In English
On 1 July 2009 the Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education was established to develop and oversee a new form of publicly funded vocational education at post upper secondary level.
Higher Vocational Education Courses, HVECs, cover a wide range of vocational areas, but they have one goal in common, namely the provision of advanced vocational education, tailored to the needs of the labour market. In HVECs a modern approach is taken where theoretical learning is integrated and blended with vocational practice at the workplace.
HVECs are needed as they are intended to serve the needs of job seekers and industries where competence and labour are in demand. For this reason companies and the business sector partner in the design and construction right from the very start. Content is jointly determined. Course instructors and mentors have accumulated knowledge and expertise gained from many years of working in their respective areas. HVECS provide opportunities to gain firsthand experience and contacts in working life. Blending allows participants to get an insight into their chosen professions early in their training. And working life is also able to become familiar with the competence and skills of their potential co-workers of the future.
HVECs last for at least six months and participant progress and outcomes are assessed and recognised by a certificate/diploma that validates their skills for employment.
The role of the Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education is to set up a common framework agreed on and followed by vocational education and training providers. Content is based on the knowledge and experience of what is needed in working life.
As the Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education is responsible for all publicly funded courses in vocational higher education throughout the country, the principal missions of the Agency are to:
- determine what courses are to be provided
- make decisions on public funding to be allocated to education providers
- assess and audit quality and outcomes of courses
- analyse and assess needs for skilled competence and the development of the labour market
- coordinate and support a national framework for validation
- serve as the national coordinator for EQF –the European Qualifications Framework in Lifelong Learning
For more information on the Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education please call +46 (0)10 20 90 100 or email info@yhmyndigheten.se
You can read more about swedish education at www.sweden.se