Spain hosted the fourth EQAVET peer review of the 2024-26 cycle on ‘Self-assessment tools for EQAVET descriptors in the context of VET providers’

The peer review was organised by the Spanish EQAVET National Reference Point (NRP) at the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports, in close cooperation with the Department of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sport, Government of the Canary Islands to discuss the effectiveness and scalability of the EQAVET-based quality assurance system for the VET providers of the Canary Islands.

The Spanish EQAVET National Reference Point (NRP), hosted at the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports, organised a peer review on 'Self-assessment tools for EQAVET descriptors in the context of VET providers' on 22-23 April 2026 in Tenerife, Canary Islands. The event was organised in close cooperation with the Department of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sport. Government of the Canary Islands and brought together EQAVET Network members from Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal and Serbia acting as peer reviewers.

During the peer review, Spanish authorities presented a recently implemented EQAVET-based quality assurance (QA) system for VET providers in the Canary Islands. The system is aligned with the EQAVET framework and the State System of Indicators for Vocational Education and Training, and supports self-evaluation, improvement planning and plans for external evaluation through a dedicated digital platform. The peers were invited to provide feedback on the effectiveness and scalability of the model and its associated tools.

Discussions were guided by three key questions, focusing primarily on how the self-assessment system and tools could be strengthened to better reflect EQAVET principles, and on the type of data needed to demonstrate improvements linked to policy objectives such as employability, cooperation with companies and innovation in training programmes. Presentations were delivered by national and regional authorities, the Canary Agency for University Quality and Educational Evaluation (ACCUEE), and several VET providers.

The Canary Islands' EQAVET-based model is built on three principles: a shared model, aligning strategic objectives of authorities and VET providers; a simplified model, supported by a digital application enabling structured self-assessment and improvement planning; and a certifiable model, with progressive recognition levels reflecting compliance with EQAVET descriptors and indicators. ACCUEE presented its role in developing external evaluation and certification approaches consistent with continuous improvement.

VET providers shared practical experiences illustrating the impact of the QA system at different stages of implementation. These highlighted clearer processes, stronger quality cultures, reduced administrative burden, and positive effects on learning outcomes and employability.

Read the flash report summarising the main outcomes of the discussion.

Additionally, a separate report containing detailed feedback from the peer reviewers will be shared with the host country.