Sport and EQF A Perspective from the European

Sport and EQF A Perspective from the European Commission Bart Ooijen Sport Unit European Commission Torun 12 December 2011

EU DIMENSION OF SPORT 2

Communication Educational institutes • Relevance of including sport-related qualifications in national qualification systems with reference to EQF. • Transparency regarding the validation and recognition of qualifications gained by volunteers, as well as regarding qualifications required for regulated sport professions. • Support social partners to create an EU-level social dialogue and to discuss items such as contractual stability, education and training, health and safety, employment and working conditions of minors, the role of agents or the fight against doping. 3

New features for European Sport - European sport is no longer an activity for young men only - Competitive sport organized under umbrella of sport federations is just one type of today’s sport. - Sport and tourism are linked more and more - New sports and unknown disciplines are introduced and used in different markets

EU and SPORT

New features for European Sport - Many small enterprises in fitness, outdoor sports, after school programs and community programs are now part of the sportsector. - Local sportclubs based on volunteers (board, majority of coaches) are still backbone of sport in North West Europe. - Sport activities are getting more instrumental for social objectives (health, fight against crime, social inclusion) - Governments have growing interest in sport but it still varies a lot in European countries depending on tradition, sportculture and political preferences

Sport in Europe - Athletes (and coaches? ) as role models for society - Social corporate business professional sport - Advanced techniques enter sport - Balance between commercialization and values of sport - Solidarity between levels and types of sport

Sport in EU Europe • Sport Participation 61% people in EU once/twice a month (305 million) 49% people in Poland 40% people in EU once/twice a week (200 million) 25 % people in Poland Eurobarometer 2009 8

Sport is popular, but for everybody?

EU: SPORT Developments in organized sport - More professional coaches 73% of Coaches still volunteers - Higher training intensity and more specific trainings programmes - Need for more qualified trainers and coaches safety and security/ quality/ integrety - High EU mobility of sporttrainers and coaches 10

EU: SPORT Developments in coach professions - Diversity in coach/trainers professions - instructors - personal trainers - multi sport community coaches - coaches in organized sport - talent coaches, high performance - More specialisation sports, mental, endurance management - Growing market of formal and non formal education 11

EQF en sport Pathways to functions in sport (professional – volunteers) - Formal educational institutes vocational education and training, higher education institutes - Specific education in single sportdisciplines sportfederations private institutes 13

Before EQF and Sport 14

EQF and SPORT www. eose. org

Based on EQF and sport 16

EQF and sport 17

UK: Support by Educational agency SKILLS ACTIVE UK work in partnership with the sector to ensure that education and training is based on national occupational standards and a national qualifications framework that reflects the real needs of sport employers. Sport qualifications range from Apprenticeships to foundation degrees and cover job roles such as coach, groundsman and professional athlete. http: //www. skillsactive. com/

EQF and sport 19

Proposal for FCS specialisations within the SQF and FQF/EQF (Flemish/European Qualifications Framework) FCS Level SQF Trainer A SQF 3 FQF/EQF 6 Trainer B SQF 2 B EQF 5 Instructor B SQF 2 A EQF 4 Initiator SQF 1 EQF 3

Conclusions • Longterm process • Transparant qualifications • Individual pathways possible • Experiences as volunteers or elite sport career could be validated which gives opportunity for adated programmes • Validation and assessments are crucial • Cooperation between formal educational institutes and sport organisations will be improved 21

Education and Training in Sport European Qualification Framework (EQF) EQF makes national coach education qualifications more transparent on a European level even if countries use their own level system of 4 - 8 - 11 levels Some challenges: - Inclusion of sectoral (mainly small) sport qualifications in national qualification structures (referees? ) - Recognition of learning outcomes of informal and non formal learning - Relation of international qualifications issued by international sportfederations (direct link to EQF not acceptable yet) 22

Thank you for your attention !