Differing from EASA and IMO standards, which are mandatory for only one sector resp. few occupations, is ECVET (EU 2009) a voluntary recommendation aiming at all branches of Vocational Education and Training (VET). ECVET foresees units of Learning Outcomes (LO) that are assessed individually to allow a learner to alternate between different learning institutions resp. countries. Main aims are to increase transparency of curricula, mobility of learners and mutual trust between stakeholders of different countries. These aims can be supported without any doubt; but whether the instruments proposed by the recommendation are really appropriate or even have serious side-effects on established national measures of curriculum design, training and assessment is discussed controversially among stakeholders in the EU countries, strongly depending on the national traditions in providing VET (Saniter, 2012). Presentation will focus on the experiences made with ECVET-experimentation and the feedback received by stakeholders from the UK, Finland, Malta, Italy and Germany. An example of the aspects of the recommendation that were discussed very controversial is assessment. This part of the ECVET recommendation represents a dramatic pedagogical paradigm shift for countries with final examinations: Should overall employability skills be tested or a cluster of partial qualifications?

EU (2009) (ECVET-recommendation) http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1422549211287&uri=CELEX:32009H0708%2802%29 (found: 29.01.2015) Saniter, A. (2012) ECVET – Chancen und Risiken einheitsbasierter Ansätze. In: Transparenz und Durchlässigkeit durch den EQR?, Ruth, K. & Blings, J.) (Hrsg.) W. Bertelsmann Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, Bielefeld, 2012