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- Generic skills needs for graduate employment in the aquaculture, fisheries and related sectors in EuropePublication . Pita, Cristina; Eleftheriou, Margaret; Fernández-Borrás, Jaime; Gonçalves, Susana; Mente, Eleni; Santos, Begoña; Seixas, Sónia; Pierce, GrahamThere is an increasing demand for highly skilled workers in all advanced industrialised economies. Although most jobs require occupation-specific skills to carry them out, it is widely recognised that generic skills are ever more needed by job seekers, to increase job opportunities and maintain employability; this applies to all sectors of the economy, from selling cars to undertaking marine research. Several recent European Union strategy documents emphasise the importance of generic skills. However, the apparent mismatch between the skills sets that employers seek and that job seekers offer remains a major challenge. This paper focuses on perceptions of and attitudes to generic skills training for university graduates intending to gain employment in aquaculture, fisheries or other marine sectors and presents the results of a survey administered to academics, industry representatives, students (at different stages of their academic career) and graduates. The various respondents regarded most of the 39 generic skills under investigation as important, with none classified as unimportant. However, students undertaking different types of degree (i.e. B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D.) prioritized different generic skills and the level of importance ascribed to generic skills training increased as students progressed in their university careers. On the other hand, university staff and other employers were fairly consistent in their choice of the most important generic skills. We argue that there remains a need to place generic skills and employability attributes and attitudes at the centre of the higher education curriculum.
- AQUA-TNET lifelong learning strategy changes E & T attitudes towards ECVET implementation and the EQFPublication . Seixas, Sónia; Eleftheriou, MargaretIn 2011, the EU ERASMUS Thematic Network AQUAT-NET (representing the fields of aquaculture, fisheries and aquatic resources management) began a study on lifelong learning needs in the sector in order to find ways to tackle issues of articulation between different types of qualification frameworks. The survey (1913–1915) (37 organisations (universities, research institutions, associations and private companies providing lifelong learning (LLL) courses) from 16 European countries) examined their use of, and opinions concerning, the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the corresponding European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET). The survey, published in 2015, revealed that two thirds of the respondents (65%) agreed or strongly agreed that there was a genuine need to establish the ECVET system of credit points in education and training and a majority of those respondents (58%) considered that the ECVET system of credits should be put into force as soon as possible, though with certain caveats. If the raft of new educational initiatives created by the European Union since then is considered along with the redefinition of key terminology in the EQF (i.e. competences) and the delayed rollout of the ECVET credit system, these AQUAT-NET results take on renewed significance, e.g. the admittedly low take-up rate of ECVET credit points. According to Reports and Evaluations on the state of ECVET implementation (e.g. CEDEFOP (2016) and the much later 2019 European Commission study on VET instruments ECVET and EQAVET), both the concept and the definition of ECVET credit points need to be revised (rather than removed). One acknowledged obstacle to the acceptance of the entire ECVET package lay in the absence of a large, well-organised peer learning group able to disseminate up-to-date relevant information. Within the small aquatic sciences sector, the steady flow of information concerning new lifelong learning initiatives to all stakeholders accounted for the success of the AQUA-TNET approach in promoting informed decision-making at the relevant level. This continues to be one of the recommended best practice approaches, while surveys such as ours are relegated to the vast unread mountains of EU studies.
- Promoting sustainable aquaculture: building the capacity of local institutions and online teaching (elearning)Publication . Seixas, Sónia; Bostock, John; Eleftheriou, MargaretPurpose – The purpose of this paper is to review a number of recent initiatives to promote sustainable aquaculture development through improvements to education and training capacity, and innovations in the use of eLearning. Design/methodology/approach – The authors share their experience in these initiatives and demonstrate how e-learning has been developed in specific cases to better serve the needs of the aquaculture sector, while addressing the pedagogical issues of distance learning and finding the best use of new internet-based technologies. Findings – These examples show how to respond to the needs of adult learners who may have a substantially different learner profile to typical campus students and have a more diverse range of needs and background knowledge. Greater focus is needed on defining, enhancing and accrediting knowledge and skills acquired informally and “on the job”, so as to develop more effective formal education interventions. Practical implications – Adults engaging with job-related education are not empty vessels requiring to be filled with the correct mix of knowledge and skills by teachers who know all the answers. They are active learners seeking a supportive and enabling structure involving access to appropriate resources, engagement with fellow learners and more expert practitioners, and appropriate challenges and rewards to maximise effort and achievement. Originality/value – The paper shows that there is substantial social benefit in promoting an innovative and sustainable aquaculture industry that contributes positively to food security and human health. Continued Professional Development involving eLearning and other innovative approaches can make an important contribution throughout the sector.
- Positioning lifelong learning in aquaculture: challenges and opportunitiesPublication . Eleftheriou, Margaret; Seixas, SóniaLifelong learning has been one of the building blocks of the Bologna Process since 1999. The Thematic network AQUA-TNET (Aquaculture, Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management TN—2008–2011—142245-LLP-1-2008-1-BE-ERASMUS-ENW) in its response to each development has made a significant contribution to the network members’ knowledge and understanding of the different aspects concerned in the provision of university lifelong learning. Various definitions and interpretations of the concept led to relatively slow implementation of lifelong learning in many European universities; however, the EUA European Universities Charter of Lifelong Learning Surveys undertaken by AQUA-TNET showed that the AQUA-TNET approach has successfully incentivised its partners, since a higher percentage of AQUA-TNET partners (54 %) have a LLL strategy in place than the HE organisations surveyed by the EUA (average 39 %).
- The VALLA Tool: an application for the design of Lifelong learning coursesPublication . Eleftheriou, Margaret; Seixas, SóniaThe major aim of the VALLA Project was to develop tools and methods which could describe and evaluate unaccredited sectoral training using the Learning Outcome format. The project partners developed and tested an online tool, the results from which have been very encouraging, earning a high approval rate from course designers. A case study where it was applied is presented.