Abstract:

Many countries use quality assessment models/processes for the improvement of the educational system. Mostly higher and vocational education levels are evaluated, and high-quality or minimum level quality is assured through the processes like external and internal evaluations, accreditation of the institutions, study programmes evaluation, different self-evaluation models/processes for the institutions. Although, the role of the continuing education is increasing, there are just a few examples of initiation and procedures to assure the quality of continuing education. At the same time the Lifelong Learning (LLL) is widely used principle, and more and more employees and organisations apply for continuing education, not formal education. LLL and good/quality continuing education can have a massive impact on employees’ competencies and through that to organisations’ sustainability and success. The importance of quality continuing education can’t be underestimated.

The article aims to base on the quality assessment principles modern learning approaches, and continuing education principles, develop the criteria of quality assessment for continuing education. The main research question is „which are the criteria for the continuing education organisation and programmes to assure the high quality of the trainings?“.

Different research methods were used:
1) 140 focus interviews with the lecturers and managers of the training companies (to map the situation of the continuing education today – awareness of the requirements, challenges, training needs, expectations for the quality system/model);
2) content analysis of the 51 study programme (to assess the existing study programmes quality – content and the coherence between components – and disadvantages);
3) analysis of the existing quality assessment models and systems (to find out the existing criteria for the continuing education quality).

As a result, the set of the quality assessment/recognition criteria is presented. Criteria indicate the minimum level requirements for the continuing education and can be used for (self)evaluation of the quality of training institution and for seting up necessary developmental trends in this field, both in institutional and state level.

Keywords:

Continuing education, quality assessment, LLL, assessment criteria.