Education & Life Long Learning Committee

The Education & Life Long Learning Committee (ELLLC) aims to advance the quality of dietetics education and provision of life-long learning opportunities.

Mission

The mission of ELLLC is to ensure that the under- and post-graduate education of dietitians is of the highest standard, to enhance the individual dietitian’s practice through education and continuous professional development (CPD) and to support EFAD in achieving the highest quality of education and learning for the dietetic workforce in Europe.

Broader key benefits include ensuring the safety and welfare of dietetic service users, building societal trust in the dietetic profession and maintaining the integrity of the profession.

 

Aim

The primary aim of the Education and Lifelong Learning Committee (ELLLC) is to integrate Lifelong Learning (LLL) into the practice of dietetics. This is achieved through the following key objectives:

  1. Strategizing and Implementation: Proposing and executing strategies that embed Lifelong Learning and enhance dietetic competencies within European Dietetics, aligning with Member Associations’ strategies.
  2. Best Practices and Advice: Leveraging best practices from Member Associations and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to guide mechanisms that integrate Lifelong Learning for dietitians operating and studying within Europe.
  3. Collaboration and Monitoring: Collaborating with relevant European professional groups and monitoring educational and Lifelong Learning developments among other health professionals.

Recent efforts have concentrated on establishing frameworks and criteria for registration, training, and Lifelong Learning, including continuous professional development (CPD) for the dietetic workforce.

Additionally, the ELLLC aims to:

  • Aid HEIs in establishing effective pedagogical models across Europe.
  • Disseminate and support increased utilization of outputs from the DIETS projects, such as the European Dietetic Advanced Competences (EDAC) for CPD and Lifelong Learning.
  • Support continuous professional development (CPD) and monitor developments in Europe concerning registration and CPD requirements in collaboration with the PPC.
  • Explore the feasibility of certifying or endorsing Lifelong Learning courses.
  • Develop networking, provide information, and utilize appropriate media to assist dietitians in their continuous professional development.

These objectives are realized through support extended to students, dietitians, EFAD National Dietetic Associations (NDAs), and higher education institutions (HEIs). The broader benefits encompass ensuring the safety and well-being of dietetic service users, fostering societal trust in the dietetic profession, and upholding professional integrity.

Who we are

Fiona McCullough Committee chair

Professor in Dietetics

University of Nottingham, UK

Ángela García González Committee member

Lecturer in Nutrition

San Pablo-CEU University, Madrid, Spain

Bárbara Beleza Pereira Committee members

Invited Assistant Professor and Academic Services Coordinator

Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences of the University of Porto, Portugal

Dr. Anne Griffin Committee member

Course Director of the M.Sc. Human Nutrition and Dietetics programme at the University of Limerick

Uta Köpcke Committee member

President of German Association of Dietitians

Maria Toumpi Committee member

Registered dietitian

Member of the Union of Dietitians – Nutritionists of Greece

Sofie Joossens Committee member

Lecturer at the UC Leuven-Limburg (BE), professional bachelor in Nutrition & Dietetics (an Education Associate member of EFAD).

Ingrid Aerts Committee member

Dietitian, MSc, AP University of Applied Sciences Antwerp, Belgium

Anastasia Markaki Committee member

Assistant Professor in Clinical Nutrition at the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics Sciences of Hellenic Mediterranean University

History of the ELLLC

The Education and Lifelong Learning Committee (ELLLC) originated in 2010 during the EU-Project DIETS2. The ELLLC was established to sustain the initial efforts and assist HEIs and NDAs in implementing outcomes from DIETS1 and 2.

Since EFAD’s establishment in 1978, numerous initiatives have aimed to enhance the practice of dietetics in Europe. EFAD has formulated standards for the education, training, and practice of dietitians in Europe (adopted in 2005 and updated in 2018) and European standards for practice placement requirements (adopted in 2010 and updated in 2022), a European standard for advanced dietetic competencies (adopted in 2012), Pedagogical standards for practice placement teachers (adopted in 2013) and a Lifelong learning (LLL) strategy (adopted in 2013).

The conclusion of the Thematic Networks for Improving Education and Training Standards for Dietitians in Europe (DIETS1 and 2), along with the inclusion of higher education institutions (HEIs) as Education Associate Members, offer fresh prospects to support national dietetic associations (NDAs).

HEI members

Education Associate (HEI) Members