The European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET) emerged from the 2009 European Parliament and Council recommendation as a European-wide framework to support quality assurance in vocational education and training (VET) across Europe. EQAVET is based on a quality assurance and improvement cycle (planning, implementation, evaluation/ assessment, and review/revision) and descriptors and indicators applicable to quality management at both VET system and VET provider levels.
Regardless of where the quality assurance journey begins, using all four stages of the cycle is necessary to achieve high-quality VET. The EQAVET Framework has resulted in the development of a wide range of quality assurance approaches in Member States that meet national and regional needs, circumstances, and traditions. All of these approaches use the EQAVET cycle, indicators, and indicative descriptors to support national, regional, or local quality assurance processes.