Skip to main content
European Vocational Skills Week
News announcement20 November 2017Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

Finding common ground to recognise skills

netherlands.jpg

Comparing and understanding VET skills from different countries can be challenging. The PILE UP project aimed to ease this process for employers and employees alike.
Technology is constantly evolving and in the chemical industry, this has led to a shortage of qualified people. A lot of companies are looking to other countries to fill these gaps, but each European country has its own VET systems, qualifications and approaches. It can be difficult for employers to gauge what skills are needed and to equate this with the skills potential employees already have.
The Process Industry Learning Unit Project (PILE UP) was an Erasmus+ project that aimed to improve this situation. Led by an educational institution in the Netherlands, the project developed and introduced common European units of learning outcomes for the chemical industry. These units were based on the European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET), which aims to help validate and recognise vocational skills and experience gained in different countries, as well as boost cross-border mobility.
PILE UP ran for two years and brought a range of benefits to employers and employees alike. Employers could assess the skills of potential employees across Europe on an equal footing and consequently fill the vacant positions at their companies. Potential employees could upgrade their skills to match employer requirements and increase their chances of securing a job in a new country.
Want to find out more? Check out the links below:
About the project
Erasmus+ Project Results Platform (VET)
ECVET

Details

Involvements
Professional organisation or social partner