For the purpose of institutional accreditation, site visits to the Medical College after Mehrabyan and the College of Northern University will soon be conducted. On March 6, ANQA held a meeting with the participation of ANQA’s director, head of the Institutional and Programme Accreditation Division, as well as expert panels and coordinators of the two VET institutions.
The meeting addressed the main issues and hypotheses arising from the preliminary visit, including the peculiarities of the site visit.
The key topics:
- The discussions focused on the extent to which the VET institutions’ student assignments and assessment criteria incorporate a research component. It was emphasised that the VET institutions’ alumni should be skilled in data collection, analysis and informed decision-making.
- It was noted that employers are one step ahead of VET institutions, particularly in technology, highlighting the need for experts to provide recommendations to help close this gap. The VET institutions should aim to prepare specialists who meet international standards and employer requirements.
The amendments to the Statute on State Accreditation were also highlighted. It was underscored that the expert panel reports should contain all the relevant information to support data-driven and objective decision-making by the Accreditation Committee.
During the meeting, reference was made to the program “Developing Innovative Teaching Capacities in VET”, which is implemented by ANQA with the support of the Hovnanian Family Foundation. Through questions and discussions, the needs of stakeholders in the areas of research, digital skills development, and modernization of VET curricula were identified.
It should be noted that the program aims to develop the practical research skills and digital competencies of VET lecturers so that they can independently review and update educational programs and course descriptions, aligning them with labor market requirements and the National Qualifications Framework.