In spring 2019, UNESCO-UNEVOC chose Omnia as one of the 10 piloting organizations for the new Skills for Innovation Hubs initiative. This initiative aims to co-create an innovation framework, providing new tools for innovation work for the use of TVET organizations worldwide.

During the second week of September, Omnia hosted a self-assessment week guided by UNEVOC. The week opened with a High-Level Seminar to be followed by internal stakeholder interviews. The process also included workshops where participants chose the Competence Center for Migrants as the best innovative practice of Omnia, which will be showcased to other TVET organizations.
The tools utilized in the guided self-assessment process were provided by UNEVOC. The four groups of internal stakeholders included senior management, administration, teaching staff and learners. A balanced scorecard tool with 14 indicators was used in the workshops. Each internal stakeholder group also came up a skills and ecosystem map of key external stakeholders.

The evaluation process also utilized peer review as a tool. Two representatives from TESDA Women’s Center in The Philippines participated actively in the process. It was useful to have peer reviewers from an organization, which represents a very different educational culture compared to Omnia. Our peer reviewers were very good at sharing their insights and ideas, thus helping Omnia develop further.

Omnia’s Service Manager Kati Valtonen regards it a great privilege that Omnia was invited by UNESCO-UNEVOC to join the process as a pilot organization.

”It was not an audit in a traditional sense as each participating educational organisation defined their targets for development and innovations themselves. Omnia has chosen sustainable future as its strategic framework and that was the key element in our assessments as well. All our participants were really enthusiastic, willing to discuss, share opinions and develop together”, Valtonen explains.