The European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) is based on EU legislation, as found in the Recommendations of the EU Council:

EU Recommendation

Here are some of the key terms and their meanings:

• Learning outcomes: Learning outcomes describe what a learner is expected to know, understand and be able to do after successful completion of a process of learning (ECTS User Guide, 2009). Learning outcomes can be achieved in a variety of contexts and are assessed by the learning, skills and competences demonstrated by the learner.
• Units: are components of a qualification. They are made up of learning outcomes that are assessed, validated and recognised.
• ECVET Points: Units can be given a weight, calculated on the relative effort required to achieve the learning outcomes and expressed in terms of ECVET points.
• Credit: Quantify learning and the required workload to achieve specific learning outcomes. Credits can be recorded; transferred from one learning context to another and accumulated to gain a qualification
• A Memorandum of Understanding is an agreement between organisations and facilitates the mobility of learners across the involved organisations.
• An Individual Learning Agreement is an agreement between a learner and the providers of their education and training.

ECVET is voluntary and is subject to the regulations of Member States. It is based on a set of principles which provide a uniform way of gaining credit for learning outcomes achieved.