News story

Inaugural European Association of Test Publishers Conference to be held in Brussels, 30th September - 2nd october 2009

LondonLearning NewsPearson VUE

The European Division of the Association of Test Publishers (E-ATP) is hosting the first conference of its kind in Europe, at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels from the 30 September to 2 October this year.

The European Division of the Association of Test Publishers (E-ATP) is hosting the first conference of its kind in Europe, at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels from the 30 September to 2 October this year. The event is aimed at all those involved in the business of testing people, whether they already have an established and high-tech testing programme or they are considering using assessment for the first time.

Attendees from across the continent are expected to include representative of ministries of Education, test publishers and vendors, academic and professional awarding bodies, curriculum authorities and policy makers, as well as those from any organisation responsible for training and testing people's skills, competencies and knowledge.

The conference theme will be 'Growing Talent in Europe: Gaining Advantage through Assessment', and will cover the full spectrum of testing from an introductory level through to a showcase of the most advanced technologies and methods. Gold sponsors already confirmed are Hogan Assessment Systems, Cito, CTB/McGraw Hill and Pearson VUE.

William G Harris, PH.D., Chief Executive Officer of ATP, comments:
'The European test publishing community is experiencing unprecedented growth. Europe's measurement scientists and researchers have become central figures in the test publishing world and continue to contribute significantly to the advancement of testing. Indeed, the world's largest computer-based testing programme is in Europe: the UK Driver Theory Test.

'Thanks to the EU incentives and directives such as Lisbon Treaty, Europe can boast a workforce that is one of the most highly skilled in the global marketplace. One major contributing factor in this is the continued growth in professional and academic assessment, improved recruitment selection processes and a wider choice of certified training programmes.'

The programme allows the best opportunity for delegates to learn more about the latest developments in assessment theories and technologies, via a mix of interactive workshops, where delegates can test out the latest technology in e-assessment; engaging breakout sessions with speakers from sponsor and guest organisations; and the unique “CEO’s Perspective” session at which delegates can hear first hand from six of the world’s leading assessment CEOs.

For more information, or to register for the event, visit eatp.designingeventsonline.com

Ends.

Media contacts: Oliver Chesher or Fiona McFadden at GyroHSR, (+44 161 876 5522),
oliver.chesher@gyrohsr.com / fiona.mcfadden@gyrohsr.com

About The Association of Test Publishers:
Founded in 1992, The Association of Test Publishers (ATP) is a non-profit organisation representing providers of tests and assessment tools and/or services related to education, employment, certification/licensing or clinical uses. ATP’s US conference, Innovations in Testing, celebrated its 10th year in 2009. The conference brings together executives from all aspects of the testing industry to collaborate and share insight about advancements in the ever-changing assessment industry.

E-ATP, ATP’s European division, provides suppliers of tests and assessment tools in Europe with a collective voice to positively influence consumers. The founding of the European division of ATP is a natural step towards ATP’s mission of becoming a worldwide trade association for the testing industry.

The European Division of ATP will assist governments in Europe and the European Union with establishing polices and guidelines that are advantageous to all the stakeholders in the testing process. A European presence creates more business opportunities for ATP members and will allow them to play a part in establishing worldwide policies and guidelines for the testing industry.