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TRECVET Core Curriculum for Skippers of Small Comm..
TRECVET Core Curriculum for Skippers of Small Commercial Vessels
Start date: Sep 1, 2014,
End date: Aug 31, 2016
PROJECT
FINISHED
Currently, professional qualifications of individual Member States within the SCV (Small Commercial Vessel) sector are not mutually accepted between Member States.
Skippers who hold for example a commercial UK Yachtmaster qualification can only work on vessels with British flag, the same is the case for skippers with the equivalent Spanish or German qualifications: they can only work on vessels flagged by the country corresponding to their qualification.
In boating hot spots like the western Mediterranean, where boats from many different European countries are based, this has severe effects on the work flexibility and mobility of skippers who are even restricted from driving identical vessels due to the different country flag. This situation effects charter boat skippers, marine service staff who move boats professionally in or between ports, delivery skippers and dive boat skippers who ferry their customers to and from diving spots.
With the objective of finding a solution to this problem the project "TRECVET Core Curriculum for Skippers of Small Commercial Vessels" (in short TCC-SCV ) will analyse six professional SCV skipper qualifications from UK, France, Spain, Germany, Slovenia and Croatia by breaking them into their smallest parts called Fundamental Elements and thereby offering objective comparability.
To achieve this, the TCC-SCV project will develop two innovative tools:
1). The multiFex FE Extractor (known simply as the multiFex) will be an online software tool designed to provide a simple and standardised method of extracting content elements from qualification documentation, and
2). The online Comparison Tool: This tool will have the software capability to interrogate the data collected by the multiFex and present the data for objective comparison between selected qualifications to decision making authorities.
The data will then also be used for the creation of the TCC (TRECVET Core Curriculum). The TCC will be a base line curriculum common to all six countries and it is envisaged to be the base line curriculum for all EU Member State's SCV qualifications.
Furthermore, using the TRECVET Core Curriculum plus 'Bolt-On' modules, the project will design two new SCV qualifications for the Czech Republic and Romanian Authorities as neither of these two country's currently have an SCV qualification within their maritime qualification system.
The project gathers ten partners from nine EU countries who have been selected for their expertise in maritime qualifications and their knowledge of the qualifications in the Small Commercial Vessel sector. The partners were chosen for their operational diversity to ensure different viewpoints and strengths and for their position within the SCV sector. The consortium is therefore comprised of one European association, four National associations, two maritime universities and three sea schools operating in the SCV sector.
The projects results will enable authorities to use the Comparison Tool and its database to analyse their own and other countries qualifications and with the support from the DG Mare come together to discuss options of implementation of a European Core Curriculum for the Small Commercial Vessel sector.
The TRECVET Core Curriculum plus 'Bolt-On' modules is an approach that suggests a pathway that is expected to be easier to implement by National Authorities than mutual recognition of qualifications. It thereby offers a realistic option to implement the aims of the Copenhagen Declaration “... to promote mutual trust, transparency and recognition of competences and qualifications..." and " ...enabling flexible access to training and qualifications..".
On a national level the desired impact of the project is that the national authorities of the participating countries Romania and Czech Republic will use the projects tools to design and implement their new SCV qualifications and for other EU countries who do not have a SCV qualification yet, to follow this example.
Furthermore the project aims to create more jobs and work opportunities for the industry by overcoming hurdles and restrictions and providing mobility and opportunities for workers and learners in the sector of professional skippering of Small Commercial Vessels. The impact of this will be expanded beyond the direct effect on the Small Commercial vessel sector, as this sector also is an entry point for the growing Superyacht industry and for merchant seafarers who are in need of qualified staff.
Finally, the partners have the vision that the projects results have the ability to be system tools fully compatible with the implementation of ECVET, as they provide transparency and comparability of qualifications and thereby the foundation for trust between decision making bodies, which is often lacking and hindering ECVET implementation.