New action to improve the recognition and reform fitness qualifications at a European level
Through a new European Commission funded action the Active Leisure Alliance (a combination of the fitness and outdoor sectors) is testing the relevance of its qualifications and standards against the European Qualification Framework (EQF). The project, with the acronym of “SIQAF” is part of the Erasmus+ Programme in Key Action 3 which looks to reform initiatives for policy innovation in the area of recognising international qualifications/frameworks in the context of the EQF.
The project formally started on 1st August and the first meeting of the project taskforce was held on September 27th and 28th in Brussels, and the project is part of the forward development of the Active Leisure Alliance. The taskforce group includes leading experts from the fitness and the outdoor sectors:
- Julian Berriman (Director of the Professional Standards Committee of EuropeActive)
- Dr Anna Szumilewicz (Vice Dean Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport)
- Dr Herman Smulders (President of the European Confederation of Outdoor Employers (EC-OE))
- Prof Alfonso Jimenez (Professor of Exercise Science & Health and Executive Director of the Centre for Applied Biological and Exercise Sciences (ABES) at Coventry University)
- Katrin Blumberg (CEO Swiss Outdoor Association)
- Jean-Yves Lapeyrere (General Secretary of France Plein Air)
- Michalis Tsoukias (President of the Hellenic Association of tourism enterprises in Outdoor Activities (HATEOA)
- Cliff Collins (Director of Programmes, EuropeActive)
The first meeting was also attended by Agata Dziarnowska, EU Policy Officers from the Sport Unit at the European Commission, who was able to present the current developments in this policy area.
The next project meeting is planned to coincide with the International Standards Meeting in Athens on 17-18 November so that some of the concepts and principal issues of sectoral qualifications being recognised at a European level can be discussed with a wider group of VET and higher education experts.
More information on the ISM 2016, you can find here.
