SERVICE RELATED COMPETENCES EDUCATION PRACTICES IN SOUTH EAST EUROPE

This paper presents research on service related competences in South East Europe. This research was conducted as part of Erasmus+ CBHE project named Enhancing and validating service related competences in versatile learning environments in Western Balkan universities (e-Viva). Innovations and development of new technologies including automation of manufacturing processes cause paradigm shift in business models in manufacturing sector while service sector emerges as potential for economic growth by absorbing more labour and offering diverse services. Thus, development of service related competences is important factor for overall development of service sector. Stocktaking of service related competences in South East Europe aimed at the identification, analysis and description of current education programmes and practices relating to service orientation with focus on the interface between formal and informal learning in the higher education sector and possible connections to validation practices in relation to EQF, NQFs and the related instruments (ECTS, ECVET and EUROPASS).Results of desk research, analysis of results of the online questionnaire results and interviews with stakeholders (one-to-one or focus group) as well as interpretation of needs analysis in South East Europe are presented in this paper.