Keeping up to date: Refer

Keeping up to date: Refer

The need to increase the speed and efficiency with which information on vocational education and training is shared has led to the formation of the European network of reference and expertise (Refer).

A decentralized network of information collection and dissemination, it comprises a national consortium in each EU member state, plus Iceland and Norway. Each consortium is led by a national co-ordinator, responsible for constructing the consortium and ensuring the network's tasks are performed satisfactorily.

The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) has collected and disseminated information on vocational education and training throughout its 25-year history, but today's need to be abreast of change has required a new approach to the process. The challenge was set out in detail at the Refer launch meeting. It is to speed up the flow of knowledge and opinion on vocational education and training to ensure that Europe is well informed and that the training provided is of the highest quality.

The network will benefit policymakers, researchers and practitioners. But a spokesman continued: "`Ultimately the main beneficiaries should be the people of Europe, those who face the demands for continually evolving skills and work patterns to maintain their employability in a rapidly-changing world."

Refer will be a knowledge resource. The information collected will be made available through the European Training Village (ETV) (http://www.trainingvillage.gr), an interactive Web information resource, managed by Cedefop, as well as through its publishing and information programmes.

Members of Refer have been recruited on the basis of their expertise in vocational education and training, and their ability to co-ordinate others within their own countries. National co-ordinators include the VDAB in Belgium,Cirius in Denmark, the National Board of Education in Finland, ISFOL in Italy and INEM in Spain.