Updated Handbook for Sustainable Quality in Vocational Education and Training

Over the past three years, within the framework of the EQAVET project, the National Reference Points (NRPs) from Slovenia, Croatia, Finland and Estonia have jointly developed Transnational Peer Review as a modern approach to quality assurance and quality improvement in Vocational Education and Training (VET). The collaboration was based on the exchange of good practices, the development of common quality criteria, self-evaluation instruments, and the implementation of transnational peer reviews at VET providers.

The experience gained through this cooperation confirms that transnational peer review strengthens a shared understanding of quality, promotes mutual learning among VET providers, and makes a significant contribution to the implementation of the European EQAVET Framework. In a period marked by the green and digital transitions, as well as rapid changes in the labour market, such developmental approaches are becoming increasingly important.

The key outcome of the three-year collaboration is the updated handbook, Transnational Peer Review Criteria for VET providers, which systematically integrates all three dimensions of sustainable development—environmental, social, and economic. The handbook provides VET providers with practical guidance on embedding sustainability into their quality assurance processes and supports the development of high-quality, resilient, and future-oriented educational institutions.

The updated handbook addresses a timely question: How can sustainability become an integral part of systematic quality improvement? It offers VET providers a practical framework for linking strategic development, self-evaluation, stakeholder engagement, and continuous quality improvement with the challenges of the green and digital transitions.

The updated handbook also introduces several important innovations in quality management. In addition to embedding sustainability across all quality areas, it places a stronger emphasis on evidence-based management, enabling VET providers to make more systematic use of data, trend analyses, and stakeholder feedback when planning improvements.

Another key innovation is the Impact Chain approach, which helps organisations better understand the relationships between planned measures, implemented activities, achieved outputs, and long-term outcomes. This approach encourages more strategic thinking about quality and supports organisations in recognising how their decisions affect learners, staff, partners, and the wider community.

The handbook also addresses digital transformation, the development of digital competences, the use of artificial intelligence, organisational resilience, and risk management—areas that are becoming increasingly important for ensuring high-quality and sustainable VET provision in the future.

The applicability of the revised quality criteria was tested through four transnational peer reviews conducted in Finland, Croatia, Slovenia, and Estonia. The pilot implementations demonstrated that the new criteria effectively support organisations in identifying development opportunities and planning systematic improvements.

The project has shown that international cooperation goes far beyond the exchange of experiences—it creates an important space for mutual learning, the development of innovative approaches, and the implementation of meaningful change. Transnational Peer Review is evolving into a strategic development tool that helps educational institutions strengthen their quality culture, integrate sustainable solutions, and respond effectively to future challenges.

The partnership will continue to expand through the involvement of additional European countries. The Transnational Peer Review methodology is gaining increasing recognition as an approach that can make a valuable contribution to the further development of European cooperation in quality assurance in VET.

The updated handbook confirms that quality and sustainability are now inseparable. It serves as a practical compass for VET providers wishing to develop their organisations in a systematic, responsible, and future-oriented way.

Browse the handbook and discover how Transnational Peer Review can support quality development in your organisation: