ECCOE. Just to highlight a few examples:

  • Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

    Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

    OEPass, in the process of developing its user-friendly Learning Passport, identified the necessity of using various controlled vocabularies to facilitate objective credential recognition. ECCOE will continue researching existing standards to incorporate them into the ECCOE data model and implement their use in the ECCOE-System.

  • The ReOPEN project directly developed validated non-formal open learning practices allowing for transparent recognition of skills, qualifications and competences by education providers and employer organisations, to facilitate learning, recognition and employability.
  • eLene4Life has collected a wide range of teaching and training activities and methods which develop soft skills needed on the labour market. ECCOE will be able to test its credentials description on these resources.
  • e-SLP is developing institutional policies, strategies and frameworks for the provision and delivery of flexible and scalable short learning programmes in Europe, keeping pace with the size and diversity of needs of employers and employees and as an opportunity for learners to fit study programmes to their time horizon.

The list of interesting and relevant initiatives has not stopped growing since the submission, and subsequent selection, of the ECCOE project application. Since we announced the start of our work publicly, we continue to discover new potential synergies and also keep receiving new enquiries for collaboration. This includes an invitation for collaboration with HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht and UniCollaboration. We make sure to find time to consult with our sister initiatives’ representatives and we are already planning to create an area on the project website to display these valuable contacts. Stay tuned for future developments.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay