On June 29, ANQA conducted the first mock visit to the Yerevan Regional State College No. 1 as part of the Erasmus+ QA4VET project.
Prior to the mock visit, the expert panel studied the institution’s self-evaluation, which shaped the key areas of discussion. As part of the visit, meetings were held with the institution's management staff, AP managers, teachers, students, employers and QA managers.
Mock visits within the QA4VET project aim not only to review the institution, but to jointly evaluate the extent to which the institution's SWOT analysis reflects its actual state and to generate new insights and development opportunities through the meetings with stakeholders. To this end, the visits are advisory in nature and aimed at continuous enhancement.
As part of the QA4VET project, experts selected by VET institutions become involved in their enhancement process, enabling them to subsequently conduct independent internal evaluations, identify enhancement areas and support institutions.
During the meetings, the expert panel's key observations were specified, highlighting the institution's strengths and providing a set of advisory recommendations. In particular, the experts noted that the institution ensures the necessary conditions and resources for students' effective learning and professional development. The experts positively evaluated the active employer engagement and their willingness to continue supporting the institution in the organisation of internships, development of students' professional skills and expansion of cooperation.
The expert panel also addressed opportunities for further development of the QA system. It was mentioned that the quality assurance centre carries out significant activities. However, emphasis was placed on the collaborative mechanisms to ensure continuous and systematic interaction between units. The importance of data-driven decision-making was also highlighted, particularly in relation to the need for systematic data collection and analysis and the AP development based on the findings.
The process coming after the mock visit is the preparation of the expert panel report, analysing the institution's activities against institutional accreditation criteria. The expert panel will identify enhancement areas and provide relevant recommendations, based on which the institution will prepare a follow-up plan with a clear schedule.
The mock visits within the project will be ongoing. The resulting considerations and advisory recommendations are intended to foster a quality assurance culture in VET institutions, strengthen internal evaluation mechanisms and establish continuous enhancement processes.