The first meeting with the Ad Hoc Trainers Advisory Group to the Certification and Accreditation Working Group (CAWG) took place on 6th November in Malta. This Advisory Group is formed by trainers in the certified modules, subject to nomination from the EASO Training NCP. Trainers who have trained in the certified modules from Germany and Greece took part in the first Ad Hoc Trainer’s Advisory Group meeting. The purpose of this group is to advise the Certification and Accreditation Working Group on how to effectively carry out their tasks related to quality assurance processes associated with the assessment of learning outcomes. The trainers contribute with their experience as trainers in the certified modules and they make suggestions to find solutions acceptable to both EASO and to the trainers’ collective as a whole.
The first meeting for the Ad Hoc Trainer’s Advisory Group was marked by a fruitful discussion and clear recommendations for adjustments to the certified sessions to be suggested to the CAWG.
The 11th Certification and Accreditation Working Group meeting took place in Malta on 7th - 8th November. The CAWG is represented by 15 EU+ States out of which 12 were present - Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Sweden.
During the first day of the meeting, Frontex delivered a presentation on Building the Sectoral Qualification for Border Guarding covering both best practices and lessons learned. An external expert was invited to guide a plenary working session on the identification of knowledge, skills and autonomy/responsibility necessary to perform tasks as an asylum and reception official in order to establish occupational standards for asylum and reception officials. This process will continue over the coming months in order to develop a European Sectoral Qualification Framework for Asylum and Reception Officials.
The second meeting day was dedicated to a structured brainstorming exercise on a potential ‘EASO Mobility Programme for Certified Asylum Officials’, with the purpose of bringing the results to Member States for comments, development and alignment. The quality assurance in the certified sessions was the final topic on the agenda and included the presentation of the conclusions and recommendations from the Ad Hoc Trainers Advisory Group which was followed by discussions in the group aimed at creating consensus on the solutions.
The next meeting of the Certification and Accreditation Working Group will take place on 16-17 January 2019, subsequent to the second meeting for the Ad Hoc Trainers Advisory Group, held on the 15th January. The CAWG will continue to work on the development of a Sectoral Qualification for asylum officials and Quality Assurance in certified sessions during the three meetings foreseen for 2019.