COMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER IMPACT ASSESSMENT Accompanying document to the Proposal for a Council Recommendation on the validation of non-formal and informal learning
Date: 2012-09-05
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: continuing education, cooperation in the field of education, job mobility, professional qualifications, recognition of vocational training qualifications, vocational training

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 5.9.2012  
SWD(2012) 252 final 

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER 

IMPACT ASSESSMENT 

Accompanying document to the 

Proposal for a Council Recommendation on the validation of non-formal and informal 
learning 

{COM(2012) 485 final} 
{SWD(2012) 253 final}

Leading Service: DG Education and Culture (EAC) 

Other  involved  services:  DGs  Communication  (COMM),  Employment,  Social  Affairs  and 
Equal  Opportunities  (EMPL),  Enterprise  (ENTR),  Eurostat  (ESTAT),  Information  society 
(INFSO),  Home  Affairs  (HOME),  Research  (RTD),  Legal  Service  (SJ),  Secretariat-General 
(SG), Cedefop. 

WP reference: COM(2011)009 

Version: 16 7 2012 

Disclaimer: This report commits only the Commission's services involved in its preparation 
and does not prejudge the final form of any decision to be taken by the Commission. 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

1.1. 

1.2. 

1.3. 

2. 

2.1. 

Procedural issues, consultation of interested parties.................................................... 4 

Organisation and timing............................................................................................... 4 

Integration of the Impact Assessment Board' recommendations ................................. 4 

Consultation and other sources of evidence................................................................. 5 

Problem definition........................................................................................................ 6 

Providing some context: changes in the labour market and the benefits of validating 
non-formal and informal learning ................................................................................ 6 

2.2. 

Problems to be addressed by the initiative................................................................... 8 

2.2.1.  Validation opportunities are limited in some and underused in the majority of 

Member States.............................................................................................................. 8 

2.2.2.  A lack of comparability and coherence between the validation approaches of 

Member States............................................................................................................ 10 

2.2.3.  Problem drivers .......................................................................................................... 10 

2.3. 

Existing policies and instruments on the European level relating to the validation of 
non-formal and informal learning .............................................................................. 11 

2.4.  Who else is affected? ................................................................................................. 14 

2.5. 

2.6. 

2.7. 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

EU added value .......................................................................................................... 14 

EU right to act and subsidiarity.................................................................................. 15 

How the problem would evolve without additional EU intervention (baseline 
scenario) ..................................................................................................................... 15 

Section 3: Objectives ................................................................................................. 16 

General objectives...................................................................................................... 16 

Specific and operational objectives............................................................................ 16 

3.2.1.  Specific objectives ..................................................................................................... 16 

3.2.2.  Operational objectives................................................................................................ 17 

3.3. 

Consistency of objectives with other EU policies and strategic objectives ............... 18 

3.3.1.  Consistency with the EU 2020 strategic objectives ................................................... 18 

3.3.2.  Consistency with other policies, tools and instruments in the field of education, 

training and youth ...................................................................................................... 19 

3.3.3.  Consistency with employment policy and other policies........................................... 20 

4. 

Section 4: Policy options............................................................................................ 20 

4.1. 

Option 1 (baseline scenario): ..................................................................................... 20 

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4.2. 

4.3. 

5. 

5.1. 

5.2. 

5.3. 

5.4. 

Option 2 (Council Recommendation on the implementation of validation):............. 21 

Option 3: A new process based on a new Open Method of Coordination devoted to 
validation aimed at the development of a European Quality Charter on validation .. 23 

Analysis of impacts .................................................................................................... 24 

Economic impacts ...................................................................................................... 25 

Social impacts ............................................................................................................ 28 

Other impacts ............................................................................................................. 31 

Risks and uncertainties............................................................................................... 32 

5.4.1.  Risks........................................................................................................................... 32 

5.4.2.  Uncertainties .............................................................................................................. 33 

6. 

6.1. 

6.2. 

6.3. 

7. 

7.1. 

7.2. 

8. 

8.1. 

8.2. 

8.3. 

Comparing the options ............................................................................................... 34 

Efficiency/cost-effectiveness, effectiveness and coherence with EU policy objectives34 

Comparison between the options: synthesis .............................................................. 37 

Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 38 

Monitoring and evaluation ......................................................................................... 39 

Tools and instruments for monitoring and evaluation ............................................... 39 

Indicators for monitoring and evaluation................................................................... 40 

Annexes...................................................................................................................... 42 

Annex 1: Results from the EU-wide public consultation........................................... 43 

Annex 2: Consultation of the EQF Advisory Group and outcomes of Peer Learning 
Activities .................................................................................................................... 57 

Annex 3: Country sheets on the situation of validation of non-formal and informal 
learning in the Member States.................................................................................... 59 

8.4. 

Annex 4: Cost/benefit analysis ................................................................................ 119 

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Definitions 

Formal  learning  takes  place  in  an  organised  and  structured  environment,  specifically 
dedicated to learning, and typically leads to the award of a qualification, usually in the form 
of a certificate or a diploma. This includes the systems of general education, initial vocational 
training and higher education. 

Non-formal learning concerns learning that takes place through planned activities (in terms of 
learning  objectives,  learning  time)  where  some  form  of  learning  support  is  present  (e.g. 
student-teacher relationships). It may cover programmes to impart work-skills, adult literacy 
and  basic  education  for  early  school  leavers.  Very  common  cases  of  non-formal  learning 
include in-company training, through which companies update and improve the skills of their 
workers such as ICT skills, structured online learning (e.g. by making use of open educational 
resources), and courses organised by civil society organisations for their members, their target 
group or the general public.   

Informal learning is learning resulting from daily activities related to work, family or leisure. 
It  is  not  organised  or  structured  in  terms  of  objectives,  time  or  learning  support.  Informal 
learning may be unintentional from the learner’s perspective. Examples of learning outcomes 
acquired  through  informal  learning  are  skills  acquired  through  life  and  work  experiences. 
Examples  are  project  management  skills  or  ICT  skills  acquired  at  work;    languages  learned 
and intercultural skills acquired during a stay in another country; ICT skills acquired outside 
work, skills acquired through volunteering, cultural activities, sports, youth work and through 
activities at home (e.g. taking care of a child).  

A  qualification  means  a  formal  outcome  of  an  assessment  and  validation  process  which  is 
obtained  when  a  competent  body  determines  that  an  individual  has  achieved  learning 
outcomes to given standards.  

Learning outcomes means statements of what a learner knows, understands and is able to do 
on  completion  of  a  learning  process,  which  are  defined  in  terms  of  knowledge,  skills  and 
competences.  

A  national  qualification  framework  is  a  coherent  and  comprehensive  description  of 
qualification levels based on learning outcomes.  

Validation is a process of confirmation by an authorised body that an individual has acquired 
learning outcomes measured against a relevant standard. It consists of four distinct phases: (1) 
identification through dialogue of particular experiences of an individual, (2) documentation – 
to  make  visible  the  individual's  experiences  –  (3)  a  formal  assessment  of  these  experiences 
and (4) recognition leading to a certification for example a partial or full qualification. 

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1. 

PROCEDURAL ISSUES, CONSULTATION OF INTERESTED PARTIES 

1.1. 

Organisation and timing 

The  Recommendation  on  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  is  included  in  the 
Commission's  work  programme  under the  reference 2011/EAC/009.  It  is  foreseen to launch 
the inter-service consultation in March 2012 and to adopt the proposal for a Recommendation 
in June 2012.  

The work on the impact assessment started in July 2010. A group of Commission Directorates 
General and Services was set up, supported by Cedefop, to monitor the work on the impact 
assessment (IA) and to comment on the draft IA report. Apart from DG EAC and Cedefop the 
following  Directorates  General  participated  in  the  group:  COMM,  EMPL,  ENTR,  ESTAT, 
INFSO, HOME, RTD, SJ and SG. A first meeting of this Steering group was convened on 13 
July  2010  and  two  further  meetings  were  held  on  10  November  2010  and  on  9  September 
2011. 

A first draft of this Impact Assessment was submitted to the Impact Assessment Board on 21 
September 2011 and discussed during its meeting of 19 October 2011. 

1.2. 

Integration of the Impact Assessment Board' recommendations 

Following  the  first  opinion  and  recommendations  of  the  Impact  Assessment  Board  the 
following main changes have been made to the report: 

−  The report contains more information on the situation of validation in the Member States, 
including the underlying causes explaining validation situations; the information has been 
provided  both  in  the  text  and  in  Annex  3  which  contains  detailed  country  overviews  on 
validation;  

−  The  problems  to  be  addressed  and  their  EU  dimension  have  been  better  explained  and 

described;  

−  The  objectives  have  been  fine  tuned,  in  particular  by  highlighting  how  the  proposed 
initiative  builds  upon  the  implementation  of  the  Recommendation  on  the  European 
Qualification Framework and the use of existing European instruments such as Europass, 
as well as stakeholders' instruments; 

−  The baseline scenario has been further detailed; 

−  Option  3  on  a  separate  Open  Method  of  Coordination  on  validation  has  been  further 
detailed, and is now closely related to the development of a European Quality Charter on 
validation; 

−  The  sections  on  the  assessment  of  impacts  and  on  the  comparison  between  the  options 

have been adapted to the strengthened intervention logic;  

−  The analysis of cost and benefits has been strengthened (in the main text, in the country 

tables of Annex 3 and in a separate Annex 4); 

−  More information has been provided on the consultation process and its results, which are 

better reflected throughout the text. 

Following the second opinion of the Impact Assessment Board in addition the following main 
changes have been made to the report: 

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−  Section 2 concerning the problem definition has been revised to give it a clearer structure; 

−  The problem drivers are presented in a more structured way; 

−  The role of European instruments and stakeholder instruments has been further detailed.  

1.3. 

Consultation and other sources of evidence 

Consultation has taken the following forms: 

–  An  open  consultation,  through  an  online  survey  open  from  December  2010  to  February 
2011. Invitations to participate in the online survey and to submit a position paper had been 
sent  to  members  of  the  most  relevant  groups  and  other  stakeholders  in  the  areas  of 
education and training, employment, youth, sport1. 

–  Discussion  within  meetings  of  policy  bodies,  in  particular  the  Advisory  Group  for  the 

European Qualifications Framework (EQF) ;  

–  Specialist  meetings  and  peer  learning  activities  organised  by  the  Learning  Outcomes 

Group operating under the EQF Advisory Group ; 

–  Peer learning activities in the fields of higher education, vocational education and training 

and adult learning. 

The minimum standards of consultation have been met.  

The social partners, both employers and trade union representatives, have been consulted on a 
regular  basis  through  their  participation  in  the  EQF  Advisory  Group  and  through  their 
participation  in  several  peer  learning  activities.  They  have  also  been  consulted  through  a 
meeting  of  the  Advisory  Committee  on  Vocational  Training.  The  European  sectoral  social 
dialogue  committees  have  not  been  consulted  and  the  first  European  Sector  Skills  Council 
was only set up in December 20112. 

The online survey resulted in 469 responses to the closed and open questions, complemented 
by 24 position papers. Responses were fairly evenly balanced between individuals (53%) and 
organisations (47%).  

Among the organisations, around half of the responses came from public sector organisations 
(e.g.  ministries,  implementation  bodies,  employment  services),  and  a  third  from  the  third 
sector  (e.g.  NGO/volunteer  organisations).  The  private  sector  (employers,  employer 
organisations,  and  private  employment  services)  was  less  represented,  with  a  sixth  of  the 
replies.  The  education/training  perspective  was  better  represented  than  the  labour  market 
perspective. Regarding the individuals who replied, almost two thirds of the contributors were 
female  and  the  provider  perspective  (teachers/trainers)  was  better  represented  than  the  user 
perspective. 

1  Permanent  Representations  to  the  EU,  the  Education  Committee,  European  Qualifications  Framework 
Advisory Group, Recognition of Learning Outcomes Group, Lifelong Learning Stakeholder Forum, Advisory 
Committee  for  Vocational  Education  and  Training,  European  Credit  System  for  Vocational  Education  and 
Training  User  Group,  Adult  Learning  Working  Group,  Modernisation  of  Higher  Education  Working  Group, 
Bologna Follow-up Group, Europass and Euroguidance centres, European Lifelong Guidance Policy network, 
Youthpass Advisory  Board, National Academic  Recognition  Information  Centres  network,  Higher Education 
Recognition of Prior Learning Network, Expert Group on The mobility of young volunteers 

2  Sector  Skills  Council  on  Textiles,  Clothing  and  Leather,  launched  on  6  December  2011,  http://www.etuf-

tcl.org/index.php?s=5&rs=home&uid=664&lg=en.  

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More  than  half  of  the  replies  came  from  6  countries:  Belgium,  Germany,  France,  Italy, 
Portugal  and  the  United  Kingdom.  The  largest  country  participation  concerned  Portugal, 
which  can  be  explained  by  the  comprehensive  system  on  validation  of  non-formal  and 
informal learning that was set up as part of the policy to increase the general education level 
of the population. The high participation of Belgian respondents relates to the high number of 
European/international bodies replying to the questionnaire that reside in Belgium.  

The  results  showed  a  lack  of  overall  coherent  approaches  towards  validation  within  and 
between  Member  States,  as  well  as  a  large  number  of  constraints  for  the  effective 
implementation of validation in practice. Responses showed overwhelming consensus on the 
importance  of  making  the  skills  gained  through  life  and  work  experience  visible.  They 
showed  broad  support  for  a  European  initiative  in  order  to  enhance  validation  policy  and 
practice  in  the  EU  Member  States.  More  detailed  results  can  be  found  in  Annex  1  and  on 
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/consult/vnfil/report_en.pdf. 

The  consultation  of  the  EQF  Advisory  Group  and  the  different  peer  learning  activities  also 
generated  positive  support  for  a  European  initiative  on  the  validation  (for  more  details,  see 
Annex 2).  

In  addition  to  the  consultation,  the  European  inventory  on  validation  of  non-formal  and 
informal learning was the main source of information on validation practices in EU countries. 
It was for the first time published in 20043 and updated in 20054, 20075 and 20106.   

There exists no external evaluation of EU action in the field of validation of non-formal and 
informal learning. 

2. 

PROBLEM DEFINITION 

2.1. 

Providing  some  context:  changes  in  the  labour  market  and  the  benefits  of 
validating non-formal and informal learning  

The level of qualifications required to succeed on the labour market is increasing. According 
to a Cedefop report the demand for highly-qualified people is projected to rise by almost 16 
million by 2020. The demand for people with medium-level qualifications is projected to rise 
by more than 3.5 million by the same year.7 

Rapid economic and technological changes make it more likely for individuals to have several 
job transitions during their working life, with the following challenges: 

−  Employers  are  increasingly  looking  for  such  competences  as  problem-solving  and 
analytical  skills,  self-management  and  communication  skills,  linguistic  skills  and  more 

3 http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/5164_en.pdf. 
4http://www2.cedefop.europa.eu/etv/Information_resources/EuropeanInventory/publications/inventory/european

_inventory_2005_final_report.pdf. 

5http://www2.cedefop.europa.eu/etv/Information_resources/EuropeanInventory/publications/inventory/European

Inventory.pdf. 

6 http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/bibliographies/18212.aspx. 
7  Cedefop  (2010),  Skills  Supply  and  Demand  in  Europe:  medium-term  forecast  up  to  2020,  Luxembourg: 
internet: 

European 

Union, 

p.13, 

Publications 
http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/publications/15540.aspx.  

Office 

the 

of 

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generally “non-routine” skills8;  

− 

In  a  situation  of  a  higher  number  of  job  transitions  during  a  career,  individuals  have  to 
demonstrate  and  transfer  their  skills  to  new  settings  and  organisations,  thus  establishing 
their value on the labour market.  

Initial education and training of young people is consequently no longer enough to cope with 
labour market requirements. People need steady upskilling and re-skilling and this cannot be 
the  exclusive  responsibility  of  education  and  training  institutions  through  formal  learning. 
Other  learning  experiences,  such  as  the  workplace,  or  volunteer  work  are  crucial  for  skills 
development and renewal.  

In this context education, training and qualifications systems need to recognise the full range 
of learning experiences (formal, non-formal, informal) under a learning outcomes approach. 
This can be done through the validation of non-formal and informal learning. This principle 
was adopted by the Recommendation on the European Qualifications Framework of 2008 to 
which this initiative is complementary. 

Validation of learning outcomes resulting from non-formal and informal learning has multiple 
benefits: 

Benefits of validation for individuals9: 
−  Economic  benefits:  e.g.  enhanced  employability,  enhanced  career  prospects,  increased 

wages; 

−  Educational  /personal  benefits:  e.g.  second  chances  for  dropouts,    improved  access  to 

formal education and training, higher motivation to learn, increased self-confidence; 

Benefits of validation for the economy :  
−  A better skilled population and a better skills match both on the labour market at large and 
in individual companies (allowing better decisions on recruitment, on staff allocation and 
on skills development needs), leading to a better use of human capital; 

−  Transferability of skills, aiding the movement between companies and sectors (e.g. in the 

case of restructuring); 

−  Facilitation of mobility on the European labour market offering more opportunities for job 

seekers; 

−  Overall a more competitive European economy resulting in higher economic growth10; 

Benefits of validation for the society at large:  

−  A  better  qualified  population  and  workforce,  a  better  access  to  further  learning  for 
disadvantaged groups, a more inclusive labour market, more active citizenship and civic 
values. 

8  Cedefop  (2010),  Changing  Qualifications.  A  review  of  qualification  policies  and  practices,  Luxembourg: 

Publications Office of the European Union, p.29, http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/3059_en.pdf. 

9  European  Inventory  on  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning,  2010  update,  P.  Werquin  (2010), 

Recognising Non-Formal and Informal Learning, Outcomes, policies and practices, Paris: OECD. 

10  European  Commission  (2010),  Twelve  levers  to  boost  growth  and  confidence  –  Working  together  to  create 
new  growth,  COM(2011)  206  final,  internet:  http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/smact/docs/20110413-
communication_en.pdf. 

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Europe  is  also  facing  important  demographic  changes:  its  population  will  grow  very  slowly 
until  2025  and  will  then  start  to  decrease11.  For  the  purpose  of  economic  growth  policies 
focusing  on  getting  people  into  jobs,  the  full  potential  of  the  skills  of  Europe’s  ageing 
population needs to be known and developed. Demographic developments will also increase 
the pressure on labour migration from outside Europe in order to cope with labour shortages. 
Migrants often come with skills that are not usually valued and therefore not put to good use. 
Validation  of  informal  and  non-formal  learning  provides  an  opportunity  to  recognise 
migrants' learning experiences. 

2.2. 

Problems to be addressed by the initiative 

2.2.1.  Validation opportunities are limited and underused in the majority of Member States 

The  2010  Update  of  the  European  Inventory  on  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal 
learning revealed that throughout Europe there is now recognition of the role validation has to 
play,  but  that  "the  overall  take  up  rate  of  validation,  meaning  its  implementation  on  the 
ground, remains on the whole relatively small in scale with the exception of a small number 
of countries and initiatives"12. Progress in validation has thus been uneven, irregular and slow 
at times where a lack of skills is becoming a bottleneck for economic growth and job creation. 

Only four EU Member States have a high level of development in validation (Finland, France, 
the  Netherlands  and  Portugal),  while  further  seven  (Denmark,  Germany,  Luxembourg, 
Romania, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom) have either a national system in its initial 
phase or a well-established, but partial, system of validation in one or more sectors13.  

The  countries  with  a  well-developed  system  have  a  mainstreamed  approach  on  validation 
within  their  lifelong  learning  system  (e.g.  legally  anchored),  an  infrastructure  supportive  to 
validation,  a  strong  involvement  of  stakeholders  (in  particular  social  partners)  and 
accessibility of validation for applicants in financial terms. Situations in individual countries 
are further specified in the next paragraphs.14 

In  France  the  national  approach  called  "validation  des  acquis  de  l'expérience"  has  its  legal 
base  in  both  the  labour  and  education  codes.  In  Portugal  validation  is  part  of  a  national 
strategy, called the New Opportunities initiative, for education and training aiming at raising 
the general qualification level of the population. Also in Finland validation is legally backed: 
education  laws  have  created  individual  rights  to  validation  of  prior  experiences  in  many 
education  fields  (upper  secondary  education,  VET  and  higher  education)  and  people  can  be 
directly admitted to the matriculation exam. 

11 European Commission (2005), Green Paper “Confronting demographic change: a new solidarity between the 
http://eur-

generations”, 
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2005:0094:FIN:EN:PDF. 

COM(2005) 

final, 

94 

12 Jo Hawley, Manuel Souto Otero and Claire Duchemin (2010), Executive Summary, in: European Inventory on 
p.5,  
informal 

validation 
http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/F/?func=direct&local_base=CED01&doc_number=000077641.  

non-formal 

learning 

2010, 

cit., 

and 

op. 

of 

13 More details on the validation systems of EU Member States can be found in Annex 3. 
14 The information is based on the respective country chapters of the European Inventory on Validation of non-
http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/F/?func=find-
formal 
c&ccl_term=((wjr=european+and+wjr=inventory+and+wjr=validation)+and+(wti=country+and+wti=report))&
local_base=ced01.. 

informal 

learning 

2010, 

cit., 

and 

op. 

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The French and Portuguese validation systems are linked to the national qualification system. 
In France all qualifications, except regulated professions, can also be obtained on the basis of 
validation of non-formal and informal learning. 

In Portugal a specific infrastructure for validation was set up, namely the New Opportunities 
Centres (454 in total) where people could apply for validation and receive guidance and the 
National Agency for Qualifications (in 2007) as the responsible body responsible for both the 
coordination  of  the  national  validation  system  and  for  vocational  training  reform.  The  New 
Opportunity  Initiative  has  had  an  important  outreach:  more  than  one  million  low  qualified 
adults were encouraged to improve their educational attainment15.  

In  France  individuals  can  apply  for  validation  by  submitting  a  portfolio  of  experiences 
including  detailed  descriptions  of  skills  and  competences  to  the  ministry  responsible  for 
awarding  qualifications.  An  established  jury  appointed  by  the  responsible  ministry  decides 
upon the award of a full or partial qualification based on the application.    

Under the Dutch system of validation, individuals can apply for validation of experiences by 
submitting  a  portfolio  of  experiences  to  a  recognised  provider  of  "experience  certificates". 
Assessors within these providers can deliver an experience certificate to be used either for job 
search or for official recognition by an examination board of a formal education and training 
provider. The Dutch validation system is further supported by an expertise centre which set up 
a  quality  code  for  validation  that  has  to  be  respected  by  the  providers  of  experience 
certificates. In 2009 the government provided funding for validation as a means to cope with 
collective  redundancies,  allowing  dismissed  employees  to  obtain  an  experience  certificate 
facilitating their recruitment by other employers.  

A  comprehensive  evaluation  study  on  the  Dutch  experiences,  in  which  more  than  one 
thousand  individuals,  stakeholders  and  employers  participated,  made  it  clear  that  the  Dutch 
system of validation has been successful as instrument for enhancing the qualification level of 
individuals.  The  same  study  showed  that  the  impact  of  the  validation  system  for  invidual 
career development is more mixed, but that validation of non-formal and informal learning is 
an important catalyst in situations where individuals invest in the management of their own 
career and where employers invest in the careers of their staff16.  

In  a  large  number  of  countries  social  partners  play  an  active  role  in  setting  up  national 
validation  systems  and  in  defining  standards  as  is  the  case  in  e.g.  Austria,  Denmark,  the 
Netherlands,  Finland,  France  and  Luxembourg.  In  Germany  chambers  of  industry  and 
commerce play an important role in awarding VET qualifications.   

The characteristics of the most developed countries in validation do not exist in countries with 
a lower level of development where validation is not mainstreamed.  

In  Belgium,  the  Czech  Republic,  Estonia,  Italy,  Ireland,  Lithuania,  Slovakia  and  Slovenia 
validation systems exist in one or more but not in all sectors. E.g. in Belgium (Flanders) and 
Slovenia it is mainly related to VET qualifications.  

15 Roberto Carneiro (ed.) (2011), Accreditation of prior learning as a lever for lifelong learning: lessons learnt 
Initiative,  Portugal,  UNESCO,  MENON  Network,  CEPCEP, 

from 
http://www.ucp.pt/site/resources/documents/CEPCEP/Accreditation_final.pdf. 

the  New  Opportunities 

16 Diederick Stoel & Eveline Wentzel (2011), Beloften, feiten en ongekende mogelijkheden: Onderzoek naar de 

effecten van EVC, Amsterdam: ProfitWise Onderzoek en Advies. 

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Some  of  the  countries  falling  within  the  group  of  the  lowest  level  of  development  have 
recently  taken  validation  initiatives  as  part  of  the  development  of  a  national  qualification 
framework (e.g. Bulgaria, Latvia, Malta and Poland), but the validation system itself is still in 
its  initial  stage.  Yet  in  some  other  countries,  e.g.  Cyprus,  Greece  and  Hungary,  hardly  any 
possibilities for validating non-formal and informal learning exist.  

In  a  large  number  of  countries,  even  if  some  validation  opportunities  exist,  their  take  up  is 
lower than it could be. Underused validation possibilities also appear in countries with a more 
developed  validation  system  such  as  Denmark,  Germany,  Luxembourg,  Romania,  Spain, 
Sweden and the United Kingdom.    

The limited and underused validation opportunities make skills remain invisible and are not 
used to their full potential for the benefit of, the economy and the society at large.   

2.2.2.  A  lack  of  comparability  and  coherence  between  the  validation  approaches  of 

Member States  

The current uneven availability national validation policies and practices as well as existing 
disparities  between  Member  States  reduce  the  comparability  and  transparency  of  validation 
systems.  They  make  it  difficult  for  citizens  to  combine  learning  outcomes  acquired  in 
different  settings,  on  different  levels  and  in  different  countries.  They  create  the  following 
obstacles for the transnational mobility of learners and workers at times where such mobility 
is needed for creating more economic growth: 

For workers: 
− 

− 

If a worker can have his/her skills validated in his/her home country, he/she will be less 
inclined  to  move  to  another  country  if  he/she  faces  less  favourable  working  conditions 
because non-formal and informal learning is not recognised by that country; 
If a worker has developed skills in a country where these skills cannot be validated, when 
moving to another country he/she may face working conditions that are worse than what 
would normally be expected for his/her level of skills because they could not be validated 
in his/her home country;  

For learners:  
− 

If prior learning can be validated in country A to obtain formal credits, but country B does 
not  accept  such  credits,  learners  risk  not  to  move  from  country  A  to  country  B  for  this 
reason;  

For learners and workers: 
− 

If  a  country  has  not  related  its  qualifications  obtained  on  the  basis  of  non-formal  and 
informal learning to the EQF levels, people holding such qualifications will be hindered in 
their mobility to other countries. 

2.2.3.  Problem drivers 

The  problem  drivers  relate  in  particular  to  the  first  problem  addressed  by  this  initiative, 
namely limited validation opportunities in some and underused validation opportunities in the 
majority  of  Member  States.  The  second  problem,  namely  the  lack  of  comparability  and 
coherence between validation systems, is an important consequence of the first problem. 

The drivers can be summarised as follows: 

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−  a lack of trust in validation systems, processes and outcomes, which is also the concern of 
74  %  of  respondents  to  the  public  consultation;  low  trust  reflects  the  fact  that 
qualifications obtained on the basis of non-formal and informal learning are not perceived 
as having the same currency value as qualifications on obtained after formal learning; 

− 

low awareness of validation possibilities in countries where validation opportunities exist, 
in particular among disadvantaged groups, as revealed by the 2010 European Inventory on 
validation17  and  as  confirmed  by  the  results  of  the  public  consultation  to  which  77%  of 
respondents replied that they lacked information on validation;  

−  cultural and attitudinal barriers towards validation of non-formal and informal learning (in 
e.g.  Greece  validation  is  not  yet  developed  because  formal  educational  attainment, 
especially  at  university  level,  is  held  in  high  esteem,  while  non-formal  and  informal 
learning are not valued); the last driver is not directly addressed in this initiative, but it is 
expected that the initiative's objectives and proposed actions will be conducive to create a 
more positive attitude to validation in all Member States. 

2.3. 

Existing  policies  and  instruments  on  the  European  level  relating  to  the 
validation of non-formal and informal learning 

The limited and uneven availability and use of opportunities for validation of non-formal and 
informal  learning  at  Member  State,  as  well  as  the  lack  of  comparability  and  coherence  of 
validation approaches between Member States exist despite the existence of European policies 
and instruments promoting the transparency and comparability of competences, qualifications 
and credits including the validation of non-formal and informal learning.  

Validation of non-formal and informal learning has been part of the European policy agenda 
since  2001  when  the  Commission  defined  lifelong  learning  as  "all  learning  activity 
undertaken  throughout  life,  with  the  aim  of  improving  knowledge,  skills  and  competences 
within a personal, civic, social and/or employment-related perspective"18.  

In 2004 Common European principles on validation were adopted. These relate to individual 
trust  and  credibility  and 
entitlements,  obligations  of  stakeholders,  confidence  and 
legitimacy19.  

Also in 2004 the Europass framework was established20. It includes the Europass CV and a 
portfolio  of  documents  which  citizens  can  use  to  better  communicate  and  present  their 
qualifications  and  competences  throughout  Europe.  Under  this  framework  the  European 
Commission  is  currently  preparing  the  Europass  Experience  Module  to  help  individuals 
record  and  present  the  skills  acquired  throughout  their  life.21  In  addition  the  Youthpass  is  a 

17  Claire  Duchemin  and  Jo  Hawley  (2010),  "Thematic  Report:  Validation  for  Specific  Target  Groups",  in: 

European Inventory 2010, op cit, http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77651.pdf.  

18 COM(2001) 678 final, Brussels, 21.11.2001, p.9,  

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2001:0678:FIN:EN:PDF. 
19 http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc/informal/validation2004_en.pdf. 
20 Decision Nr 2241/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 December 2004 on a single 
Community  framework  for  the  transparency  of  qualifications  and  competences  (Europass),  OJ  L  390,  2004, 
p.6, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2004:390:0006:0020:EN:PDF. 

21 Announced under the Communication on the Agenda for New Skills and Jobs, COM(2010) 682 final, p.13, . 

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European tool for participants in the Youth in Action Programme describing what they have 
done and showing what they have learnt22.  

In  2008  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  adopted  the  Recommendation  on  the 
European  Qualifications  Framework  (EQF)  for  lifelong  learning.  The  EQF  is  a  reference 
framework  of  qualification  levels  defined  through  learning  outcomes23.  To  implement  the 
EQF, all Member States are setting up their National Qualification Framework (NQF) based 
on learning outcomes and reference their qualifications to the European levels. Through this 
process  qualifications  will  become  better  comparable  and  will  be  easier  to  understand  for 
employers,  educational  establishments,  workers  and  learners.  By  the  end  of  2011,  16 
countries  had  adopted  their  National  Qualification  Framework  and  12  countries  had 
referenced their national qualifications to the European qualifications reference framework as 
defined by the EQF Recommendation. In 2012 another 13 countries are expected to conclude 
the referencing of national qualifications to European levels.24 

The EQF and NQFs are overarching tools, which, by defining qualifications through learning 
outcomes, have laid the ground for validation of non-formal and informal learning as a valid 
pathway towards qualifications. 

Credit  systems  based  on  learning  outcomes  facilitate  the  validation  of  non-formal  and 
informal learning by possibilities to award credits for relevant learning experiences which can 
lead to exemptions to parts of a curriculum: 
−  The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS)25, developed within the 
European  Higher  Education  Area,  facilitates  mobility  between  higher  education 
institutions. ECTS is moving towards learning outcomes and this provides opportunities to 
further links to the validation of non-formal and informal learning; 

−  The European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET), of 200926, 
associates  a  certain  number  of  ECVET  points  to  units  of  learning  outcomes,  based  on 
common  standards  and  on  agreed  procedures  for  assessment,  transfer,  accumulation  and 
recognition between vocational training institutions. 

The 2009 European guidelines for validating non-formal and informal learning from Cedefop 
provide technical advice to civil servants and practitioners relate to different perspectives on 
validation,  such  as  the  European,  the  national,  the  organisational  and  the  individual 
perspective27. They further deal with validation processes and methods and with the inputs of 
validation practitioners (counsellors, assessors, process administrators). They were developed 
through  a  process  of  peer  learning  under  the  open  method  of  coordination.  They  form  a 
practical tool to be applied on a voluntary basis. 

22 http://www.youthpass.eu. 
23 Recommendation of the European Parliament and the Council of 23 April 2008 on the establishment of the 
learning,  OJ  L,  111,  6.5.2008,  p.1,  http://eur-

European  Qualifications  Framework  for 
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:111:0001:0007:EN:PDF. 

lifelong 

24  Cedefop  (2011),  "National  qualifications  frameworks  developments  in  Europe",  Working  Paper  No  12, 

October 2011, http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/files/6112_en.pdf. 

25  European  Credit  Transfer  and  Accumulation  System,  cf.  http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-

policy/doc48_en.htm. 

26 Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009 on the establishment of a 
European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET), OJ C 155, 2009, p. 11, http://eur-
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:111:0001:0007:EN:PDF. 

27Cedefop  (2009),  European  guidelines  for  validating  non-formal  and  informal  learning,  Luxembourg:  

Publications Office of the European Union,  http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/4054_en.pdf. 

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In addition to the European initiatives, the following developments are relevant:  

−  Several  sectoral  skills  and  qualification  passports  have  developed  through  the  European 
sectoral  social  dialogue28,  such  as  the  AgriPass29,  the  sport  and  fitness  competence 
frameworks30,  the  European  Qualification  and  Skills  Passport  (QSP)  in  the  Hospitality 
Sector 31 and the EMU pass in the metal sector32. These passes promote the recognition of 
skills,  experiences  and  qualifications,  facilitating  transnational  mobility  within  the  same 
sector  and  can  play  a  role  in  the  phase  of  identification  and  documentation  of  citizens' 
skills.  

−  Some  multinational  enterprises  have  developed  internal  policies  on  validation  of  non-
formal  and  informal  learning  which  can  have  positive  effects  on  the  skills  levels  of 
workers and facilitate their redeployment within or outside the company33.    

The above mentioned tools and instruments represent a number of shortcomings in addressing 
the problems identified in section 2.2 which are summarised as follows for each of them: 

−  The EQF Recommendation's main focus has been on formal qualifications and although it 
promotes the validation of non-formal and informal learning, it does not provide further 
guidance on how to implement validation.  

−  The common European principles on validation from 2004 are relevant for the setting up 
of  validation  systems,  however,  valuable  as  they  are,  they  do  not  provide  sufficient 
detailed  guidance  for  the  building  and  running  of  validation  systems,  especially  in 
countries where validation hardly exists.  

−  The European guidelines for validating non-formal and informal learning are focused on 
the implementation of validation by providing technical advice, but they lack the status of 
a policy-framework adopted by a law-making body.  

−  Skills and Qualification passports developed by the social partners through the European 
Sectoral Social Dialogue are useful for the identification and documentation of skills and 
qualifications,  thus  making  skills  and  qualifications  better  comparable  between  Member 
States. However, there value is limited to the sector on which they focus and they are not 
with all validation stages (e.g. they do not cover assessments eventually leading to a full 
or partial qualification). 

−  Also  the  Europass  (in  particular  the  Europass  Experiece  module,  currently  under 
development) and Youthpass are useful for identification and documentation of learning 
experiences, but like the sectoral Skills and Qualifications passports they can only provide 
inputs into the validation process, but are no validation instruments in themselves. 

28  European  Commission  (2010),  European  Sectoral  Social  Dialogue:  Recent  developments,  Luxembourg:  
Union, 

Publications 
of 
http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=329&langId=en&pubId=570&type=2&furtherPubs=yes. 

European 

Office 

the 

29 Cf. http://www.agripass-online.eu/. 
30Cf. 

http://www.eose.org/EQF/index.php, 

http://www.elearningfitness.eu/elf-project/project-summary-and-

objectives. 

31 Cf. http://www.effat.eu/public/index.php?lang=3&menu=5. 
32 Cf. http://www.emu-pass.com/. 
33 Rasa Jucite (2010), "The Philips Vocational qualifications programme, the Netherlands", European Inventory 
Thessaloniki:  Cedefop, 
on 
Informal 
of  Non-formal 
http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77484.pdf. 

Validation 

Learning 

2010, 

and 

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−  Credit  systems  can  facilitate  validation,  but  are  limited  the  function  they  perform  in 
validation, namely the recognition of learning experiences through the award of credits for 
these.   

Given the shortcomings of the different tools and instruments, individually, or taken together, 
one  can  speak  of  a  “validation  gap”  within  the  existing  tools/instruments  for  the 
implementation of validation of non-formal and informal learning. 

2.4.  Who else is affected? 

In addition to the groups mentioned in sections 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3, this initiative affects: 

−  Certain  groups  in  particular:  disadvantaged  groups  (e.g.  the  young  and  old  unemployed,  
low-qualified adults, disabled people, school drop-outs, migrants, ethnic minorities, older 
workers),  individuals  returning  to  work  after  having  spent  time  taking  care  of  children, 
mobile learners and workers; 

−  Employers of all sectors; 

−  Employment Services; 

−  Qualification authorities/bodies; 

−  Validation  professionals:  assessors  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  experiences, 

guidance counsellors; 

−  Providers of formal education and training;  

−  Non-formal education and training providers. 

2.5. 

EU added value 

EU  action  has  already  proven  to  be  of  added  value  for  the  recognition  of  skills  and 
qualifications  acquired  throughout  Europe  aiming  at  the  free  movement  of  citizens,  a  better 
access to Europe's labour markets and the mobility of workers and learners. Such EU added 
value has been recognised by all Member States in the context of the EQF and in the context 
of other European tools and instruments such as ECVET, ECTS, and Europass34. 

EU  action  on  validation  will  fill  the  "gap"  on  validation  which  currently  exists  within  the 
currently available European tools and instruments, related to implementation of validation of 
non-formal  and  informal  learning  in  practice.  Filling  this  gap  will  bring  existing  tools  and 
instruments to their full potential.  

Whereas  Member  States'  activities  in  the  area  of  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal 
learning  are  focussed  on  the  national  level,  EU  action  on  validation  should  relate  to 
cooperation  and  coordination  across  Member  States.  EU  action  can  facilitate  mobility  of 
workers  and  learners  through  a  better  mutual  recognition  of  non-formally  and  informally 
acquired skills. By introducing more cooperation and stronger coordination between Member 
States, the transparency of validation systems will increase and the mutual trust by Member 
States in each other's validation systems enhanced. Especially Member States with low trust 
levels and weak traditions in validation of non-formal and informal learning can benefit from 
this.  Mutual  trust  cannot  be  achieved  with  the  same  efficiency  by  Member  States  alone 
without action on the EU level. 

34 Cedefop (2011), op. cit. 

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The EU added value of the initiative is finally embedded in its support to Member States in 
their cooperation related to the  validation of non-formal and informal learning,  in particular 
through the EU support in the framework of the Open Method of Coordination, Peer Learning 
Activities and projects supported by EU programmes. 

2.6. 

EU right to act and subsidiarity 

Right to act 

Articles 165 and 166 of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union (TFEU) foresee 
that  the  Union  will  contribute  to  the  development  of  quality  education  and  implement  a 
vocational  training  policy  by  encouraging  co-operation  between  Member  States  and,  where 
necessary supporting and supplementing their action, while fully respecting the responsibility 
of the Member  States for the content  of teaching and the  organisation of education  systems 
and  vocational  training.  Action  at  Union  level  to  promote  a  skilled,  trained  and  adaptable 
workforce is called for by Article 148 TFEU. 

Subsidiarity 

The current initiative recommends common lines of action to be implemented on the level of 
the  Member  States  with  some  European  support.  It  will  propose  actions  that  will  need 
implementation  at  EU  and  Member  State  level.  The  EU  level  will  provide  coordination  – 
including in particular coordination with the relevant European instruments – and support, for 
instance  by  organising  peer  learning  activities.  Member  States  will  remain  entirely 
responsible  for  the  design,  development  and  implementation  of  their  arrangements  (laws, 
regulations, collective agreements) for the validation of non-formally and informally acquired 
learning outcomes. Action on both levels is complementary and the prerogatives of Member 
States are safeguarded. 

2.7. 

How  the  problem  would  evolve  without  additional  EU  intervention  (baseline 
scenario) 

Without  additional  EU  intervention  leading  to  a  more  coordinated  approach  towards 
validation  across  the  European  Union,  taking  advantage  of  existing  European  tools,  the 
following is likely to happen: 

− 

the  existing  "validation  gap"  within  the  existing  European  tools  and  instruments,  in 
particular the implementation gap on validation of the EQF, as well as the weak status of 
the European guidelines for validating non-formal and informal learning, will persist and 
not contribute to addressing the problems described in section 2.2; 

−  current  policies  in  education  and  training  will  continue  to  stress  the  importance  of 
validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning.  The  Bruges  Communiqué  on  Enhanced 
European  Cooperation  in  Vocational  Education  and  Training  calls  for  validation 
procedures linked to national qualification systems to be put in place by 201535. Like the 
EQF Recommendation it does not provide further guidance on the implementation and is 
expected to contribute only to a limited extend to dealing with the problems addressed by 
this initiative;  

35 The Bruges Communiqué on enhanced European Cooperation in Vocational Education and Training for the 

period 2011-2020, http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc/vocational/bruges_en.pdf. 

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−  Without  a  stronger  political  framework  there  is  a  high  probability  that  the  funding  for 
validation  under  the  Lifelong  Learning  Programme,  the  future  Erasmus  for  All 
programme and the European Social Fund will remain scattered as it has been in the past, 
and that the problems identified in section 2.2 will not be sufficiently addressed. 

−  based  on  current  trends,  the  situation  of  validation  will  improve  only  slowly  in  most 
Member  States;  by  2020  a  mainstreamed  validation  system  might  be  available  in  ten 
countries. This is better than the current four countries, but represents still less than half of 
the Member States; 

−  validation  opportunities  will  continue  to  be  underused  in  a  large  number  of  Member 

States; 

−  validation  systems  will  remain  uncoordinated  between  Member  States  and  thus  hamper 

the mobility of learners and workers; 

− 

the  opportunities  offered  for  the  employability  of  individuals  will  not  reach  their  full 
potential, as many skills in many countries will remain invisible and undervalued; 

−  on  the  level  of  the  European  social  partners  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal 
learning, as part of a broader focus on lifelong learning, will continue to be characterised 
by sectoral (e.g. sectoral skills passports) rather than transversal initiatives. 

3. 

SECTION 3: OBJECTIVES  

As seen in 2.3, access to the labour market and to further learning is hampered by limited and 
underused opportunities for validation, while mobility of workers and learners is hampered by 
a lack of comparability and coherence of national approaches to validation. The objectives of 
the  initiative  directly  target  the  limited  availability  of  validation  opportunities  at  national 
level,  the  lack  of  a  comparable  and  coherent  approach  in  validation  and  the  awareness  of 
validation opportunities in Europe. Action towards the objectives is also expected to have a 
positive impact on the trust in validation of non-formal and informal learning as a pathway to 
obtain a qualification. 

3.1. 

General objectives 

The general objectives of this initiative are the following: 

(1) To  provide  citizens  in  all  Member  States  with  the  opportunity  to  validate  their  skills 

acquired outside formal education and training systems. 

(2) To  provide  citizens  with  the  opportunity  to  use  their  validated  skills  for  working  and 

learning purposes throughout Europe. 

3.2. 

Specific and operational objectives 

To pursue the two general objectives, two specific objectives and four operational objectives 
have been defined. 

3.2.1. 

Specific objectives 

To achieve the systematic provision of validation opportunities that now is available only in a 
few  countries,  there  is  a  need  to  mainstreaming  validation  within  the  lifelong  learning 

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strategies  of  all  Member  States.  While  the  nature  and  form  of  validation  systems  will  vary 
between  countries,  they  should  follow  a  coordinated  approach,  taking advantage  of  existing 
tools  allowing  citizens  to  move  across  countries  without  any  loss  of  validated  skills.  The 
specific objectives are therefore the following; 

(1) To  put  in  place  systems  for  the  validation  of  non  formal  and  informal  learning  at 

national level linked to the National Qualifications Framework.  

(2) To  establish  an  appropriate  level  of  comparability  and  coherence  between  national 

validation systems linked to the European Qualifications Framework. 

3.2.2.  Operational objectives 

The following operational objectives have been defined: 

(1) To  promote  national  qualification  frameworks  in  a  way  that  qualifications  can  be 
acquired through formal programmes as well as through the validation of non-formal 
and informal learning.  

This  contributes  to  both  comprehensiveness  at  national  level  and  coordination  between 
national approaches, as national qualification frameworks concern all education and training 
subsystems, cover all subjects and are related to the EQF. 

(2) To  provide  mechanisms  for  the  identification,  documentation,  and  quality  assured 
assessment and validation of skills acquired through non-formal and informal learning, 
taking advantage of common European instruments such Europass, ECTS, ECVET.  

The use of European tools will ensure a good level of coordination: skills can be documented 
in the common European format provided by the Europass framework. Following assessment 
they can be converted into formal credits recognised throughout Europe through the European 
credit systems ECTS and ECVET. The mechanisms should also take into account tools and 
initiatives developed by social partners and other stakeholders, including industry based tools 
as this reinforces the coverage and penetration of validation arrangements.  

A  quality  assured  assessment  and  validation  will  contribute  to  creating  more  trust  in 
validation  systems,  processes  and  outcomes.  All  qualifications,  whether  obtained  through 
formal  learning  or  through  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  should  be  issued 
against  the  same  standards,  ensuring  that  qualifications  obtained  on  the  basis  of  non-formal 
and informal learning have the same currency value as qualifications obtained on the basis of 
formal learning. 

(3) To  allow  individuals  to  have  their  skills  and  competences  identified  and  documented 

without resulting into a formal qualification.  

Experiences  of  national  validation  systems  show  that  the  primary  target  of  individuals 
entering into a validation procedure is not necessarily to obtain a higher qualification but to 
make their skills visible.  This documentation should be presented in a format allowing an as 
wide as possible portability towards employers and education and training institutions. 

(4) To  extend  and  intensify  the  cooperation  and  exchange  of  good  practice  between 
Member States, supported by peer-learning activities and European reporting tools. 

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Both  stronger  coordination  between  national  approaches  and  more  effective  results  within 
countries can be achieved through peer learning and through an improved knowledge basis. 

(5) To raise the awareness of validation opportunities. 

As suggested by the 2010 country update of the European Inventory on validation, the actual 
take-up of validation could be increased by raising awareness of validation opportunities. A 
specific  effort  should  be  made  towards  disadvantaged  groups  who  will  otherwise  be  more 
difficult to reach. 

3.3. 

Consistency of objectives with other EU policies and strategic objectives  

3.3.1.  Consistency with the EU 2020 strategic objectives 

The  general  and  specific  objectives  are  in  line  with  the  Europe  2020  Strategy  on  smart, 
sustainable and inclusive growth36. They match with the following EU 2020 flagships:  
−  Youth  on  the  Move37  and  the  Agenda  for  New  Skills  and  Jobs38,  which  call  for  better 
employability, increased occupational and educational mobility, flexible learning pathways 
and  for  valuing  learning  outside  formal  systems;  both  announced  the  initiative  for  a 
Recommendation on the validation of non-formal and informal learning; 

−  The  Digital  Agenda  for  Europe39:  in  particular  its  action  areas  to  enhance  digital  literacy, 

skills and inclusion and to bring ICT-enabled benefits to the EU society; 

−  The European platform against poverty40. 

They contribute to the following Europe 2020 headline targets41:  
−  Less than 10 % early school leavers: the objectives can support individuals who dropped out 

− 

from school to re-enter the formal system or obtain a qualification; 
Increasing  the  proportion  of  30-34  having  completed  tertiary  or  equivalent  education  to 
40%: through the recognition of prior learning to get access to higher education; 

−  75% overall employment rate: validation can increase the employability of individuals and 
is therefore relevant for getting more people into work, especially women, the young, older 
and low-skilled people, legal migrants and people with disabilities; 

−  At least 20 million fewer people in or at risk of poverty and social exclusion: validation 
can  enhance  the  employment  prospects  of  e.g.  the  low  qualified  and  individuals  who 

36  European  Commission  (2010),  Europe  2020,  A  strategy  for  smart,  sustainable  and  inclusive  growth, 
http://eur-

COM(2010) 
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2010:2020:FIN:EN:PDF. 

final, 

2020 

37 European Commission (2010), Youth on the Move, An initiative to unleash the potential of young people to 
achieve  smart,  sustainable  and  inclusive  growth  in  the  European  Union,  COM(2010)  477  final, 
http://ec.europa.eu/education/yom/com_en.pdf. 

38  European  Commission  (2010),  An  Agenda  for  new  skills  and  jobs:  A  European  contribution  towards  full 
http://eur-

employment, 
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2010:0682:FIN:EN:PDF. 

COM(2010) 

final, 

682 

39European  Commission  (2010),  A  Digital  Agenda  for  Europe,  COM(2010)  245  final,  19.5.2010,  http://eur-

lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2010:0245:FIN:EN:PDF. 

40  European  Commission  (2010),  The  European  Platform  against  Poverty  and  Social  Exclusion:  A  European 
http://eur-

framework 
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2010:0758:FIN:EN:PDF. 

COM(2010) 

territorial 

cohesion, 

social 

final, 

758 

and 

for 

41 COM(2010) 2020 final, op.cit., p. 5 

EN 

18 

   EN 

                                                 
dropped  out  from  school,  thus  contributing  to  alleviating  poverty  and  to  their  social 
inclusion.  

They are in line with the Commission's intention to publish a Communication on rethinking 
the way education and training systems are providing skills in 2012.  

3.3.2.  Consistency  with  other  policies,  tools  and  instruments  in  the  field  of  education, 

training and youth 

The  objectives  are  in  conformity  with  the  2014-2020  Multi-Annual  Financial  Framework 
proposal42 and with the objectives of the proposed Erasmus for all Programme, in particular 
(a)  the  improvement  of  the  level  of  key  competences  and  skills  and  their  relevance  for  the 
labour market and society and (b) the promotion of a European lifelong learning area43.   

They are closely linked and complementary to the tools and instruments discussed in section 
2.2. They are further consistent with the development of other specific instruments, namely a 
new module under Europass to record non-formal and informal learning experiences, ESCO44, 
the  European  Framework  for  Key  Competences  for  Lifelong  Learning45  and  the  quality 
assurance reference framework EQAVET46.  

They  are  coherent  with  the  strategic  framework  for  European  cooperation  in  education  and 
training  (ET  2020)47  including  its  target  of  15%  of  adults  participating48  in  education  and 
training  by  202049.    They  are  in  line  with  EU  policies  developed  on  education  and  training 
(adult  learning,  vocational  training,  higher  education),  as  witnessed  in  particular  by  the 
Bruges  Communiqué  on  Enhanced  European  Cooperation  in  Vocational  Education  and 
Training that calls for validation procedures to be put in place by 2015. 

They  are  also  consistent  with  policies  and  initiatives  on  youth  and  voluntary  work  (e.g.  the 
European  Strategy  for  Youth50  and  the  2011  European  Year  of  Voluntary  Activities 
Promoting Active Citizenship51). 

42  European  Commission 

500 
http://ec.europa.eu/budget/library/biblio/documents/fin_fwk1420/MFF_COM-2011-500_Part_I_en.pdf. 

(2011),  A  Budget 

2020,  COM(2011) 

for  Europe 

final, 

43 Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing "Erasmus for all", the 
final, 

and  Sport,  COM 

(2011)  788 

Union  Programme 
for  Education,  Training,  Youth 
http://ec.europa.eu/education/erasmus-for-all/doc/legal_en.pdf.  

44 European taxonomy of Skills, Competences and Occupations, under development.    
45 Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on Key competences 

for lifelong learning, OJ L 394, 2006, p.10, 

   http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2006:394:0010:0018:en:PDF 
46 Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009 on the Establishment of a 
European  Quality  Assurance Reference  Framework for Vocational  Education  and  Training, OJ  C  155, 2009, 
p.1, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2009:155:0001:0010:EN:PDF. 

47Council conclusions of 12 May 2009 on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training 
http://eur-

(‘ET 
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2009:119:0002:0010:EN:PDF. 

2020’), 

2009, 

119, 

p.2, 

OJ 

C 

48 The percentage of the population aged 25-64 participating in education and training during the 4 weeks prior 

to the survey (Eurostat/Labour Force Survey). 

49  Council  conclusions  of  12  May  2009  on  a  strategic  framework  for  European  cooperation  in  education  and 

training (‘ET 2020’), OJ C 119, p.2, 2009. 

50European  Commission  (2009),  An  EU  Strategy  for  Youth  –  Investing  and  Empowering:  A  renewed  open 
method  of  coordination  to  address  youth  challenges  and  opportunities,  COM(2009)  200  final,  http://eur-
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2009:0200:FIN:EN:PDF. 

EN 

19 

   EN 

                                                 
3.3.3.  Consistency with employment policy and other policies 

The objectives are consistent with the Annual Growth Survey 2012 which calls for adapting 
education and training systems to reflect labour market conditions and skills demand52, with 
the framework agreement by the European social partners on inclusive labour markets of 2010 
calling for the recognition and validation of competences and for improving the transferability 
of  qualifications53  and  with  the  Europe  2020  Integrated  Guidelines  for  the  Economic  and 
Employment  Policies  of  the  Member  States54,  in  particular  its  guideline  8  on  "developing  a 
skilled workforce responding to labour market needs".  

They  are  in  conformity  with  the  objectives  of  Directive  2005/36/EC  on  the  recognition  of 
professional qualifications, which promotes the free movement of persons and services, and 
more  in  general  with  the  objectives  of  the  Single  Market55  as  well  as  with  the  Commission 
proposal for the modernisation of this Directive56 which stresses that skills developed through 
working experience may be taken into account for access to a regulated profession.  

4. 

SECTION 4: POLICY OPTIONS 

The policy options that are considered here are the following: 

1.  No additional EU action (baseline scenario);  

2.  A Council Recommendation on the  implementation of validation; 

3.  A new Open Method of Coordination devoted to validation aimed at the development of 

a European Quality Charter on validation. 

The potential option of discontinuing EU actions and initiatives in the field of validation of non-
formal  and  informal  learning  has  been  discarded  at  an  early  stage,  as  this  would  be 
contradictory to announced policy intentions, in particular the EU 2020 Strategy. 

4.1. 

Option 1 (baseline scenario): 

This option consists of the current situation which can be summarised as follows: 

−  Validation of non-formal and informal learning is taken into account in European policies 

concerning education and training, employment, youth and active citizenship; 

51 Council Decision of 27 November 2009 on the European Year of Voluntary Activities Promoting Active 

Citizenship, OJ L 17, 2010, p.43, http://eur-
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:017:0043:0049:EN:PDF. 

52  European  Commission 

(2011),  Annual  Growth 

Survey 

2012,  COM(2011) 

815 

final, 

http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/pdf/ags2012_en.pdf. 

53  Framework  Agreement  on  Inclusive  Labour  Markets,  Business  Europe,  UEAPME,  CEEP,  ETUC/CES,  25 

March 2010, http://www.etuc.org/IMG/pdf_20100325155413125.pdf. 

54 http://ec.europa.eu/eu2020/pdf/Brochure%20Integrated%20Guidelines.pdf. 
55 European Commission (2010), Towards a Single Market Act, for a highly competitive social market economy; 
50  proposals  for  improving  our  work,  business  and  exchanges  with  one  another,  COM  (2010)  608  final, 
http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/smact/docs/single-market-act_en.pdf. 

56 Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2005/36/EC on  
the recognition of professional qualifications and Regulation on administrative cooperation through the Internal 
final,  
Market 
http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/qualifications/docs/policy_developments/modernising/COM2011_883_en.p
df. 

COM(2011) 

Information 

December 

2011, 

883 

19 

of 

EN 

20 

   EN 

                                                                                                                                                         
−  Existing European instruments such as the EQF, ECVET, ECTS, Europass etc. call for the 
possibility  to  validate  experiences  acquired  through  non-formal  and  informal  learning, 
without indicating how to do this;  

−  The Common European principles on validation by the Council in 2004, the publication of 
European  guidelines  on  validation  by  Cedefop  in  2009,  as  well  as  available  funding 
through the Lifelong Learning Programme, the future Erasmus for All Programme and the 
European Social Fund will continue to be relevant;  

−  Validation is part of the policy agenda in most Member States, but only implemented in a 

comprehensive way in a few Member States;  

−  Member  States  exchange  experiences  on  validation  under  the  Open  Method  of 
Coordination  such  as  in  the  EQF  Advisory  Group,  in  other  sectoral  settings  (e.g.  in  the 
fields  of  higher  education,  VET,  Adult  Learning  and  Youth)  as  well  as  under  the 
European employment strategy.  

4.2. 

Option 2 (Council Recommendation on the implementation of validation):  

Option 2 entails political and practical measures to be undertaken by the Member States and 
stakeholders  in  the  form  of  a  Council  Recommendation,  as  announced  by  the  Europe  2020 
flagship initiatives “Youth on the Move” and “Agenda for New Skills and Jobs”.  

The measures build on the Common European principles and on the European Guidelines for 
validation  of  2009.  They  also  take  account  of  Member  States'  and  other  stakeholders' 
experiences with validation as expressed in several Peer Learning Activities and as analysed 
in the European Inventory and they build on existing credit systems in higher education and in 
the  vocational  education  and  training  sector.  In  addition  they  build  on  experiences  of 
stakeholders  with  regard  to  the  use  of  skills  and  qualification  passes  developed  under  the 
European social dialogue. 

The  measures  provide  for  a  key  role  of  labour  market  stakeholders  (employers,  employer 
organisations,  trade  unions,  public  employment  services)  in  the  practical  development  and 
implementation  of  measures.  They  respect  the  key  principle  that  seeking  validation  should 
remain a voluntary act of citizens. 

The measures to be included in the Recommendation will call on Member States to: 

−  Ensure that all qualifications, at any level of the national qualification framework, can in 
principle  be  acquired  through  the  validation  of  prior  learning,  including  non-formal  and 
informal  learning,  respecting  the  same  standards  as  for  qualifications  obtained  through 
formal programmes; 

−  Put  in  place  mechanisms  that  provide  citizens  with  the  opportunity  to  submit  an 

application for the validation of their learning outcomes; ,  

−  In  the  forms  appropriate  to  the  national  context  and  needs,  ensure  that  information  on 
validation opportunities is widely available, that guidance is available for individuals who 
wish  to  undertake  a  validation  procedure  and  that  transparent  quality  assurance 
mechanisms  in  their  validation  system  concerning  both  the  assessment  (methodologies 
and tools, qualified assessors) and its results (agreed standards) are established;  

−  Provide specific measures for disd-advantaged groups, including citizens most likely to be 
subject to unemployment or insecure forms of employment, for whom such an approach 
could  help  increase  their  participation  in  lifelong  learning  and  their  access  to  the  labour 

EN 

21 

   EN 

market,  in  particular  in  relation  to  targeted  information  and  awareness  raising  measures 
and through specific guidance; 

−  Provide individuals with the opportunity to undergo a skills audit/'bilan de compétences' 
within three months of an identified need, promote the use of current and future Europass 
tools to facilitate the documentation of learning outcomes, promote partnerships and other 
initiatives to facilitate the documentation of learning outcomes developed within SME and 
other small organisations and establish links between validation arrangements and credit 
systems such as ECTS and ECVET; 

−  Provide  incentives  to  social  partners  and  other  relevant  stakeholders,  namely  employer 
organisations,  trade  unions,  chambers  of  commerce,  employment  services,  youth 
organisations,  youth  workers,  education  and  training  providers  as  well  as  civil  society 
organisations  to  be  actively  involved  in  the  development  and  implementation  of  the 
validation mechanisms  

−  Provide  incentives  to  employers,  youth  organisations  and  civil  society  organisations  to 
promote and facilitate the identification and documentation of learning outcomes acquired 
at work or in voluntary work; 

–  Provide  incentives  to  education  and  training  providers  to  facilitate  access  to  formal 
education  and  training  on  the  basis  of  learning  outcomes  acquired  in  non-formal  and 
informal settings and ensure co-ordination between education, training, employment and 
youth implementation services as well as between relevant policies. 

The  proposed  measures  leave  it  up  to  the  Member  States  how  to  implement  the 
Recommendation  within  the  national  system,  including  the  burden  sharing  between  public 
authorities and private operators. 

The measures to be proposed in the Recommendation are in line with the results of the public 
consultation:  strengthening  the  implementation  of  practical  measures  was  considered  as 
important by 83 per cent of the respondents. Along the priorities and items for action they will 
address the following replies received to the public consultation: 
− 

raising the status and value of validation (mentioned by 96 % of the respondents as being 
very important, important or moderately important); 

−  awareness raising (95 %); 
−  exchange of good practice and peer learning (95 %); 
−  strengthening the implementation of practical measures at national regional and local level 

(94 %); 

−  enhancing the comparability, transparency and trust across national boundaries (94 %); 
− 

improving  the  visibility  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  including  through 
documentation (94 %);   

−  building  flexible  pathways  between  non-formal  and  informal  learning  and  formal 

education and training (93 %); 

−  building links between validation and education and training credit systems (92 %); 
−  enhancing  synergies  between  the  existing  European  tools  and  frameworks  that  support 

− 

validation (91 %); 
integration  of  validation  in  mainstream  education  and  training  and  qualification  systems 
(90%). 

The Recommendation will be complemented by more intensive cooperation on the validation 
of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  within  the  existing  EQF  Advisory  Group  as  Open 
Method of Coordination structure. Making use of the EQF Advisory Group will reinforce the 

EN 

22 

   EN 

integration  of  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  within  the  ongoing  EQF 
process.  

The measures will strengthen the implementation of the EQF Recommendation by filling its 
"gap" on the implementation of validation 

In  addition  to  the  baseline  scenario  the  measures  foreseen  under  Option  2  foresee  for  the 
Commission a role in regularly updating the European Inventory on validation of non formal 
and  informal  learning  and  the  European  Guidelines  for  validating  non-formal  and  informal 
learning.  The  European  Inventory  will  be  stronger  focussed  on  evaluation  of  results  of 
validation  systems  than  is  currently  the  place.  The  European  Guidelines  will  be  regularly 
reviewed in the light of experiences made with validation systems. 

Under this option the Council Recommendation is expected to be approved in 2012, with an 
implementation  of  the  proposed  mechanisms  by  the  Member  States  and  the  European 
Commission from 2013 onwards. 

4.3. 

Option 3: A new process based on a new Open Method of Coordination devoted 
to  validation  aimed  at  the  development  of  a  European  Quality  Charter  on 
validation 

Under  Option  3  Member  States  will  work  together,  in  a  new  Open  Method  of  Coordination 
(OMC)  specifically  devoted  to  validation,  aiming  at  the  setting  up  of  a  European  Quality 
Charter on the validation of non-formal and informal learning. The new OMC would work in 
parallel  to  and  be  independent  from  other  existing  OMCs,  in  particular  the  EQF  Advisory 
Group. Relevant stakeholders will play an important role in the new OMC process, such as trade 
unions, employer organisations, formal and non-formal education and training providers as well 
as  relevant  quality  assurance  bodies.  If  relevant  also  other  parties  (e.g.  individual  companies 
with useful experiences in validation) will be involved in the process.  

The  European  Quality  Charter  will  build  on  both  European  (e.g.  European  guidelines  and  the 
common  European  principles  on  validation)  and  on  national  initiatives  (public  and  private) 
related  to  quality  assurance  in  the  area  of  validation.  It  will  be  developed  based  on  a  mutual 
learning process. A European Quality Charter could contribute to building trust and confidence 
between Member States. It should be implemented on a voluntary basis. 

The  idea  of  a  European  Quality  Charter  as  such  is  not  new  and  has  been  part  of  a 
Recommendation on transnational mobility for education and training purposes of 200657.  

The European Quality Charter could be formulated around the following lines: 
−  Quality ensured validation procedures for existing validation centres; 
−  Quality standards for assessors (methodologies and tools, training of assessors); 
−  Guidance and counselling (for individuals who wish to have their skills validated); 
−  Access to validation (avoiding barriers to validation); 
−  Stakeholder  involvement  (social  partners,  both  sectoral  and  transversal,  education  and 

training providers, quality assurance bodies); 

57  Recommendation  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  18  December  2006  on  transnational 
mobility within the Community for education and training purposes: European Quality Charter for Mobility, OJ 
L 
http://eur-
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2006:394:0005:0009:EN:PDF. 

30.12.2006, 

394, 

p.5, 

EN 

23 

   EN 

                                                 
−  Specific target groups (in particular disadvantaged groups); 
−  European dimension of quality assurance (in line with the quality assurance principles that 

underpin the EQF). 

Apart  from  its  focus  on  developing  a  European  Quality  Charter,  the  new  OMC  process  will, 
compared to the baseline scenario, also consist of: 
−  A new set of reporting mechanisms by Member States, including national action plans, to 

be implemented on an annual basis; 
–  Monitoring progress by the Commission.  

Option  3  fully  respects  the  prerogatives  of  Member  States  as  far  as  the  setting  up  and  the 
implementation  of  validation  systems  is  concerned,  including  how  the  financial  burden  is 
shared between public authorities and private actors.  

Like in Option 2, in addition to the baseline scenario, Option 3 foresees for the Commission a 
role in regularly updating the European  Inventory on  validation of non formal and informal 
learning and the European Guidelines for validating non-formal and informal learning. 
The  OMC  mechanisms  are  expected  to  be  put  in  place  late  2012  which  should  lead  to  the 
approval of the charter in 2014. Its implementation is expected to follow from 2015 onwards.  

5. 

ANALYSIS OF IMPACTS  

The  assessed  impacts  concern  economic,  social  impacts  and  other  impacts,  assessed  in 
comparison  with  the  baseline  scenario.  As  all  options  have  only  limited  environmental 
impacts and are not significantly different between each other, these will not be explored in 
more detail. 

The  social,  economic  and  other  impacts  have  been  examined  in  qualitative  terms  based  on 
likely impacts, as there are no hard data available. For each of the likely impacts it has been  
assessed  whether  it  leads  to  an  improvement  (+:  slightly  positive,  ++:  positive)  or  a 
deterioration  (-:  slightly  negative,  --:  negative)  in  comparison  with  the  baseline  scenario.  A 
score of "0" is given if there is no likely improvement or deterioration compared with Option 
1. The score for Option 1 (the baseline scenario) is always 0.    

The  realisation  of  the  expected  impacts  will  depend  on  a  number  of  factors  such  as  the 
concrete implementation by Member States of the recommended measures (Option 2) and the 
way  in  which  Member  States  will  effectively  work  towards  a  European  Quality  Charter  on 
validation (Option 3). 

The scoring is further based on the following two assumptions: 

−  The  set  of  recommendations  addressed  to  Member  States  (Option  2)  will  have  more 
immediate  effects  on  the  creation  of  more  validation  opportunities  than  will  be  the  case 
for the newly created OMC (Option 3). Ongoing developments of National Qualification 
Frameworks  (see  section  2.2)  will  benefit  from  the  measures  proposed  under  Option  2 
which  will  be  able  to  deliver  concrete  outcomes  already  in  2013.  The  forthcoming  new 
module  under  the  Europass  Framework  (Europass  Experience),  to  be  adopted  in  2012, 
will  facilitate  the  documentation  of  learning  outcomes  acquired  through  non-formal  and 
informal learning.    

EN 

24 

   EN 

− 

Immediate effects will better contribute to reaching the Europe 2020 targets in time and 
therefore  higher  scores  have  been  given  to  impacts  realised  in  the  short  than  to  impacts 
that are realised in the longer term.  

5.1. 

Economic impacts 

Economic growth and employment 

Under Option 1, current policies on employment and on education & training under the EU 
2020  Strategy,  focus  on  the  strategic  objective  of  enhancing  economic  growth.  A  positive 
effect on economic growth and employment of these policies is therefore assumed (0).   

In  addition  to  existing  policies,  Option  2  foresees  measures  which  focus  on  the  creation  of 
more  validation  opportunities  (including  individual  entitlements),  and  on  better  comparable 
and  more  coherent  validation  systems  facilitating  mobility.  Skills  will  become  more  visible 
and can be better appreciated and used through validation, leading to a better skills match on 
the labour market. This will strengthen economic growth and employment (++).   

Under  Option  3  the  Open  Method  of  Coordination  will  increase  validation  activities  and 
economic  growth.  The  European  Quality  Charter  could  enhance  mutual  trust  between 
Member States on validation systems with a positive effect on the mobility of workers and on 
economic growth. However these impacts will only be realised in the longer run (+). 

Public expenditure58 

The  available  evidence  suggests  that  in  most  countries  validation  initiatives  are  to  a  large 
extent publicly financed59, both from national/regional sources and from European resources 
(mainly from the European Social Fund and from the Lifelong Learning programme).  

According  to  the  European  Inventory  comprehensive  earmarked  validation  budgets  are  the 
exception rather than the rule and if they exist they usually concern one part of the validation 
system. Luxembourg (4.5 million EUR for the period 2009-2010) and Spain (30 million EUR 
for  the  period  2009-2010)  are  the  only  countries  were  budgets  on  an  aggregate  level  are 
available. 

For  certain  countries  figures  are  available  on  costs  for  obtaining  a  certificate.  They  usually 
vary between 800 and 1,800 EUR for a complete validation process leading to a certification. 
Concrete  examples  are  Portugal  (1,600  EUR),  Sweden  (1,550  EUR),  Belgium  (Flanders) 
(between  960  and  1,440  EUR),  France  (between  800  and  1,800  EUR)  and  the  Netherlands 
(between 800 and 1,600 EUR). 

Based on the examples of these countries, combined with statistical indicators on the use of 
validation (see annex 3), it is possible to provide some indications on aggregated costs: 

−  Portugal:  around  320,000  people  obtained  a  certificate  through  validation  of  non-formal 
and  informal  learning.  Based  on  the  assumption  that  this  figure  relates  to  4  years  of 

58 The information related to the country examples is based on the Belgian (Flanders), French, Luxembourgish, 
Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish country chapters of the European Inventory on Validation 2010, op. 
cit.  

59 Antonio Giménez Plaza, Jo Hawley and Manuel Souto Otero (2010), "Thematic Report: Costs and Benefits of 

Val, European Inventory 2010, op. cit., p. 2.  

EN 

25 

   EN 

                                                 
validation  policy,  the  total  costs  per  year  are  EUR  120  million.  The  Portuguese  case  of 
validation is unique as the large number of applicants for validation is closely related to 
the  general  low  level  of  professional  qualifications  of  adults.  Costs  are  high  as  specific 
centres were set up as part of the validation policy;  

−  France:  average  costs  of  EUR  1,300  multiplied  by  around  50,000  applications  per  year 

lead to an annual budget of EUR 65 million; 

− 

In  the  Netherlands  the  annual  average  budget  of  28.5  million  EUR  covered  for  14,000 
experience certificates. 

In countries which according to the European Inventory show a lower level of development, 
the cost figures are also lower, e.g.: 

−  Belgium (Flanders):  total annual costs of EUR 625,000 for 500 certificates of vocational 

experience; 

−  Sweden: total annual costs of EUR 3 million EUR for 1,900 qualifications awarded. 

The country examples above have been given for illustrative purposes. They reflect the wide 
variety in validation policies and practices in the Member States. A more detailed analysis of 
costs and benefits of validation is provided in Annex 4.   

The real costs of putting in place validation mechanisms depend on a number of factors, such 
as:   

−  The readiness of the current system: if validation arrangements can be developed within 
the  existing  institutional  set  up  (e.g.  assessment  centres,  available  guidance),  and  if 
existing standards can be used (assessment, certification), the costs will be lower than if 
hardly any infrastructure exists60;  

−  The scale of validation arrangements: in a well functioning education and training system 
with  an  appropriately  qualified  population  and  workforce,  there  is  less  need  for  a  large 
scale validation programme than in a country where the overall qualification levels of the 
population are low. This is illustrated by the French and Portuguese cases which both have 
a comprehensive validation system, but with a completely different scale61; 

−  Target  groups  of  validation:  the  costs  for  guidance  and  counselling  of  most  people 
belonging  to  disadvantaged  groups  are  higher  than  guidance  costs  for  already  well 
qualified people62.  

When referring to the costs of putting in place validation mechanisms at the same time, the 
cost savings for formal education and training should be taken into account.  The final trade 
off between public expenditure resulting from setting up validation systems and the savings 
on  public  expenditure  resulting  from  formal  education  and  training  will  depend  on  several 
factors e.g. the way in which education and training institutions are financed. 

Relating the three options, the following situations are expected: 

60  Peer  Learning  Activity  on  the  costs  and  benefits  of  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning,  12-13 

February 2009. 

61 Whereas in France 53,000 people, on a total population of around 60 million, applied for a qualification on the 
basis of validation of past experiences in 2008, in Portugal more than 320,000 people, on a population of about 
10 million had been granted a certificate through the validation process by the year 2010. 

62 Antonio Giménez Plaza, Jo Hawley and Manuel Souto Otero (2010), op. cit., p.7 

EN 

26 

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−  Option 1: public expenditure will probably increase due to the increase in validation that 

is brought by the EQF process, however no quantitative estimates can be given (0). 

−  Option 2: the full costs of a validation procedure are on average between 800 and 1,800 
EUR. As most activities concerning validation are publicly financed, it is probable that the 
enlarged opportunities for validation developed under Option 2 will lead to higher public 
expenditure  compared  to  Option  1.  Exact  estimates  cannot  be  given  as  this  depends  on 
measures  taken  by  the  Member  States.  The  Commission  will  face  some  limited  higher 
expenses due to the regular updating of the European Guidelines on validation63 (--).  

−  Option 3: the development in validation follows in the short term a slightly more intensive 
pattern  than  under  Option  1.  Given  the  absence  of  a  set  of  concrete  measures 
recommended  to  the  Member  States,  developments  will  be  slower  than  under  Option  2, 
but could receive a further boost once the European Quality Charter is in place and then 
result in higher public expenditure at a later stage. The meetings under the OMC and the 
additional reporting by Member States under Option 3 will also entail some higher public 
expenditure64. Overall the increase in public expenditure will be lower than under Option 
2, but no overall quantitative estimate can be given (-).    

Private expenditure 

In  many  countries  individuals  pay  fees  in  order  to  receive  recognition  of  prior  learning  for 
their access to formal education and training or to obtain a formal qualification on the basis of 
learning outcomes acquired outside the formal education and training system. For example in 
Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Latvia individuals have to cover the charges of validation 
schemes ran by public authorities and stakeholders, however no concrete amounts of fees are 
available65.  Also  companies  pay  for  validation  schemes,  especially  if  they  see  the  direct 
benefits of validation, such as the Philips case study has shown66.  

Translated into the three options the expected impacts are as follows: 

−  Option  1:  under  the  current  EQF  process  opportunities  for  validation  are  enhanced 
through  the  development  of  National  Qualification  Frameworks,  which  will  increase 
private expenditure by individuals; it is not possible to give a further indication of costs 
(0). 

−  Option  2:  two  factors  contribute  to  higher  private  expenditure.  The  first  factor  is  that 
stakeholders  (e.g.  employers  and  education  and  training  providers)  are  called  upon  to 
document  the  learning  outcomes  acquired  through  non-formal  learning,  using  Europass, 
Youthpass  and  ECVET;  depending  on  how  Member  States  have  set  up  their  validation 
system,  this  might  increase  the  financial  burden  upon  them.  The  second  factor  is  that 
under  Option  2  more  validation  opportunities  will  be  created  compared  to  the  current 
situation, increasing the private expenditure of individuals (-).  

63 Based on experience the costs for an update of the European Inventory can be estimated at between 200,000 

and 250,000 EUR per update. 

64 Based on three meetings a year of between 30 and 35 meeting participants (one per member State, candidate 
country  and  country  participating  in  the  Lifelong  Learning  programme),  the  costs  for  the  Commission  are 
estimated at 60,000 EUR per year.  

65 Antonio Giménez Plaza, Jo Hawley and Manuel Souto Otero (2010), op. cit., p.7. 
66  Rasa  Jucite  (2010),  "The  Philips  Vocational  qualifications  programme,  the  Netherlands",  in:  European 

Inventory 2010 op. cit. 

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−  Option 3: given the absence of a set of concrete measures recommended to the Member 
States under this option, the development of more validation opportunities will be slower 
than under Option 2, but could receive a further boost once the European Quality Charter 
is in place (0/-). 

Obligations on business 

Under Option 1 no additional obligations are imposed upon business (0).  

Under  Option  2  social  partners,  employers,  employment  services,  youth  organisations, 
education and training providers and civil society organisations are called upon to document 
the learning outcomes acquired through non-formal learning, using Europass, Youthpass and 
ECVET. There will be more obligations upon business, but what really happens will depend 
on the situation in each Member State (-). 

Like Option 1, Option 3 does, at this stage, not impose any further obligations upon business. 
Once  the  envisaged  European  Quality  Charter  on  validation  is  adopted  and  subsequently 
implemented,  there  could  be  some  more  obligations  on  business  in  the  field  of  validation, 
such as the documentation of learning outcomes, but this will depend on the situation in each 
Member State (0/-).   

Administrative burden to Member States 

Under Option 1, there will be no additional information obligations to the Member States (0).  

Also under Option 2 there is no additional administrative burden to the Member States, as this 
option  does  not  impose  upon  them  any  additional  legal  obligations  to  provide  information. 
Monitoring  will  take  place  through  a  more  regular  European  Inventory  which  is  drafted  by 
national and international experts in validation but for which Member States do not have to 
engage in additional reporting (0).  

The new OMC  process proposed under Option 3 entails important additional administrative 
burden, related to the additional annual reporting by the Member States and to the additional 
meetings under the OMC in preparing and implementing the European Quality Charter. Both 
the  participation  in  meetings  and  the  contributions  to  reporting  represent  administrative 
burden. On the basis of an estimation per country of  0,5 FTE during 3 years, for 27 Member 
States the total estimated staff costs will be 4 million EUR for a three year period (--). 

5.2. 

Social impacts 

Employability and access to the labour market 

Option 1: under the baseline scenario, the ongoing developments under the EQF process and 
under  current  employment  policies  facilitate  the  access  to  the  labour  market  as  well  as 
employability and job transitions, both on the  national and on the European level. However 
under the baseline scenario the potential employability is not achieved to its full extent as the 
current  situation  does  not  fully  exploit  all  possibilities  for  validating  non-formally  and 
informally acquired skills (0).    

Option  2:  the  measures  proposed  have  an  explicit  European  dimension  by  recommending 
Member  States  to  develop  their  validation  systems  in  a  comparable  and  coherent  way,  thus 
facilitating  mobility  between  them.  Labour  market  access  and  job  transitions,  on  both  the 

EN 

28 

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national  and  the  European  level,  will  be  improved  compared  to  Option  1.  The  proposed 
measures also focus on the documentation stage of validation, making knowledge, skills and 
competences  of  individuals  more  visible  and  therefore  more  easily  usable  on  the  labour 
market,  thus  increasing  their  employability,  without  necessarily  leading  to  a  formal 
qualification (++). 

Option 3: the European Quality Charter will enhance access to the labour market and facilitate 
job  transitions  as  well  as  improve  the  employability  of  individuals.  Given  their  later  timing 
and their larger uncertainty these impacts will be less strong than under Option 2 (+). 

Access to further learning 

Option 1: under the baseline scenario the 2009 Bologna stocktaking report showed that "while 
a small number of countries have put in place quite advanced systems for recognition of prior 
learning, in most countries there is little or no recognition of learning undertaken outside the 
formal education system". It further concluded that "there has not been much progress since 
200767".  The  same  findings  were  confirmed  by  a  recent  Eurydice  study,  which  stated  that 
"higher  education  institutions  need  to  open  up  to  flexible  learning  and  to  introduce  more 
access routes that would enable broader participation of disadvantaged groups"68 (0). 

One  of  the  specific  foci  of  Option  2  concerns  the  recommendation  to  Member  States  to 
provide  incentives  to  providers  to  facilitate  access  to  formal  education  and  training  on  the 
basis  of  learning  outcomes  acquired  in  non-formal  and  informal  settings.  This  will  also 
contribute  to  the  EU  2020  headline  target  on  participation  in  tertiary  education.  Given  the 
targeted measures access to further learning should be clearly enhanced (++).  

Option 3: under the OMC process no direct measures are proposed on enhancing the access to 
further  learning.  This  could  however  be  an  important  element  of  the  European  Quality 
Charter. In the mid-term a positive effect is therefore possible (+).  

Information on available skills 

Under Option 1, the process of developing National Qualifications Frameworks has led to an 
increased focus on validation of non-formal and informal learning at policy and practice level. 
Through  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  more  information  on  individuals' 
skills becomes available through their identification, documentation and assessment (0). 

Compared to Option 1, Option 2 focuses explicitly on making the skills of individuals more 
visible.  Several  measures  that  are  proposed  to  the  Member  States  explicitly  focus  on 
enhancing the availability of information on skills. This goes in particular for the putting in 
place  of  mechanisms  providing  citizens  with  opportunities  to  submit  an  application  for  the 
validation of their learning outcomes and for the possibility for individuals to undergo a skills 
audit within three months of an identified need. The French and Dutch cases provide evidence 
for this potential of validation (++).  

to 

67 Bologna Process Stocktaking Report 2009; Report from working groups appointed by the Bologna Follow-up 
Group 
2009, 
http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/conference/documents/Stocktaking_report_2009_FINA
L.pdf. 

the  Ministerial  Conference 

in  Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve, 

28-29  April 

68  Eurydice  (2012),  Modernisation  of  Higher  Education  in  Europe,  Funding  and  the  Social  Dimension,  p.23, 

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/thematic_reports/131EN.pdf. 

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29 

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The  European  Quality  Charter  could  be  an  important  source  of  inspiration  for  the  further 
development  of  validation  systems,  and  enhance  the  available  information  on  individuals' 
skills (+). 

Working conditions 

Option 1: the number of individuals benefiting from better working conditions as a result of 
the validation of their non-formally and informally acquired learning outcomes is limited (0).   

Option  2  does  not  directly  address  working  conditions.  However,  it  includes  measures 
addressed  to  Member  States  that  all  qualifications  obtained  on  the  basis  of  formal  learning, 
should, in principle, also be accessible through the validation of prior learning, including non-
formal and informal learning. As collective labour agreements are in most countries based on 
occupations  and  qualifications  individuals  obtaining  a  higher  qualification  will  be  able  to 
obtain better working conditions (++).  

Option 3: the impacts are the same as under Option 2, but they will develop more slowly and 
could receive a boost through the new impetus created by the European Quality Charter (+). 

Education level of workers 

Option 1: under the baseline scenario the general education level of workers will rise further 
to the existing recommendation for policies against early school leaving and the benchmarks 
on early school leaving and on tertiary education attainment (0).  

Option 2: in comparison to Option 1 a boost in validation policies and practices is expected. 
The most frequent form of non-formal learning concerns learning at the workplace. As such 
more  validation  possibilities  do  not  increase  the  education  level  of  workers,  however 
validation  values  learning  and  motivates  people  to  engage  in  further  learning,  hence 
improving the education level of workers. In order to reach this positive impact it is essential 
that,  as  proposed  by  Option  2,  education  and  training  institutions  create  more  opportunities 
for  recognising  prior  learning.  Experiences  from  Portugal,  France,  the  Netherlands  and 
Finland confirm this potential (++).  

Option 3: the impacts are the same as under Option 2, but they will develop more slowly and 
could receive a boost through the new impetus created by the European Quality Charter (+). 

Mobility of workers 

Under  Option  1  the  mobility  of  workers  across  the  European  Union  is  guaranteed  by 
Regulation 492/2011 and facilitated by Directive 2005/36 on the recognition of qualifications 
of  regulated  professions.  It  is  furthermore  facilitated  by  credit  systems,  such  as  ECTS  and 
ECVET  and  by  the  Europass  tools.  Under  the  current  EQF  process  referencing  to  the 
European  qualification 
transparency  and  comparability  of 
qualifications and thus facilitate mobility (0).   

levels  will 

increase 

the 

Under Option 2 the proposed measures will enhance validation opportunities and result in a 
better  comparable  and  more  coherent  approach  on  validation  between  Member  States.  The 
validation  measures  proposed  have  as  a  purpose  to  facilitate  the  mobility  of  workers  at 
different  levels:  within  companies,  between  companies,  between  sectors,  regions  as  well  as 

EN 

30 

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between  Member  States.  Increased  mobility  of  skilled  labour  will  make  the  European 
economy more competitive69 (++). 

Option 3 focuses on national action towards agreed objectives and benchmarks on validation. 
The setting up of a European Quality Charter will enhance the mutual trust between Member 
States  in  validating  non-formal  and  informal  learning  experiences  and  result  in  a  better 
comparable  and  more  coherentapproach  to  validation  across  the  European  Union.  As  the 
Charter will be developed within a few years of time, such comparable and coherent approach 
will  probably  develop  at  a  later  stage  than  under  Option  2;  as  a  consequence  the  enhanced 
mobility will also be facilitated at a later stage. Taking into account the current initiative to 
facilitate  the  mobility  of  learners  and  workers  (the  Youth  Opportunities  Initiative)  the  later 
implementation of Option 3 gives it a disadvantage compared to Option 2 (0/+). 

Equality (including gender equality): 

Option 1: the EU 2020 benchmarks on early school leaving, on tertiary education attainment, 
on a 75% employment rate for women and men and on reducing poverty and social exclusion 
are  all  part  of  the  baseline  scenario.  The  Early  School  Leaving  Recommendation  explicitly 
targets  the  early  school  leaving  benchmark.  The  2010  Update  of  the  European  Inventory 
revealed that for the majority of countries, there is a tendency to target validation initiatives to 
disadvantaged  groups,  forming  part  of  broader  strategies  to  improve  social  cohesion, 
including through the promotion of employment and equal opportunities70 (0).   

Option  2:  validation  policies  that  have  a  specific  focus  on  marginalised  groups  will  have  a 
positive impact on equality such as a more equal access to qualifications71. One of possible 
target  groups  for  validation  policies  are  women  returning  to  the  labour  market  or  learning 
after a career break (++). 

Option  3:  the  European  Quality  Charter  could  pay  particular  attention  to  the  situation  of 
disadvantaged groups. Positive impacts on equality (including gender equality) are therefore 
probable in the longer term (+).  

Administrative requirements upon individuals 

In neither of the options additional administrative requirements for individuals are expected. 
In all options, seeking validation would remain a voluntary initiative of citizens, in line with 
the existing common European principles on validation. The score for the three options is (0).   

5.3. 

Other impacts 

Information to the public 

Option 1: under the baseline scenario one of the drivers revealed by the European Inventory 
explaining  the  low  take  up  of  validation  opportunities  in  some  countries  was  a  lack  of 

69 European Commission (2010), Towards a Single Market Act, for a highly competitive social market economy; 

50 proposals for improving our work, business and exchanges with one another, COM (2010) 608 final 

70  Claire  Duchemin  and  Jo  Hawley  (2010),  "Thematic  Report  –  Validation  for  Specific  Target  Groups",  in: 

European Inventory 2010, op.cit., pp.1-2.  

71 P. Werquin (2010), Recognising Non-Formal and Informal Learning: Outcomes, Policies and Practices, Paris: 

OECD, p.50. 

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31 

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awareness.  Existing  tools  and  policies  do  not  foresee  any  specific  measures  raising  the 
awareness of validation (0). 

Option 2 specifically calls for Member States to make information on validation opportunities 
widely available, with particular reference to targeting disadvantaged groups (+). 

Under  Option  3,  once  adopted,  the  European  Quality  Charter  could  become  an  important 
reference point on validation in Europe with the potential to have more positive effects on the 
available information to the public in the longer term than Option 2 (++). 

Cooperation between Member States  

Under  the  baseline  scenario  the  existing  cooperation  between  Member  States  will  continue. 
The main forum for cooperation is the EQF Advisory Group under which also Peer Learning 
Activities will be organised (0). 

Option  2  will  strengthen  the  political  basis  for  further  cooperation  between  Member  States 
within the EQF Advisory Group. Under the measures proposed by Option 2 are the support 
proposed  to  be  given  by  the  Commission  to  Member  States  and  stakeholders  for  the 
facilitation of peer learning and the exchange of experiences and good practices (+).  

Under  Option  3  the  new  OMC  specifically  devoted  to  validation  and  focussed  on  the 
development of a European Quality Charter could entail an even more intensified cooperation 
between Member States (++). 

Involvement of stakeholders 

On the level of the Member States the involvement of stakeholders in validation policies and 
practices  varies  between  very  important  in  some  countries,  with  a  major  impact  on  the 
implementation of validation, to less important or nearly inexistent in other countries (0). 

Among the specific measures proposed under Option 2 is the involvement of a large group of 
stakeholders,  comprising  employer  organisations,  trade  unions,  chambers  of  commerce  and 
labour, (public) employment services, formal and non-formal education and training providers 
on both the national and the European level (++). 

In setting up the European Quality Charter, the new OMC process  under Option 3 involves 
quality assurance organisations in addition to the stakeholders involved under Option 2 (++). 

Fundamental rights 

Under  all  three  Options  the  fundamental  rights  of  citizens  are  fully  respected.  There  are  no 
major differences in impacts between the options (all options: 0). 

5.4. 

Risks and uncertainties 

5.4.1.  Risks 

It is possible to consider two different risks, related to different scenarios.  

implemented,  with  unintended,  unwelcome 
Risk  1:  The 
consequences,  namely  under  Option  2:  it  forces  a  formal  structure  on  a  whole  set  of 

is  adopted  and 

initiative 

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32 

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experiences  for  which  informality,  flexibility,  reactivity  are  distinctive  characteristics, 
opposed to the rigidity of formal systems.  

Comment  to  Risk  1:  the  initiative  aims  at  better  validating  the  outcomes  of  non-formal  and 
informal learning, but leaves the learning process itself untouched. This is confirmed by the 
existing  evidence.  Comprehensive  validation  systems  do  exist  in  a  few  Member  States,  and 
have not had any negative impact on the provision of non formal and informal learning.  

Risk 2: The initiative is adopted, but some Member States, namely those where little has been 
done so far, may take very limited action or any at all, considering that the objectives are too 
demanding. 

Comment  to  Risk  2:  this  reaction  by  Member  States  is  unlikely,  because  all  of  them  are 
implementing  the  EQF  Recommendation  by  developing  national  qualification  frameworks 
based  on  learning  outcomes.  This  means  that  qualifications  are  defined  through  learning 
outcomes, separate from formal programmes, and that there already is a working platform for 
dialogue of all concerned stakeholders. Therefore, even in countries with little experience in 
validation, the ground is well laid. 

5.4.2.  Uncertainties 

The  assessment  of  different  impacts  is  based  on  a  qualitative  judgement.  The  final  impacts 
will depend on the concrete actions that will be undertaken by the Member States, as well as 
by  the  willingness  of  other  actors,  such  as  social  partners,  business,  NGO's/voluntary 
organisations to support validation policies and, more importantly, validation practices.  

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33 

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6. 

COMPARING THE OPTIONS  

The  comparison  between  the  three  options  is  based  on  the  efficiency/cost-effectiveness, 
effectiveness  and  coherence  with  EU  policy  objectives  (section  6.1).  Together  with  the 
expected economic, social and other impacts, the overall results of the comparisons between 
the options are presented in section 6.2.  

6.1. 

Efficiency/cost-effectiveness,  effectiveness  and  coherence  with  EU  policy 
objectives 

Legend 

++ 

+ 

0 

- 

-- 

positive 

slightly positive 

Neutral 

slightly negative 

Negative 

Option 1 

Option 2 

Option 3 

Explanation of given ratings 

Baseline 
scenario 

Concrete 
measures 

European 
Quality 
Charter 

Efficiency/cost-effectiveness 

Efficiency/cost-
effectiveness 

0 

++ 

0/+ 

to 

(e.g. 

requires 

guidance 

investments 

Option 1 is the Option with the lowest costs, but 
also  with  the  lowest  expected  impacts  and  the 
lowest benefits for individuals, the economy and 
the society at large.  
for 
Option  2 
infrastructure, 
individuals, 
assessments,  training  of  guidance  counsellors 
and  assessors,  awareness  raising,  and  quality 
assurance). These costs depend on the status quo 
in  a  country  (e.g.  the  infrastructure  in  place)  as 
well  as  on  policy  choices  (e.g.  target  groups). 
The  net  direct  costs  are  the  result  of  the  total 
direct  costs  minus  cost  savings  for  formal 
education  and  training.  Individual  costs  for 
the  basis  of 
obtaining  a  qualification  on 
validation are on average between 800 and 1,800 
EUR, which is generally lower than the costs for 
formal education or training leading to the same 
qualification. On the level of systems there exist 
high  marginal  costs  for  validation  and  limited 
marginal costs for additional formal education or 
training. Also opportunity costs have to be taken 
into account.   
The  resulting  net  costs  of  validation  have  to  be 
weighted  against  the  benefits  of  validation. 
Given the absence of hard data on the aggregate 
level these cannot be quantified.   
For  each  individual  the  cost-benefit  ratio  is 
different,  as  is  the  case  for  each  Member  State, 
depending  on  the  status  quo  and  on  policy 

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34 

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choices.  
It  is  assumed  that  the  aggregate  benefits  of 
validation  altogether  outweigh  the  net  costs  of 
validation.  This  is  supported  by  the  assumption 
that  current  comprehensive  validation  systems 
exist  on  the  basis  of  the  underlying  assumption 
of a positive benefits-costs ratio. 
The  benefits  resulting  from  Option  3  are 
expected  to  be  higher  than  under  the  baseline 
scenario,  but  surrounded  by  more  uncertainty 
and realised at a later moment in time than under 
Option  2.  Overall  the  score  for  benefits  will  be 
lower  than  under  option  2.  By  analogy  with 
Option  2  it  is  assumed  that  the  aggregate 
benefits  of  validation  altogether  outweigh  the 
net  costs  of  validation.  Another  element 
negatively 
efficiency/cost 
effectiveness  of  Option  3  concerns  the  new 
structures that will be created in addition to the 
existing structures under Options 1 and 2. These 
will 
the  additional  administrative 
burden  and  costs  due  to  additional  annual 
reporting  by  the  Member  States  and  to  the 
additional meetings under the OMC in preparing 
and implementing the European Quality Charter. 

affecting 

increase 

the 

Effectiveness 

0 

++ 

+ 

Specific Objective 1: 

To put in place systems 
for  the  validation  of 
and 
non 
formal 
informal 
learning  at 
national  level  linked  to 
National 
the 
Qualifications 
Framework 

0 

++ 

+ 

Specific Objective 2: 

To establish an 
appropriate level of 
comparability and 
coherence  between 
national validation 
systems linked to the 
National Qualification 
Framework 

Option  1  invites  countries  to  promote  the 
validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning 
in their national qualification frameworks, but it 
does not indicate how to do that. The European 
guidelines 
for  validating  non-formal  and 
informal  learning  do  so,  but  have  not  been 
adopted  by  a  law  making  body,  which  reduces 
their  clout.  Skills  and  Qualification  passports 
developed  by  the  social  partners  through  the 
European Sectoral Social Dialogue are useful as 
support to validation in a certain sector, but they 
do  not  have  a  transversal  coverage  and  are  not 
primarily  focussed  on  the  validation  of  non-
formal  and  informal  learning.  Under  Option  2 
Member States are recommended to put in place 
validation  mechanisms  linked  to  their  National 
Qualifications  Framework.  This  is  expected  to 
contribute  largely  to  attain  the  objective.  The 
new  OMC  under  Option  3  could  also  lead  to 
attaining the objective, but its outcomes are less 
certain and its results only expected in the longer 
run.  
Current policies focus on the comparability and 
transparency  of  qualifications,  but  do  not 
address the comparability of validation systems. 
The  measures  proposed  under  Option  2  are 
common to all Member States and will lead to a 
better  comparable  and  more  coherent  approach 
in  validation  across  Member  States.  The 
European  Quality  Charter  under  Option  3  will 
provide  a  series  of  common  quality  assurance 
criteria  on  validation;  it  explicitly  addresses  the 
European  dimension  of  validation.  Its  results 
will depend on the cooperation between Member 

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35 

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0 

++ 

+ 

0 

++ 

+ 

0 

++ 

+ 

0 

+ 

++ 

Operational Objective 1: 

To establish national 
qualification 
frameworks in a way 
that qualifications can 
be acquired through 
formal programmes as 
well as through the 
validation of non-
formal and informal 
learning 

Operational Objective 2: 

To provide 
mechanisms for the 
identification, 
documentation, and 
quality assured 
assessment and 
validation of skills 
acquired through non-
formal and informal 
learning, taking 
advantage of common 
European instruments 
such as Europass, 
ECTS, ECVET 

Operational Objective 3: 

To allow individuals to 
have their skills and 
competences identified 
and documented without 
resulting into a formal 
qualification 

Operational Objective 4: 

To extend and intensify 
the cooperation and 
exchange of good 
practice between 
Member States, 
supported by peer-
learning activities and 
European reporting 
tools 

Operational Objective 5: 

To raise the awareness 

0 

+ 

++ 

1 

the 

the 

Option 

implementation  of 

States and be realised at a later moment in time 
than under Option 2.  
The  EQF  Recommendation  refers  in  its  recitals 
to the fact that each level of qualification should, 
in principle, be attainable by way of a variety of 
educational and career paths. Option 2 goes one 
step  further  and  includes  an  explicit  measure 
recommending Member States to ensure that all 
qualifications  except 
regulated  professions 
falling under Directive 2005/36, can in principle 
be  obtained  through  the  validation  of  prior 
learning,  which  largely  contributes  to  reaching 
the  objective.  Under  Option  3  this  objective 
could  also  be  achieved,  but  it  is  less  certain 
given the absence of concrete measures. 
identification, 
Under 
documentation,  and  quality  assured  assessment 
and  validation  of  skills  acquired  through  non-
formal  and  informal  learning  are  addressed  by 
both  the  Common  European  principles  and  the 
European  guidelines  on  validation.  The 
Principles  are  however  very  general  and  the 
Guidelines  have  no  political/legal  status  which 
reduces their clout. Under Option 2 the objective 
is  explicitly  addressed  and  could  be  achieved 
depending  on 
the 
Recommendation  by  the  Member  States.  Under 
Option  3  the  OMC  process  and  the  European 
Quality  Charter  could,  on  the  basis  of  a  mutual 
learning process, finally also lead to reaching the 
objective,  but  this  is  less  certain  than  under 
Option 2.  
and 
the 
Under  Option  1 
documentation are in a limited way addressed by 
both  the  Common  European  principles  and  the 
European  guidelines  on  validation.  Option  2 
focus  on 
contains  measures 
achieving  this  objective,  in  particular  the  skills 
audit  for  individuals.  Under  Option  3  the 
identification and documentation of skills should 
be  part  of 
the  European  Quality  Charter 
contributing to the objective at a later stage. 
Under  the  baseline  scenario  Member  States 
cooperate,  also  involving  social  partners,  in  the 
EQF  Advisory  Group  under  which  also  peer 
learning activities are organised. Under Option 2 
cooperation  between  Member  States  will 
continue  in  the  same  way  as  under  Option  1, 
except  for  an  additional  focus  on  validation  in 
the  EQF  Advisory  Group.  In  addition,  the 
European  reporting  tools  on  validation  will  be 
strengthened: 
the  European 
in  particular 
Inventory  and  the  European  Guidelines  on 
Validation. Under Option 3 a new OMC process 
intensive 
is 
cooperation  between  Member  States,  involving 
stakeholders,  which  should  in  the  end  lead  to  a 
European Quality Charter on validation.  
the 
Under 
awareness  of  validation  opportunities  depends 

the  baseline 

that  directly 

identification 

to  more 

launched 

scenario 

leading 

raising 

EN 

36 

   EN 

 
of validation 
opportunities 

includes 

the  recommendation 

on policies  and  practices  in the  Member  States. 
Option  2 
to 
Member  States  to  ensure  that  information  on 
validation opportunities is widely available with 
particular  reference  to  disadvantaged  groups. 
This will result in higher awareness of validation 
opportunities.  The  European  Quality  Charter 
under  Option  3  has  the  highest  potential  in 
raising the awareness of validation opportunities 
as the Quality Charter's potential is to receive a 
high level of visibility.  

Coherence with wider EU policy objectives 

Coherence  with  wider 
EU policy objectives 

0 

++ 

+ 

their 

Option 1 is compatible with the wider EU policy 
objectives  announced  by  the  EU  2020  Strategy 
which focus on smart, sustainable and inclusive 
growth.  
Option  2  is  fully  coherent  with  the  wider  EU 
policy  objectives  of  the  EU  2020  Strategy,  and 
its  different  flagships.  The  measures  proposed 
under  Option  2  will  create  more  validation 
opportunities, 
larger  use  and  more 
comparability and coherence between validation 
systems  across  the  EU,  facilitating  the  mobility 
of workers and learners. These results of Option 
2  will  to  contribute  to  the  EU  2020  targets  on 
economic  growth,  early  school  leaving,  tertiary 
education  attainment,  poverty  reduction  and  on 
the overall employment rate.  
The  new  OMC  proposed  under  Option  3  will 
also  contribute 
the  EU  2020 
to  reaching 
objectives and benchmarks, but at a slower pace 
and surrounded by more uncertainty than Option 
2.  

6.2. 

Comparison between the options: synthesis  

 Legend 

++ 

+ 

0 

- 

-- 

positive 

slightly positive 

Neutral 

slightly negative 

negative 

Efficiency/cost-effectiveness 

Effectiveness: 

Coherence with EU policy objectives 

Social, economic and other impacts: 

Economic growth and employment  

Public expenditure 

Option 1 

Option 2 

Option 3 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

++ 

++ 

++ 

++ 

-- 

0/+ 

+ 

+ 

+ 

- 

EN 

37 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Private expenditure 

Obligations on business 

Administrative burden to Member States 

Access to the labour market/job transitions  

Access to further learning 

Information on available skills 

Working conditions 

Education level of workers 

Mobility of workers 

Equality (including gender equality) 

Administrative requirements upon individuals 

Information to the public  

Cooperation between Member States 

Involvement of stakeholders 

Fundamental rights 

6.3. 

Conclusion 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

- 

- 

0 

++ 

++ 

++ 

++ 

++ 

++ 

++ 

0 

+ 

+ 

++ 

0 

0/- 

0/- 

-- 

+ 

+ 

+ 

0/+ 

+ 

+ 

+ 

0 

++ 

++ 

++ 

0 

Option 2, a Council Recommendation targeted to improving the implementation of validation 
by the Member States, results overall as best option. Option 2 is also the most coherent with 
EU policy objectives and with the largest positive economic and social impacts.  

Its proposed measures are justified with regard to the importance of validation as a means to 
make  skills  visible,  allowing  for  their  optimal  use  for  labour  market  and  further  learning 
purposes,  representing  important  benefits  for  individuals,  the  economy  and  the  society  at 
large. 

Under  Option  1,  the  current  situation  of  validation  is  expected  to  change  only  slowly, 
implying  that  the  limited  availability  and  use  of  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal 
learning experiences, as well as a lack of a comparable and coherent approach in validation 
across Europe, will remain.    

Option 3 (a new OMC) is expected to lead to improvements compared to the baseline scenario 
regarding  impacts  effectiveness,  efficiency  and  coherence  with  wider  EU  policy  objectives. 
However  the  setting  up  a  new  OMC  creates  additional  structures  and  additional  reporting 
mechanisms, increasing the administrative burden and costs for the Member States. Moreover 
due to its exclusive reliance on the OMC method there is more uncertainty as to the concrete 
action is taken by and in the Member States as well as to the timeframe of such measures.  

Apart  from  impacts,  effectiveness,  efficiency  and  coherence  with  EU  policy  objectives,  the 
main assets of Option 2 are: 

− 

it will fill the "validation gap" which currently exists within the available European tools 
and instruments such as the EQF, Europass and credit systems. It will in particular fill the 
missing link in the European Qualification Framework which provides for the promotion 
of  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning,  without  further  guidance  on  its 
implementation;  

EN 

38 

   EN 

− 

it  proposes  concrete  practical  measures  for  implementation  of  validation  in  the  Member 
States; 

−  a  Council  Recommendation,  as  legal  instrument,  signals  the  political  commitment  of 
indicated,  most  of  which  will  require 

Member  States 
implementation at national level and adapted to the national context;   

the  measures 

towards 

− 

it  explicitly  involves  relevant  stakeholders  (labour  market  stakeholders,  youth/voluntary 
organisations,  education  and  training  institutions)  in  the  development  of  validation 
systems; 

−  Member  States  will  continue  to  cooperate  within  existing  OMC  structures,  in  particular 
the  EQF  Advisory  group,  representing  a  more  simple  implementation  structure  than 
foreseen under Option 3;  

− 

it will form a new and stronger political base for cooperation in the field of validation of 
non-formal and informal learning. 

Finally, the Commission created high expectations among Member States and stakeholders by 
announcing the proposal for a Council Recommendation on the validation of non-formal and 
informal learning in the Europe 2020 Flagships on "Youth on the Move" and on the Agenda 
for "New Skills and Jobs". 

7. 

MONITORING AND EVALUATION  

7.1. 

Tools and instruments for monitoring and evaluation 

Under the initiative monitoring will take place on the basis of the use of existing tools. This 
will limit its costs for monitoring as well as the administrative burden to the Member States: 

•  The European Inventory on Validation, under the responsibility of the Commission and of 
Cedefop,  will  be  further  consolidated  and  strengthened  in  view  of  the  monitoring  the 
implementation of the Council Recommendation by the Member States; 

•  The annual Cedefop report on the development of national qualifications frameworks in 
Europe  will  be  used  for  assessing  the  progress  achieved  by  Member  States  in  creating 
validation of non-formal and informal learning as a pathway to obtain a qualification; 

•  Member States will report on their implementation of  the Recommendation through their 
national  progress  reports  already  planned  in  the  context  of  the  Education  and  Training 
Strategic Framework 2020 (next reporting year: 2014); 

•  Strengthening peer learning, involving governmental actors and stakeholders, focussed on 
the  exchange  of  experiences  and  demonstrations  of  good  practice.  Given  the  close 
relationship  between 
the  European 
Qualifications Framework, the EQF Advisory Group would be the most appropriate body 
for those activities.  

the  Recommendation  on 

initiative  and 

the 

An external evaluation of the Recommendation's implementation is to be foreseen within four 
years after its adoption.   

EN 

39 

   EN 

7.2. 

Indicators for monitoring and evaluation 

Objective 

Indicative indicator 

•  To provide citizens in all Member 

States with the opportunity to validate 
their skills acquired outside formal 
education and training systems 
(general) 

•  To providing citizens with the 

opportunity of using their validated 
skills for working and learning 
purposes throughout Europe (general) 

•  To put in place systems for the 

validation of non formal and informal 
learning at national level linked to the 
National Qualifications Framework 
(specific) 

Reporting 
instrument 

Progress Report  

European 
Inventory on 
Validation 

Bologna 
Stocktaking 
Report (higher 
education) 

European 
Inventory  

Number of Member States where 
citizens have the opportunity to 
validate their skills acquired 
outside formal education and 
training systems 

Number of citizens in each 
Member State who apply for the 
validation of their skills acquired 
outside formal education and 
training systems 

Number of citizens exercising their 
right of mobility on the basis of 
validated learning outcomes resulting 
from non-formal and informal 
learning 

Number of Member States having in 
place comprehensive validation 
systems 

European 
Inventory  

•  To establish an appropriate level of of 
comparability and coherence between 
national validation systems (specific) 

Degree of comparability and 
coherence between validation 
systems of Member States 

European 
Inventory 

Cedefop's follow 
up of NQFs 
development 

•  To establish national qualification 

frameworks in a way that 
qualifications can be acquired through 
formal programmes as well as through 
the validation of non-formal and 
informal learning (operational) 

•  To provide mechanisms for the 

identification, documentation, and 
quality assured assessment and 
validation of skills acquired through 
non-formal and informal learning 
(operational) 

Number of NQFs foreseeing this 
possibility  

European 
Inventory  

Cedefop's follow 
up of NQFs 
development 

The nature and quality of validation 
mechanisms developed in each 
Member State 

European 
Inventory  

•  To allow individuals to have their 

skills and competences identified and 
documented without resulting into a 

The nature and quality of systems 
for identification and 
documentation of learning 

European 
Inventory 

EN 

40 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
 
formal qualification (operational) 

•  To extend and intensify cooperation 
and exchange of good practice by 
Member States, supported by peer-
learning activities and European 
reporting tools (operational) 

•  To raise awareness of validation 

opportunities 

outcomes resulting non-formal 
and informal learning in each 
member State 

Number of organised peer 
learning activities  

Number and quality of other 
initiatives taken to exchange 
experiences (e.g. conferences)  

Progress Report  

European 
Inventory 

Number of initiatives taken by 
Member States and stakeholders to 
raise awareness  

Progress Report  

European 
Inventory 

EN 

41 

   EN 

 
 
8. 

ANNEXES 

Annex 1: Results from the EU-wide public consultation 

Annex 2: Consultation of the EQF Advisory Group and outcomes of Peer Learning Activities 

Annex 3: Country sheets on the situation of validation of non-formal and informal learning in 
the Member States 

Annex 4: Cost/benefit analysis  

EN 

42 

   EN 

8.1. 

Annex 1: Results from the EU-wide public consultation 

Under  the  Europe  2020  Strategy,  in  particular  the  flagships  on  Youth  on  the  Move  and  the 
Agenda  for  New  Skills  and  Jobs,  the  Commission  announced  the  proposal  for  a  Council 
Recommendation on the validation of non-formal and informal learning in 2011.  

As  a  preparation  to  this  proposal  a  public  consultation  was  launched  and  ran  between  1 
December  2010  and  9  February  2011.  It  included  an  online  questionnaire  consisting  of 
multiple choice questions and three broader open questions. Stakeholders were further invited 
to provide broader contributions and position papers. 

The consultation  was aimed in particular  at individuals, organisations and public authorities 
involved in the delivery and/or validation of non-formal and informal learning.  

Permanent Representations to the EU;  
The Education Committee; 
The European Qualifications Framework Advisory Group; 
The Recognition of Learning Outcomes Group;  
The Lifelong Learning Stakeholder Forum;  
The Advisory Committee for Vocational Education and Training 
The European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training User Group; 
The Adult Learning Working Group; 
The Modernisation of Higher Education Working Group;   

In addition to including information on the consultation and a link to the questionnaire on DG 
EAC's  web-page  and  the  'Your  Voice  in  Europe'  webpage,  a  wide  range  of  networks, 
European Committees, groups and organisations were directly invited to respond to the online 
questionnaire and disseminate it: 
− 
− 
− 
− 
− 
− 
− 
− 
− 
−  Members of the Bologna Follow-up Group;,  
− 
Europass and Euroguidance centres;  
− 
The European Lifelong Guidance Policy network;  
− 
The Youthpass Advisory Board;  
− 
The National Academic Recognition Information Centres network;  
− 
The Higher Education Recognition of Prior Learning Network; 
− 
The Expert Group on The mobility of young volunteers.  

The  European  Social  Partners  and  a  range  of  NGO  networks  were  also  contacted.    Finally, 
other  Commission  services  (including  DG  Employment,  DG  Enterprise,  DG  Information 
Society,  DG  Health  and  Consumer  Affairs,  DG  Research,  DG  Home  Affairs,  DG  Internal 
Market)  were  invited  to  raise  awareness  of  the  consultation  amongst  their  groups  and 
networks. 

In  line  with  the  Commission's  general  principles  and  standards  governing  consultations  of 
interested  parties,  this  report  describes  the  public  consultation  process  and  analyses  the 
contributions received. It provides an overview of the responses highlighting main findings, 
trends, suggestions and concerns arising from the diverse views expressed.  

Participation in the public consultation 

The  Commission  received  469  responses  to  the  questionnaire  and  24  position  papers. 
Responses were fairly evenly balanced between individuals (53%) and organisations (47%).  
Among the organisations, around half of the responses came from public sector organisations 

EN 

43 

   EN 

(e.g.  ministries;  qualifications  bodies;  employment  services;  Euroguidance  and  Europass 
Centres),  and  a  third  from  the  third  sector  (e.g.  NGO/volunteer  organisations).  The  private 
sector (individual employers, employer organisations, and private employment services) was 
less well represented, as only about one sixth of the replies came from such organisations (see 
figure 1).  

Figure 1: Organisations who responded to the consultation 

More  than  two  thirds  of  the  20  ministries  responding  to  the  survey  had  education  policy  as 
their  main  responsibility,  and  although  some  responses  were  received  from  public 
employment  services,  enterprises,  and  social  partners,  overall  the  labour  market  perspective 
was less well represented than the education/training perspective.  
From  a  gender  perspective,  it  can  be  noted  that  almost  two  thirds  of  the  contributors  were 
female. This reflects the gender-biased labour market in the education and training sector.  

Regarding the geographical distribution of contributors, responses were received from all 27 
EU  Member  States,  4  candidate  countries  (Iceland,  Turkey,  Croatia  and  Former  Yugoslav 
Republic  of  Macedonia)  and  Norway.  More  than  half  the  contributions  came  from  six 
countries: Portugal, Belgium, Germany, the UK, France, and Italy. 

The  high  response  rates  from  some  countries  can  be  seen  as  an  expression  of  highly 
developed  systems  for  validation  (France,  Portugal,  UK  and  Germany),  while  the  high 
response  rate  from  Belgium  can  be  explained  by  the  concentration  of  European  and 
international  organisations  and  associations  in  Brussels.  Figure  2  details  the  distribution  of 
contributors in different countries. 

EN 

44 

   EN 

 
Figure 2: Responses per country - individuals and organisations per sector 

Half  of  the  247  individuals  responding  were  either  teacher/trainers  (80  contributors)  or 
belonged to a  rather large group who declared that they  were ‘employed’  without  giving  further 
details  (42).  14  of  those  who  have  given  their  occupation  as  ‘employed’  have  been  actively 
involved in validating the learning of others. Civil servants (policy developer/administrator), 
community/youth workers, and researchers also contributed visible shares. Overall, it appears 
that  the  consultation  has  elicited  most  interest  from  those  individuals  who  are  actively 
engaged in developing and running qualification systems and  validation  systems  (see figure 
3). 

EN 

45 

   EN 

 
Figure 3: Occupations of individuals responding to the consultation72 

The  real  or  potential  target  groups  for  having  their  learning  validated  are  less  well 
represented. In all 42 persons may be seen as belonging to the target audience for validation 
of  non-formal  and  informal  learning:  20  persons,  who  give  their  occupation  as  ‘employed’ 
and have no personal experience with validation, 18 volunteers and 4 unemployed.  
Therefore,  the  results  of  the  consultation  represent  better  the  provider  perspective  and  to  a 
lesser extent the user perspective.  

Results from the online questionnaire 

The  main  part  of  the  online  questionnaire  consisted  of  three  sections  designed  to  elicit 
contributors’ opinions on: 

−  The importance and added value of non-formal and informal learning and validation; 

−  The  developments  and  perceived  challenges  to  non-formal  and  informal  learning  with  a 

focus in validation; 

−  Focus on EU action and possible policy priorities. 

In addition to closed questions with multiple choice response options, contributors were given 
the opportunity to expand and detail their views and opinions on validation of non-formal and 
informal learning in free text in each of the three sections. 

The importance and added value of non-formal/informal learning and validation 

Under this section three blocks of questions were asked of which the results are summarised 
in figures 4, 5 and 6 below. 

72 The occupational categories are those used in the online questionnaire. 

EN 

46 

   EN 

 
 
                                                 
Figure 4: It is important that the knowledge, skills and competences acquired by individuals through life 
and work experience are identified and made visible 

Figure 5: Learning in non-formal and informal settings is: 

EN 

47 

   EN 

 
 
Figure 6: Status and value of non-formal and informal learning compared to formal learning 

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

strongly disagree

disagree

tend to disagree

don't know

tend to agree

agree

strongly agree

...when recruiting, employers give
equal weight to knowledge, skills
and competences acquired outside
of formal settings as they do to
formal qualifications.

..in allocating places for courses,
education and training institutions
give equal weight to those whose
knowledge, skills and competences
have been certified following non-
formal or informal learning as they
do to those who have followed the
formal route

The replies to the questions show strong support for making non-formal and informal learning 
visible  in  some  form.  There  is  also  widespread  consensus  that  validation,  understood  in  the 
broad sense of improving the visibility of knowledge, skills and competences, is valuable. The 
replies  to  finally  reveal  that  knowledge,  skills  and  competences  gained  through  non-formal 
and  informal  learning  are  not  perceived  as  having  equal  status  and  value  by  employers  and 
educational institutions with those acquired through formal learning. 

EN 

48 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Perceived challenges 

Figures 7 to 10 below show the replies to the questions related to perceived challenges. 

Figure 7: Perception of existing schemes of validation: In my country... 

Figure 8: In my country/region, validation forms an integral part of… 

EN 

49 

   EN 

 
 
Figure 9: In my country/region, progress in validation is held back by: 

Figure  10:  In  my  country/region,  there  is  particular  potential  for  further  development  of  validation  of 
non-formal and informal learning: 

EN 

50 

   EN 

 
 
The  most  important  outcomes  of  the  questions  on  perceived  challenges  reveal  that  only  a 
quarter  of  the  respondents  consider  existing  validation  schemes  as  sufficient  and  that  they 
meet agreed quality standards. Furthermore a minority of about 40 per cent of respondents is 
of the opinion that in his/her country a coherent overall approach towards validation exists.  

The  replies  are  favourable  to  the  potential  for  further  development  of  validation  for  all 
categories  proposed  in  the  questionnaire  (see  figure  10),  but  strongest  support  exists  for 
validation  of  learning  outcomes  acquired  through  voluntary  work,  by  young  people  and  for 
learning outcomes acquired in the work place. Finally the most important perceived barriers 
for  progress  in  validation  concern  attitudes,  lack  of  awareness  and  lack  of  willingness  to 
change established procedures and regulations. 

Focus of EU actions and possible policy priorities 

Figures 11 to 15 show the results of the questions related to the focus of future EU actions and 
policy priorities. Figure 11 concerns the focus of future EU actions and figures 12-15 concern 
potential  policy  priorities  with  regard  to  the  scope  of  action  (figure  12),  values  related  to 
validation (figure 13), quality and effectiveness (figure 14) and governance (figure 15). 

Figure 11: Types of action the EU could take to further progress in the promotion and validation of non-
formal and informal learning: 

EN 

51 

   EN 

 
Figure 12: Policy priorities requiring particular attention (scope of action):  

Figure 13: Policy priorities requiring particular attention (values): 

EN 

52 

   EN 

 
 
Figure 14: Policy priorities requiring particular attention (quality and effectiveness): 

Figure 15: Policy priorities requiring particular attention (governance): 

There  is  a  strong  consensus  among  the  contributors  that  further  action  at  European  level  is 
called  for.  Close  to  100%  of  contributors  express  that  new  initiatives  are  required  to 
complement existing efforts and instruments. Two of the priorities for action at the EU level 

EN 

53 

   EN 

 
 
that  come  out  unambiguously  are  support  to  awareness  raising  and  exchange  of  good 
practices.  In  addition,  the  replies  gave  a  clear  message  concerning  the  need  to  strengthen 
implementation  of  practical  measures  at  national,  regional  and  local  level  and  not  only  at 
European level.  

Position papers  

The Commission received 24 position papers submitted by various stakeholders. They can be 
consulted 
website: 
the 
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/consult/vnfil/report_en.pdf.   

following 

through 

Figure 16: Position papers received in the framework of the consultation  

Organisation 

Type 
organisation 

of 

Country 

Title of position Paper 

1.  Ficeméa 

NGO 

France  

Contribution de la Ficeméa à la consultation 
de la Commission européenne sur les futurs 
programmes  européens  dans  le  domaine  de 
l’éducation,  de  la  formation  de  la  politique 
pour la jeunesse. 

2.  CLECAT/FIATA 

NGO 

Belgium/Euro
pean 

Response  to  public  consultation  on  Non-
formal and informal learning 

3.  Vlaamse Jeugdraad 

Public 
Authority 

Belgium/Fland
ers 

ADVIES:  Bedenkingen  over  het  EVC  en 
EVK  debat  naar  aanleiding  van  het  OESO-
rapport  over  de  erkenning  van  niet-formeel 
en informeel leren 

4.  Vlaamse Jeugdraad 

Public 
Authority 

Begium/Fland
ers 

Advies: Vlaamse Kwalificatiestructuur 

5.  FOYER: 

European 

Collaboration: 
a.  France: UNHAJ 
b.  Germany:  AUSWÄRTS 

ZUHAUSE 

NGO 

c.  The 

Netherlands: 

Kamers met kansen 
d.  United  Kingdom:  Foyer 

Federation 

European 
collaboration. 
France, 
Germany,  The 
Netherlands, 
UK 

Youth on the move – Strengthening support 
to Europe’s young people 

6.  AONTAS  (National  Adult 
Learning Organisation) 

NGO 

Ireland 

Response  to  public  consultation  on  Non-
formal and informal learning 

7.  Universidad  Popular  de 
Ayuntamiento  de  Cáceres 
(Cáceres City Council) 

Public 
Authority 

Spain 

Propuesta de modelo de educación no formal 

8.  European  Association  for 
the  Education  of  Adults 
(EAEA aisbl) 

NGO 

Europe 

Response  to  public  consultation  on  Non-
formal and informal learning 

9.  EHFA  –  The  European 
Fitness 

Health 

& 

NGO 

Europe 

 EHFA  statement  on  its  position  on  non-
formal and informal learning 

EN 

54 

   EN 

Association  

10.  Erasmus  Student  Network 

(ESN AISBL) 

NGO 

Europe 

Response  to  public  consultation  on  Non-
formal and informal learning 

11.  OBESSU 

Social Partner 

Europe 

The  school  students  view  –  why  is  non-
formal  education  and 
learning 
important to us? 

informal 

12.  ISCA  (International  sport 
and culture association) 

NGO 

Europe 
Denmark 

/ 

Sport for All – increasing European Human 
Capital  

13.  European 

Forum 

for 

Freedom in Education 

NGO 

Europe 

Response  to  public  consultation  on  Non-
formal and informal learning 

14.  The  Scottish  Qualifications 

Authority (SQA) 

Public 
Authority 

Scotland 

Response  to  public  consultation  on  Non-
formal and informal learning 

15.  European 

Office 

for 
catholic  youth  and  adult 
education 

16.  IJAB 

(Fachstelle 

für 
Internationale  Jugendarbeit 
der 
Bundesrepublik 
Deutschland e.V.) 

NGO 

Europe 

Response  to  public  consultation  on  Non-
formal and informal learning 

NGO 

Germany 

Response  to  public  consultation  on  Non-
formal and informal learning 

17.  UEAPME 

Social Partner 

Europe 

Response  to  public  consultation  on  Non-
formal and informal learning 

18.  ENSIE  (Social  Integration 

Enterprises) 

19.  EPSA 

Pharmaceutical 
Association) 

(European 
Student’s 

20.  AGE  Platform  Europe  (a 
European 
of 
around 150 organisations of 
and for people aged 50+)  

network 

NGO 

Europe 

SYSCOM conference documentation  

NGO 

Europe 

Additional  contribution  to  consultation  on 
promotion and validation of non-formal and 
informal learning 

NGO 

Europe 

Additional comments to the survey 

21.  Représentation  Permanente 
de  la  France  après  l’Union 
Européenne   

Public 
Authority 

France 

Réponse  France  Consultation  apprentissage  
(Additional comments to the survey) 

22.  Association  CH-Q  -Swiss 
Qualification  Program  for 
Career Development 

NGO 

Switzerland 

learning; 
Valuation  and  validation  of 
Development  and  implementation  from  the 
perspective of a bottom-up stakeholder 

23.  Yc3,  Youth  cross-border 
and 

corporation 
communication 

NGO 

Baltic 
region 

sea 

Response  to  public  consultation  on  Non-
formal and informal learning 

24.  Consortium: 

a.  Association 

CH-Q, 

NGO/Public 
Authority 

Europe 

Managing  European  diversity  in  Lifelong 
Learning.  SCC  Sustainable  Culture  of 

EN 

55 

   EN 

 
Competence. Commitment of stakeholders 

Benefits to users and organizations (2007) 

Switzerland. 

b.  Foundation  Competence 
Management / European 
Network  for  Valuation 
of  Prior  Learning  VPL, 
the  Nether-lands  & 
Flemish Belgium 

c.  Qualifications 

and 
Curriculum  Authority 
QCA, England 

Conclusion 

The responses to the consultation clearly indicate that validation of non-formal and informal 
learning  is  strongly  supported  by  a  diverse  group  of  individuals  and  stakeholders  and  that 
there is an overwhelming consensus on the importance of making the skills and competences 
gained through life and work experience visible. Respondents agree almost unanimously that 
important  benefits  for  individuals,  for  the  labour  market  and  for  society  at  large  can  be 
expected  from  increased  action  in  validation  of  learning  outcomes  acquired  through  non-
formal and informal learning.  

At the same time existing validation schemes and arrangements are portrayed as insufficient 
and only a quarter of the respondents is of the opinion that they meet agreed quality standards. 
In particular, it should be noted that three quarters of those who have first-hand experience, 
either  with  validating  the  learning  of  others  or  having  their  own  learning  validated,  are 
dissatisfied with the existing arrangements.  

The respondents also recognise some barriers for further implementation, of which the most 
important,  according  to  this  consultation,  are  lack  of  trust  in  validation  and  institutional 
resistance  to  accepting  non-formal  and  informal  learning  on  equal  footing  with  formal 
learning.   

EN 

56 

   EN 

8.2. 

Annex  2:  Consultation  of  the  EQF  Advisory  Group  and  outcomes  of  Peer 
Learning Activities 

The EQF Recommendation (mentioned in 1.2.1) establishes a European reference framework 
to which Member States are invited to relate their qualification levels. To ensure coherence to 
its  implementation,  it  asks  the  Commission  to  set  up  an  EQF  Advisory  Group  bringing 
together representatives from national authorities and other stakeholders (e.g. social partners). 
The EQF Recommendation explicitly states that the validation of learning outcomes acquired 
through non-formal and informal learning should be promoted, as it is a legitimate pathway 
towards  formal  qualifications.  Validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning,  and  in 
particular the preparation of this initiative, has therefore regularly been discussed in the EQF 
Advisory Group and in the related Learning Outcomes Group.  Particular attention was given 
to  validation  during  its  meeting  of  11  February  2011.  Its  members  generally  expressed 
support for the Commission's intention to propose a Council Recommendation on validation 
of non-formal and informal learning.  

The  Learning  Outcomes  Group  is  a  subgroup  of  the  EQF  Advisory  Group,  to  which  it 
provides  direct  advice  on  the  shift  to  learning  outcomes  approach  in  education  and  training 
policies and practices, including validation, and supports national policy developments. It is 
composed  by  national  policy  makers,  practitioners,  social  partners,  Cedefop,  the  European 
Training Foundation and the European Commission.  

The  Learning  Outcomes  Group  and  its  predecessor,  the  Cluster  on  Recognition  of  Learning 
Outcomes, have been operating under the Open Method of Coordination, as a key part of the 
Education  &  Training  2010  work  programme73  and  of  the  Strategic  Framework  for 
Cooperation in Education and Training (ET 2020)74 respectively.  

The  Cluster  on  Recognition  of  Learning  Outcomes  organised  a  series  of  meetings  in  the 
period 2007-2008 laying the groundwork for the European Guidelines on validation of non-
formal  and  informal  learning75.  Under  the  Learning  Outcomes  Group  two  Peer  Learning 
Activities  on  the  topic  of  validation  were  specifically  organised  to  contribute  to  the  present 
initiative: 

−  On  15-16  November  2010  a  peer  learning  activity  on  validation  of  non-formal  and 
informal learning took place in Västeras, Sweden. The meeting focussed on the practical 
as well as the political challenges involved in developing high quality and cost-efficient 
validation arrangements at national level. The discussions were intended to feed into both 
the  revision  of  the  European  Guidelines  for  the  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal 
learning and into the reflection on a possible Council Recommendation on validation of 
non-formal  and  informal  learning.  The  meeting  concluded  that  developing  and 
implementing  validation  as  a  systematic  feature  of  education  and  training  systems  is 
urgent.  It  furthermore  concluded  that  validation  of  informal  and  non-formal  learning 
requires the strengthening of interfaces with the formal qualification systems; 

−  A  specific  meeting  of  the  Learning  Outcomes  Group  took  place  on  2-3  March  2011  in 
Brussels which discussed the possible contents of a Council Recommendation. During the 

73 http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc/nationalreport08/joint04_en.pdf. 
74 http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc1120_en.htm. 
75Cedefop 

(2009),  European 

non-formal 

guidelines 

validating 

and 

for 

informal 

http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/4054_en.pdf. 

EN 

57 

learning,   

   EN 

                                                 
meeting  a  broad  support  was  expressed  by  the  participants  for  a  Recommendation 
focussing  on  setting  up  coherent  and  coordinated  systems  for  validation  by  the  Member 
States, linking to National Qualification Frameworks.  

In  addition  to  the  learning  outcomes  group  peer  learning  activities  on  validation  took  place 
with a specific sectoral focus, in particular concerning higher education, vocational education 
and training and adult learning: 

–  Validation  issues,  namely  the  recognition  of  prior  learning  in  the  higher  education 
systems,  were  also  discussed  by  the  thematic  working  group  "Modernisation  of  Higher 
Education" in a Peer Learning Activity in Malta on 11-13 October 2010 on "The role of 
Higher Education systems in supporting lifelong learning". Recognition of prior learning 
was  an  area  of  particular  relevance  –  covering  interest  in  how  this  is  linked  to 
qualifications frameworks, how it is funded, how it is implemented and how it is quality 
reviewed. The main message that resulted from the activity was that Recognition of Prior 
Learning is not just about documenting past achievements but also  about shaping future 
achievements. Where recognition of prior learning is seen as a means of enabling access 
to  higher  education  only  it  tends  to  be  carried  out  by  individual  institutions.  However  
systems  that  actually  certify  prior  learning  linked  to  qualifications  frameworks  and 
provide, for example, e-portfolios tend to have a much more formal approach with review 
mechanisms and fees associated.  

–  A  relevant  meeting  on  quality  assurance  procedures  for  recognition  of  prior  learning 
which took place in Malta from 17-20 November 2008, in the framework of the European 
network for quality assurance in vocational education and training (EQAVET)76. 

–  A relevant Peer Learning Activities had taken place in the framework of the Action Plan 
on Adult Learning: "It's always a good time to learn" a peer learning activity on validation 
took place on 21-24 June 2009 in Prague, especially focussed on policies and strategies to 
encourage and support low-skilled people to seek validation of their knowledge, skills and 
competences acquired through non-formal and informal learning77. Many workers referred 
to as "low skilled workers" are in reality not low skilled but rather "low qualified". Hence 
validation  is  an  appropriate  way  of  valorising  their  experiences  and  undocumented 
competences. 

76 http://www.eqavet.eu/gns/library/policy-briefings.aspx. 
77http://www.kslll.net/Documents/PLA-%20valiidation%20of%20non-

formal%20and%20informal%20learning_June%2009.pdf. 

EN 

58 

   EN 

                                                 
8.3. 

Annex  3:  Country  sheets  on  the  situation  of  validation  of  non-formal  and 
informal learning in the Member States 

Austria78 

National 
validation 

strategy 

on 

There  is  no  explicit  national  strategy  including  all  sectors  on  validation  of  non-
formal  and  informal  learning,  but  validation  and  recognition  of  non-formal  and 
informal  learning  is  a  central  element  in  the  Austrian  lifelong-learning  (LLL) 
strategy.  The  strategy  recommends  that  recognition  of  non-formal  and  informal 
learning should be supported, either through individual competence portfolios or 
by a national system of recognition. 

Legal 
validation 

situation 

of 

There  is  no  uniform  legal  framework  to  regulate  validation  in  Austria.  Different 
acts and regulations relating to education and training include mechanisms and 
arrangements that enable formal education and training institutions to recognise 
learning outcomes acquired in non-formal and informal settings. 

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

Validation procedures  

Costs  

There  is  no  national  institution  responsible  for  validation  across  all  sectors. 
Formal  education  and  training  institutions  and  apprenticeship  offices  of  the 
competent  economic  chambers  organise  exams  for  certification.  Public  Adult 
Education Centres have developed their own methods for validation. Ministries, 
social  partner  institutions,  companies  or  the  Public  Employment  Service  are  all 
involved  in  other  aspects  of  validation  (policy  making,  legislation,  information 
etc).  In 2009 a thematic working group proposed setting up "bodies responsible 
for  qualifications",  in  order  to  regulate  qualifications  which  are  valid  sectorally 
and/or nationally (but do not have an equivalent in the formal education system), 
whose  main  task  would  be  to  undertake  the  validation  and  quality  assurance 
function. So far, such bodies have not been established. 

Current  certification  policies  are 
large  extent  based  on  "external 
to  a 
examination", where almost all qualifications (except university degrees) can be 
obtained without participating in formal education, provided that the same exam 
as  required  in  the  regular  system,  is  passed.  In  the  Adult  Education  Sector 
competence audits and portfolios are used. 

The  funding  for  validation  activities  depends  on  the  respective  measure, 
procedure  or  project.  The  development  of  new  methods  in  pilot  projects  and 
research  is  financed  in  many  cases  through  EU  initiatives,  co-financed  by  the 
responsible  ministries  and/or  social  partner  organisations.  Depending  on  who 
maintains  or  implements  the  project  or  measure,  the  municipal  and  provincial 
governments  also  provide  support  and  ministries  and  social  partner  institutions 
may also set up their own initiatives. 

Because Austria does not have a national institutional framework for validation, 
no overall data on costs to individuals is available. The direct and indirect costs 
differ  between  the  different  measures  and  initiatives.  Costs  can  therefore  vary 
from near to nothing to EUR 2 000 or more, depending individually on how much 
the candidate’s competences have already been evidenced and recognised). 

OECD  Report:    For  the  Berufsreifeprüfung  (BRP)  it  can  be  assumed  that  a 
maximum of EUR 200 of exam fees must be paid for all four exams. It is difficult 
to identify who will bear these costs as there exist different subsidisation options. 
A  topical  study  has  calculated  that  average  costs  for  the  BRP  in  the  winter 
semester  2005/06  are  about  EUR  3,082  at  the  national  level,  when  including 

78  Genoveva  Brandstetter  an dKarin  Luomi-Messerer,  , European  Inventory  on  Validation of  Non-Formal and 
Informal Learning 2010, Country Report: Austria http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77444.pdf 

EN 

59 

   EN 

                                                 
Benefits  

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

courses  for  all  four  exam  subjects  and  exam  fees.  When  subtracting  various 
provincial  subsidies  (ranging  from  365  EUR  to  a  100  per  cent  of  the  61  total 
costs),  average  net  costs  of  about  EUR  1,768  will  accrue.  The  exam  fees  for 
other Externistenreifeprüfungen  in upper secondary school or colleges (AHS or 
BHS) within the public school system are much lower than the fees for the BRP 
–  they  are  equal  to  the  fees  of  the  “Hauptschulabschluss-Prüfung”  for  external 
exam candidates (26 EUR).79 

No large-scale data on benefits exist, but experiences from different validations 
schemes  have  in  general  been  positive.  The  fact  that  many  methods  of 
recognition are closely tied to the formal education system, gives the certificates 
a high level of acceptance on the labour market, whereas portfolio methods have 
shown  to  empower  applicants  to  recognise  their  skills  and  find  jobs  or  chose 
appropriate further education. Participants of the Competence Balance program 
felt that they had acquired important skills for approaching problems and tasks in 
their  work  environment  (such  as  stress-coping  and problem  solving  strategies), 
whereas an academic secondary school for adults reports a reduced number of 
drop-outs  thanks  to  the  validation  schemes.  Validation  portfolios  for  women 
returning to the labour market after an absence in working life (mostly because 
of  raising  children)  were  also  described  by  the  participants  as  helpful  in 
recognising  and  describing  their  competences  when  applying  for  a  job.  Two 
thirds of the participating women were employed after completing the program. 
Similarily,  63  %  of  the  people  participating  in  the  competence  profile  program 
KOMPAZ, who previously were unemployed, found employment after completion 
of the program. 

The  NQF  policy  paper  and  the  recently  adopted  Strategy  for  lifelong  learning 
place  high  importance  on  general  demand  for  integrating  non-formally  and 
informally  acquired  learning  outcomes  in  the  NQF.  The  NQF  aims  to  map  all 
national qualifications and encompass all forms of learning. An act on the NQF is 
currently  being  prepared  and  is  expected  to  be  adopted  in  2012.  This  law  will 
provide  the  basis  for  the  alignment  of  national  qualifications  to  the  NQF  and 
referencing to the EQF.80 The question on how to recognise learning outcomes 
which do not have an equivalent in the formal system remains open. 

Role of social partners in 
validation81 

Relevant stakeholders participate in working groups that elaborate proposals on 
how  to  make  learning  that  takes  place  outside  formal  settings  more  visible. 
Some social partners are also actively involved in different pilot projects. 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

There is no national framework including all sectors on validation of non-formal 
and  informal  learning.  Validation  exists  in  many  contexts,  but  with  lacking 
coherence.  

Validation statistics 

take 

the  apprenticeship-leave  examination  (LAP) 

No  overall  data  on  flows  of  beneficiaries  is  available,  however  some  examples 
exist:  There  are  more  than  800  candidates  per  year  to  the  Hauptschule 
qualifications in second-chance education.; Approximately 5,300 candidates per 
year 
in  second-chance 
education;  Approximately  3,800  people  per  year  are  awarded  the  professional 
title  Ingenieur;  In  the  school  year  2007/08,  more  than  2,600  persons  have 
successfully  taken  part  in  the  Berufsreifeprüfung  exam;  In  2008,  Austrian 
universities  newly  enrolled  120  students  with  the  ExternistInnenreifeprüfung  as 
an entrance qualification, 96 with the Studienberechtigungsprüfung and 838 with 

79 OECD Thematic Review on Recognition of non-formal and informal learning:  Country Background Report 
Austria 2007 http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/15/3/41679166.pdf 
80 Jens Bjornavold, Development of National Qualification Frameworks in Europe 2011 

EN 

60 

   EN 

                                                                                                                                                         
 
the Berufsreifeprüfung;  In the winter term 2009, Austrian universities of applied 
sciences  newly  enrolled  195  students with  the  Studienberechtigungsprüfung  as 
an entrance qualification and 838 with Berufsreifeprüfung; 

Belgium (Flanders)82 

National 
validation 

Legal 
validation 

strategy 

on 

No explicit national strategy including all sectors on validation of non-formal and 
informal learning exists. 

situation 

of 

A legislative framework for validation has been put in place, closely linked to the 
development  of  the  Action  Plan  ‘Lifelong  Learning  on  the  Right  Track’.  Federal 
legislation  plays  little  role  in  detailed  development  in  the  field,  but  may  gain 
relevance if validation affects the relationship between employee and employer. 
In 2002, a Federal law was passed, granting workers a right to be assessed and 
validated for skills gained outside the formal education system. Workers have a 
right to paid training leave for up to 120 hours/year. In HE, recognition of informal 
and  non-formal  learning  is  defined  by  a  2004  decree,  linking  to  the  Bologna 
process and aims at making higher education more flexible. In adult education, a 
decree  from  2007  sets  out  a  clear  approach  to  assessment  and  certification  of 
acquired competences. Validation of vocational education is defined by the 2004 
decree on "Titles of Professional competence", more known as the "certificate for 
vocational experience".  

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

The  Department  of  Work  in  the  Flemish  government  awards  the  certificate  for 
vocational  experience.  This  work  is  done  through  specific  assessment  centres. 
On other educational levels, validation is carried out by educational institutions, 
associations  of  educational  institutions  or  through  specific  projects  and  third 
sector services.  

Validation procedures  

Costs  

Employees  or  job-seekers  can  acquire  a  certificate  of  vocational  experience  if 
they  are  able  to  demonstrate  the  necessary  skills  as  defined  by  the  labour 
market  (sectoral  social  partners).  In  higher  education  applicants  can (based  on 
portfolios  and  assessment)  gain  access  to  higher  education  programs,  be 
awarded  credits  or  a  shortened  study  duration,  or  even  be  granted  a  degree. 
Practices differ depending on HE associations. 

There is currently no specific budget allocated by the Flemish government to the 
validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning.  It  is  considered  that  the  lack  of 
funding  is  undermining  the  development  of  validation  in  Flanders.  Costs  are 
primarily  carried  by  education  institutions  and  individuals.  The  certificate  for 
vocational  experience  is  financed  by  the  Flemish  Government  (55%)  and  the 
European  Social  Fund  (45%).  The  organisations  wishing  to  assess  applicants 
have to apply for accreditation by responding to a call for proposals by the ESF-
agency.  Each  assessment  centre  receives  a  certain  amount  per  assessment 
(EUR  240  for  guidance,  EUR  960  -1200  or  EUR  1440  per  assessment, 
depending on the occupation) and also a budget for promotion. 

Institutions can ask participants for a basic fee to cover administrative costs and 
for  an  additional  amount, which  is related  to  the  number  of competences  to be 
identified  during  the  assessment  phase.  The  procedure  for  recognition  of 

82  Cecile  Mathou  ,  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning  2010,  Country 
Report: Belgium (Flanders) http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77449.pdf 

EN 

61 

   EN 

 
                                                 
 
acquired  competences  or  qualifications  in  adult  education  does  in  general  not 
involve any costs. 

The  procedure  for  recognition  of  acquired  competences  or  qualifications  in 
higher education does not involve any costs to the individual, unless it relates to 
certificates  for  which  the  institution  does  not  know  the  ‘value’  and  considers  it 
necessary  to  order  an  additional  proficiency  test.  This  is  the  case  for 
competences  acquired  outside  formal  education,  that  is,  through  non-formal  or 
informal  learning.  In  that  case,  the  associations  are  responsible  for  recognition 
and assessment and also for the cost price of the proficiency test. The maximum 
cost for the assessment varies: 

-  EUR  590  for  a  proficiency  assessment  at  academic  or  professional  bachelor 
level; 

- EUR 770 for a proficiency assessment at master level if the individual has no 
bachelor  degree  (EUR  230  for  a  proficiency  assessment  at  master  level  if  the 
individual has a bachelor degree) 

- EUR 55 administrative cost for a proficiency assessment for partial elements of 
a  study  +  cost  depending  on  the  number  of  competence  assessments  to  be 
undertaken. 

The benefits of the certificate for vocational experience was recorder in a 2009 
study, where all of the 320 candidates said the certificates meant a lot to them, 
and  had  improved  their  self-confidence,  self-comprehension  and  pride.  Up  to 
70%  said  that  they  believed  the  certificate  had  improved  their  chances  on  the 
labour  market.  Up  to  90%  would  do  the  procedure  again,  and  as  many  would 
recommend it to friends and colleagues. The 45 surveyed employers confirmed 
that  the  certificates  added  transparency  and  enabled  the  matching  of  skills 
required and the talents of the individuals. 

Benefits  

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

The Parliament Act of 2009 on the Flemish qualifications structure (equivalent to 
the  NQF)  aims  at  defining  level  descriptors,  types  of  qualifications  as  well  as 
procedures  to  recognise  them.  The  NQF  is  expected  to  play  a  vital  role  in  the 
recognition  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning,  explicitly  mentioned  as  one  of 
the objectives of the process. 

The road from formal adoption to actual implementation has proved more time-
consuming  and  difficult  than  originally  foreseen.  As  late  as  mid-2011  the 
implementation  decrees  necessary  for  putting  the  framework  into  practise  had 
yet  to  be  fully  agreed,  in  particular  with  social  partners  represented  in  the 
Economic  and  social  committee,  thus  making  it  impossible  to  include  actual 
qualifications  into  the  framework.  The  NQF,  to  be  adopted  in  responses  to  the 
EQF, it is still very much work in progress. 83  

Social  partners  within  the  Social  Economic  Council  of  Flanders  (SERV)  are 
responsible for developing the qualification references for VET by the description 
of  occupational  profiles.  Recognition  of  informal  and  non-formal  learning  has 
been  received  positively  by  trade  unions  and  employer's  organisations,  but 
remains  largely  unknown  among  private  companies.  Within  companies,  where 
firm-based validation exists, it is rarely recognised in the wider labour market. 

Validation is mainly focused on vocational skills. VET recognition is widespread 
and  focuses  on  48  occupations  (bus  driver,  industrial  painter,  nursery  worker 
etc). However, validation practises exist also in both higher education and adult 
to 
learning. 

In  more  specific  projects  special 

focus  have  been  paid 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

83 Jens Bjornavold, Development of National Qualification Frameworks in Europe 2011 

EN 

62 

   EN 

                                                 
Validation statistics 

disadvantaged groups. 

In relation to vocational, or professional, competences, since 2004 employees or 
jobseekers in the Flemish community have been able to acquire a ‘certificate of 
vocational  experience’  if  they  demonstrate  that  they  have  learned  or  acquired 
certain  skills  required  to  exercise  an    occupation,  as  defined  by  the  labour 
market  (sectoral  social  partners)  in  a  standard.  Between  2006  to  April  2010 
2,039  certificates  of  vocational  experience  have  been  awarded  and  3,563 
candidates  have  registered  and  are  currently  in  the  process  of  receiving 
guidance, undergoing assessment or have just gone through the process. 

In  higher  education,  the  process  of  recognition  of  non-formal  and  informal 
learning  has  been  in  place  in  universities  and  colleges  since  September  2005.  
In  adult  education,  a  2007  decree  also  sets  out  a  clear  approach  to  the 
assessment  and  certification  of  acquired  competences.  Statistics  on  take-up 
cover  the  period  from  2005  to  2008  -  the  total  number  of  applicants  has 
decreased from 663 in 2005-2006 to 412 in 2007-2008. 

Belgium (Wallonia and French Community)84 

National 
validation 

strategy 

on 

No explicit national strategy including all sectors on validation of non-formal and 
informal learning exists. In the 2009-2014 "Declaration of Regional Policies" the 
Walloon Government set out its intention to make Validation of Skills one of the 
priorities of the next term in office. 

Legal 
validation 

situation 

of 

Federal  legislation  plays  little  role  in  detailed  development  in  the  field,  but  may 
gain  relevance  if  validation  affects  the  relationship  between  employee  and 
employer.In  2002,  a  Federal  law  was  passed,  granting  workers  a  right  to  be 
assessed  and  validated  for  skills  gained  outside  the  formal  education  system. 
Workers have a right to paid training leave for up to 120 hours/year. 

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

In  higher  education,  the  recognition  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  was 
introduced  in  1994/1995  and  since  the  Act  of  March  2004  as  VAE.  VCP  was 
introduced in 2003/2004. The VCP Skills Certificates are recognised by law. 

VCP  is  handled  by  a  Consortium  consisting  of  the  five  most  important  public 
sector  training  providers:  FOREM  (The  Walloon  Employment  and  Vocational 
Training  Service),  Bruxelles  Formation  (Public  Sector  Training  Agency), 
Enseignement  de  Promotion  Sociale  (Adult  education  provider),  IFAPME 
(Training Agency for the Self Employed), and SFPME (training Service for Small 
and Medium-Sized enterprises). The consortium creates common standards for 
VCP and hands out Skills Certificates. 

Higher  education  institutes  are  responsible  for  VAE.  Advisory  bodies  are  used 
for  cooperation  and  dialogue  between  institutions,  but  there  is  no  common 
procedure.  In  2008  a  VAE  Platform  was  created  to  facilitate  this  work.  The 
Ministry of the French Community (DG Non-Compulsory Education and Scientific 
research plays a facilitating role between stakeholders and advisory bodies. 

84Cecile  Mathou  ,  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning  2010,  Country 
Report: Belgium (Wallonia) http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77451.pdf 

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Validation procedures  

There  are  currently  two  frameworks  for  validation  in  French  speaking  Belgium: 
Valorisation  des  Acquis  de  l’Expérience  -  VAE  in  Higher  Education  and 
Validation des compétences professionnelles – VCP in the vocational education 
and training sector.  

VAE does not lead directly to certification, but can be used for both admissions 
and exemptions and is offered in all higher education institutions. Focus is more 
on knowledge than skills and qualifications. The process is aimed at encouraging 
adults  who  wish  to  enter  higher  education  to  do  so  via  valorisation  of  their 
professional experience and training. 

VCP  is  specifically  aimed  at  officially  recognising  professional  knowledge  and 
know-how  acquired  outside  of  typical  training  channels.  This  recognition  is 
organised  by  the  Skills  Validation  Consortium,  which  oversees  a network  of  32 
centres  which  carry  out  the  recognition  and  validation  of  competencies.  
Validation  Centres  carry  out  certification  by  delivering  titres  de  compétences 
(Skills  Certificates)  to  adults  who  can  prove  that  they  meet  the  standards  for  a 
certain occupation. These Skills Certificates are not on their own, equivalent to 
standard  diplomas,  but  are  designed  to  facilitate  access  to  further  training 
courses.  The  titres  de  competences  can  also  be  accumulated  to  obtain  a 
qualification,  on  the  condition  of  passing  an  integrated  test  (épreuve  intégrée) 
organised by the Enseignement de Promotion Sociale. 

Costs  

Benefits  

VCP is free of charge for applicants. The real costs of the procedure are covered 
by  the  government  which  subsidises  validation  sessions.  The  main  costs  for 
validation  consist  of  human  resources 
the 
assessment.  These  costs  are  covered  by  the  government.  Validation  as  a 
method  applied  to  higher  education  is  also  supported  by  public  funds.  For  HE 
institutions, the main cost related to VAE is the recruitment of additional staff to 
advise, orient and support candidates. These costs are currently covered by the 
funding received by Universities for the implementation of VAE. The budget for 
the VAE Platform for the period 2008-2013 is 5.6 million euro (co-financed by the 
European Social Fund).  

the  centres  organising 

for 

Since the VCP is still a new procedure, there is still some mistrust towards the 
Skills  Certificates  on  the  labour  market.  However,  the  benefits  are  becoming 
more  apparent,  and  employers  are  starting  to  realise  the  benefits  of  the 
certificate  in  facilitating  recruitment.  The  role  of  skills  and  competences  is  also 
becoming  more  and  more  common  in  Human  Resource  Management  within 
companies. 

The  benefits  of  the  VCP  validation  for  individuals  are:  increased  chanced  of 
finding employment, facilitated access to vocational training programmes, official 
recognition  of  experience  and  bolstering  professional 
identity  and  self-
confidence.  The  benefits  of  VAE  include  adult  access  to  university  studies,  a 
transformed  academic  landscape  (with  more  adult  learners)  and  enhanced 
personal development. 

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

The  French  community  has  worked  on  a  NQF  linked  to  EQF  since  2006.  The 
efforts  put  into  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning,  involving  broad 
stakeholder groups, can be beneficial  for a broader development of the NQF.85 

85 Jens Bjornavold, Development of National Qualification Frameworks in Europe 2011 

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64 

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The  future  of  the  Skills  Certificate  depends  on  the  extent  to  which  they  are 
integrated into the NQF and linked to other, more well-known, certificates.86  This 
work is ongoing. 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

For  each  occupation  for  which  VCP  is  used,  management  and  labour 
representatives and training providers from various sectors form a Commission 
for  Skill  Unit  Standards.  Partners  from  education,  business,  trade  unions  and 
other training providers collaborate also in assessing future needs of businesses, 
in redefining training provisions and placing more emphasis on skills. 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

Validation is mainly focused on vocational skills and targets job seekers. At the 
end of 2008. 115 VCP certificates related to 37 occupations had been created. 

Validation statistics 

Data  collected  between  September  and  December  2008  indicate  that  294 
applicants were examined by the VAE jury and that 185 registered as students. 

In 2008 the objective for VCP was 650 beneficiaries and the actual number 987. 
In 2009 the number of beneficiaries reached 1364, compared to a target of 780. 
Nevertheless, the beneficiaries of the VCP procedure is still relatively low due to 
low visibility and recent implementation. 

Bulgaria87 

National 
validation 

strategy 

on 

Legal 
validation 

situation 

of 

Plans  to  introduce  validation  of  prior  learning  only  began  in  Bulgaria  in  the 
context  of  fulfilling  EU  accession  requirements  and  are  still  in  the  making.  
Strategic  documents  such  as  the  National  Strategy  for  Lifelong  Learning  2008-
2013, Action Plan 2009, the National Strategy for Further Vocational Education 
and  Training  2005  –  2010,  the  Renewed  Employment  Strategy  2008-2015  and 
the  2010  National  Action  Plan  on  Employment  highlight  the  establishment  of  a 
system of validation of non-formal and informal learning as a priority. 

Currently  the  only  legislative  regulation  of  validation  is  laid  down  in  the  1999 
Vocational  Education  and  Training  (VET)  Act,  with  limited  practical  application. 
Amendments to the VET law are currently being planned.The terms non-formal 
and informal learning will be defined in the amended law, which aims to organise 
the validation at all levels – national, regional and provider level. The 2008 Law 
for  amending  and  expanding  the  Employment  Promotion  Act  focuses  on  adult 
training  and  stipulates  that  the  Ministry  of  Labour  and  Social  Policy  and  the 
Ministry  of  Education,  Youth  and  Science  should  create  conditions  for  the 
assessment  and  recognition  of  the  knowledge  and  skills  of  adults  acquired 
through non-formal and informal learning.  

Institutions 

involved 

in  The primary national institution with responsibility for validation is the Ministry for 
Education,  Youth  and  Science.  The  National  Agency  for  Vocational  Education 

86Cecile  Mathou  ,  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning  2010,  Country 
Report: Belgium (Wallonia) http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77451.pdf 

87Nataliya Nikolova , European Inventory on Validation of Non-Formal and Informal Learning 2010, Country 
Report: Bulgaria http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77453.pdf 

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validation 

Validation procedures  

Costs  

and Training (NAVET) is a specialised authority whose main responsibility is to 
license vocational education and training institutions. The Ministry of Education, 
Youth and Science together with NAVET are responsible for creating conditions 
and methods for validation. The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is involved 
in validation related to LLL and awareness raising of validation schemes to job-
seekers and employees. 

Once  the  system  of  validation  is  introduced,  both  public  and  private  vocational 
institutions are expected to be licensed as providers. 

No system for validation has been established yet. A model system for validation 
was designed in 2009 as part of the project “Promoting adults’ vocational training 
and employability in Bulgaria” and tested in three professions: carpenter, tailor, 
and social worker. The amendments to the VET Act are being designed on the 
basis of these experiments. 

No clear assessment of potential costs. Currently, there are a number of EU co-
funded initiatives which aim at developing the validation process. Validation will 
be  funded  by  the  state  and  municipal  budgets.  Funding  will  not  be  specifically 
allocated  to  validation  but  will  fall  under  a  general  funding  stream  (e.g.  for 
education  and  training).  Beneficiaries  will  be  expected  to  pay  a  fee  for  the 
validation/  certification  of  their  qualifications,  training,  consultation  etc.  The 
amount of the fee will be established by an act of the Council of Ministers. The 
whole or a part of the fee will be paid by beneficiaries, employers or sponsors. 
Funds  allocated  to  validation  will  also  come  from  the  Human  Resources 
Development  Operational Programme, the  European  Social  Fund,  and  bilateral 
programmes. 

Benefits  

No data. 

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

Establishment of NQF compatible to EQF is ongoing. A draft Bulgarian national 
qualifications  framework  for  lifelong  learning  was  approved  by  the  Minister  of 
in  June  2011.  The  Bulgarian  national 
Education,  Youth  and  Science 
qualifications  framework  is  one  single,  comprehensive  framework,  which  will 
include  qualifications  from  all  levels  and  subsystems  of  education  and  training 
(pre-primary,  primary  and  secondary  general  education,  VET  and  HE).  It  will 
provide normative base for validation of non-formal and informal learning.   

Role of social partners in 
validation 

Organisations  and  trade  unions  have  been  involved  in  the  2009  pilot  project. 
NAVET also involves social partners in assessing the needs of the labour market 
and the introduction of successful practices, such as validation of non-formal and 
informal learning. Involvement beyond consultation remains low. 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

Validation on a larger scale has not yet begun. Most work, however, seems to be 
done  in  the  arena  of  vocational  education.  Smaller  projects  have  so  far  mainly 
focused  on  disadvantaged  groups,  such  as 
the  elderly,  disabled  or 
disadvantaged people. 

Validation statistics 

There  is  currently  no  data  since  the  system  of  validation  is  yet  to  be 
implemented. 

EN 

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Cyprus88 

National 
validation 

strategy 

on 

Legal 
validation 

situation 

of 

No  national  strategy  or  guidelines  exist,  but  some  work  on  validation  is  being 
conducted  through  the  NQF.  There  are  no  definite  plans  for  introducing  a 
national system of validation, but this may follow the Education Reform which is 
currently taking place. Validation of non-formal and informal learning is not seen 
as a priority area in Cyprus at the moment. 

Neither  a  legislative  framework  for  validating  non-formal  and  informal  learning 
nor  national  guidelines  for  validation  have  yet  been  established  in  Cyprus.  A 
recent  modification  of  the  Law  of  the  Cyprus  Council  for  the  Recognition  of 
Higher Education Qualifications (KYSATS) allows the Council to recognise, at its 
discretion, transfer credits based on previous work experience as part of a formal 
degree title.   

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

The  Human  Resources  Development  Authority  (HRDA)  is  the  national  body 
responsible  for  establishing  a  System  of  Vocational  Qualifications,  and  may  be 
expected to play a role in the development of validation practices. 

In  higher  education,  some  steps 
introduction  of  validation 
procedures  have  been  taken  on  the  initiative  of  higher  education  institutions. 
Credits are also recognised by the Cyprus Council for the Recognition of Higher 
Education Qualifications (KYSATS) based on previous work experience. 

towards 

the 

In  the  private  sector,  the  Cyprus  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  Industry  (CCCI) 
operate a scheme certifying competences in computer-related subjects.  

Validation procedures  

No information available. 

Costs  

Benefits  

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

There is no public national funding framework for validation. A number of EU co-
funded projects have allowed Cyprus to participate in pilot actions. There is little 
information on costs for participants in existing and planned validation schemes. 

It is expected that validation initiatives help to increase the possibilities of access 
to  higher  education,  and  the  reduction  of  time  to  achieve  a  higher  education 
qualification. Within sectors, validation is undertaken to better match individuals 
with  job  tasks.  However,  given  the  low  profile  of  validation  in  the  country,  no 
studies have systematically evidenced the benefits of validation to individuals. 

The  issue  of  recognising  prior  learning  arose  in  the  discussions  about  the 
development  of  a  NQF  and  steps  are  being  taken  in  this  direction.  Candidates 
can  be  awarded  vocational  qualification  no  matter  how  they  have  acquired  the 
necessary  knowledge,  skills  and  competences  (e.g.  through  formal,  non-formal 
or  informal  learning).89  In  the  future  it  will  be  examined  how  the  system  will 
incorporate  branches/titles  of 
the 
apprenticeship system and other initial vocational programmes. Through this the 
NQF  aims  to  bridge  the  various  qualifications  acquired  via  formal,  non-formal 
and  informal  learning  and  strengthen  the  links  between  initial  and  continuous 
vocational education and training.90 

technical  and  vocational  schools  and 

Role of social partners in  Social partner have been actively involved in the debate on developing a System 

88  Anna  Manoudi  ,  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning  2010,  Country 
Report: Cyprus http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77457.pdf  

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validation 

of  Vocational  Qualifications.  Stakeholders  are  also  engaged  in  discussions  on 
the NQF/EQF implementation. Some private sector initiatives have started to be 
implemented  both  by  social  partners  and  individual  companies,  mainly  in  the 
areas of IT, banking and accounting/auditing. 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

A  system  for  validation  for  a  few  occupational  sectors  (hotels  and  restaurants, 
construction and retail etc) has been introduced during 2006-2009, but validation 
is  so  far  only  available  to  employees.  The  goal  is  to  broaden  and  deepen  the 
practices during the second phase of the System of Vocational Qualifications up 
until  2013,  so  that  72  new  standards  in  priority  occupations  will  be  established 
and  opportunities  for  access  to  validation  will  be  extended  to  unemployed  and 
economically  inactive  persons.  ESF  validation  projects  have  focused  on 
disadvantaged groups. 

Validation statistics 

No data available. 

Czech Republic91 

National 
validation 

Legal 
validation 

strategy 

on 

Recognition and permeability are among the seven strategic goals of the Czech 
Lifelong Learning Strategy. 

situation 

of 

Recognition of non-formal and informal learning is now well defined in the Czech 
Republic since September 2007 by law 179/2006, which defines the conditions 
and  the  process  for  recognition  to  achieve  full  and  partial  qualifications  (at  all 
levels except higher education).  

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

Validation procedures  

Costs  

The work is lead by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Sectoral councils 
(consisting of representatives of educational institutes and relevant stakeholders) 
suggest  what  new  standards  are  needed  and  where  standards  should  be 
updated. Validation based on the standards can be carried out by schools for full 
qualifications  or  by  authorised 
institutions, 
companies as well as individuals) for partial qualifications. 

(schools,  private 

institutions 

for 

recognition  of  non-formal  and 

Assessment  standards  (e.g.  oral  explanation,  practical  demonstration,  etc.)  are 
used  both 
learning  and 
examination/certification  in  formal  education  and  training.  They  are  being 
progressively developed by the sectoral councils and approved by the Ministry of 
Education. Full qualification can be achieved following the successful passing of 
final  examination.  Validation  can  not  be  used  by  higher  education  institutes  in 
order  to  shorten  the  study  period,  whereas  this  is  possible  at  some  institutes 
focused on adult learning.  

informal 

The  development  of  the  system  of  recognition  receives  significant  EU  funding 
through  the  ESF.  The  system  is  designed  so  that  the  direct  costs  of  the 
recognition  procedure  will  be  covered  by  individuals  (estimated  to  plausibly 
reach levels of several hundred euro). It is for the authorised persons to set the 
fee  and  in  practice  this  varies  depending  on  the  qualification  and  the  material 
needs for the assessment. However the fee has to be set within a scale that is 
set at national level. The fees can be covered by employers, but there is no legal 
obligation for employers to contribute to the expenditure. In case of unemployed 
people  the  costs  may  be  covered  by  the  public  employment  services.  Human 

91Daniela  Uličná,  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning  2010,  Country 
Report: Czech Republic http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77454.pdf 

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resources and other costs are carried by the accrediting institutions. 

Benefits  

No systematic evaluation or monitoring of benefits has been carried out. Some 
case  study  evidence  shows  benefits  such  as  increased  confidence,  enhanced 
motivation to learn further and access to a qualified position in the labour market. 

OECD Report: Other assumed benefits based on Czech case study experiences 
and  expectations  include  shortened  study  periods,  enhanced  work  productivity, 
reintroduction of school drop-outs to formal education, and improving chances to 
attain further education.92 

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

The  validation  procedure  is  tightly  related  to  the  on-going  development  of  the 
NQF:  a  recognition  procedure  can  only  be  carried  out  if  the  qualifications  and 
assessment  standard  are  defined  in  the  qualifications  register  (defined  by  law 
179/2006 and still incomplete when the law entered into force).  

Role of social partners in 
validation 

Sectoral  councils  include  employers'  and  employees'  representatives.  Social 
(chambers  of  employers,  professional  organisations,  schools, 
partners 
representatives  of  universities)  participate  also 
the  development  of 
qualification and assessment standards. 

in 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

As  the  recognition  process  started  in  2009,  take  up  remains  modest  and 
validation only has only taken place for a limited number of qualifications. Since 
education levels already are high, the main focus of validation and recognition of 
non-formal learning is not so much on acquiring higher education level, but more 
on partial qualifications or additional qualifications, because these qualifications 
facilitate  employment  and  can  solve  shortages  in  certain  qualifications  at  the 
labour  market.  It  also  gives  people  with  low  or  no  qualifications  the  chance  to 
upgrade their qualifications. 

Validation statistics 

Only  initial  figures  can  be  identified,  but  already  by  June  2010  a  total  of  1206 
partial  qualifications  had  been  authorised  and  3126  assessments  had  been 
carried out. 

Denmark93 

National 
validation 

strategy 

on 

Validation of non-formal and informal learning aimed at all citizens, often with a 
special focus on low-qualified people, features strongly  in policies and strategies 
focusing more broadly  on lifelong learning. The 2004 policy paper “Recognition 
of  Prior  Learning  within  the  Education  System”  is  also  an  important  part  of  the 
strategy of validation of prior learning in Denmark. 

Legal 
validation 

situation 

of 

The  recent  key  legislation  on  validation  of  prior  learning  is  Act  no  556  of  June 
2007  on  the development of  the recognition  of  prior  learning  in adult  education 
and  continuing  training.    It  gives  individuals  the  right  to  ask  an  education 
institution  for  an  assessment  of  his/her  prior  learning  in  order  to  obtain 

92

OECD  Activity  on  Recognition  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning:  Country  Background  Report  Czech 

Republic 2007 http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/15/44/41679411.pdf 

93  Kirsten  Aagaard  ,  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning  2010,  Country 
Report: Denmark http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77455.pdf 

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Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

Validation procedures  

Costs  

recognition  of  his/her  competences.  The  Act  covers  single  course  subjects  in 
general  adult  education  and  general  upper  secondary  education,  vocational 
training programmes; basic adult education; short-cycle and medium-cycle post-
secondary  adult  education  (Diploma  programmes).  The  Danish  Ministry  of 
Education  has  launched  a  number  of  initiatives  that  seek  to  improve  the 
understanding of prior learning assessment and to promote its use (e.g.  setting 
up  a  National  Knowledge  Centre  for  Validation  of  Prior  Learning)  and  is 
evaluating  the  implementation  of  the  legislation  in  2011-2011  with  the  view  to 
define a  new action plan to promote the validation of prior learning. 

There  is  no  national  institution  responsible  for  validation.  The  Ministry  of 
Education  is  responsible  for  the  legislative  framework  for  Recognition  of  Prior 
Learning (RPL) and for taking national initiatives for implementing the legislation 
within  its  field  (does  not  include  universities).  The  Ministry  has  developed  My 
Competence  Portfolio  as  a  tool  for  use  by  all  stakeholders,  especially  the 
education  institutions.  In  2007  the  ‘National  Knowledge  Centre  (NVR),  for 
Validation of Prior Learning’ was funded by the Ministry of Education. The aim of 
the  knowledge  centre  is  to  collect,  produce  and  disseminate  information  and 
documentation  on  existing  knowledge  on  VPL.  The  educational  institutions 
themselves  are  responsible  for  counselling/guidance,  assessing  and  approving 
RPL within their educational and training programmes, quality assurance, review 
and  evaluation.  Other  stakeholders  act  as  guidance  institutions,  e.g.  the  job 
centres, the trade unions and the third sector. 

Competence  assessment  is  always  based  on  the  goals  and  admission 
requirements of the individual education programme (or subject area standards 
within  general  adult  education  and  upper  secondary  subjects  for  adults). 
Methods of assessment are not standardised and include interviews, portfolios, 
practical  exercises  and  tests.  In  general  upper  secondary  education  students 
can  obtain  (based  on  assessment  of  prior  learning)  credits  for  previously 
completed  studies,  periods  of  study  abroad,  etc.,  and  be  granted  admission  to 
subjects at a higher level or a reduced advanced level course load. Assessment 
is made after entry. In HE, individuals can be awarded competence certificates or 
admission  on  the  basis  of  validation.  Within  adult  vocational  training  persons 
have  the  right  to  request  the  assessment  of  their  competences.  This  is  for  the 
award  of  certificates  and  to  tailor  programmes  to  take  account  of  the 
competences the applicant already has. 

The  organisations  involved  in  the  recognition  of  prior  learning  must  absorb  the 
associated  costs  within  their  existing  budgets,  although  education  institutions 
can charge a fee for the assessment of prior learning. Recognition of non-formal 
and  informal learning is also financially  supported by the Ministry of Education. 
The funding model is a continuation of the policy principles of a primarily public 
funded  basic  adult  and  continuing  education  and  training  system  paid  through 
the tax system and with moderate contribution by those who already have higher 
levels  of  formal  education  attainment.  Public  financing  also  includes  support 
schemes/allowance schemes for forgone earnings for adults during participation 
in  qualifying  education  and  training.  Co-financing  by  participants  or  their 
employers  in  the  form  of  graduated  user  fees  is  becoming  a  more  or  less 
universal  rule.  In  the  OECD  Report  annual  public  costs  for  non-formal  and 
informal  learning  are  estimated  as  following:  Basic  skills  programmes  within 
continuing  vocational  training  and  related  individual  competence  assessment:  
1.2  MEUR  (with  approx.  50.000  participants);  General  adult  education  and 
general upper secondary: 333.333 EUR (approx. 500 participants); Diploma and 

EN 

70 

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Benefits  

other  tertiary  programmes  within  the  adult  education  system:  no  estimate; 
additional expenditure: approximately 1.535 MEUR.94 

No research with an explicit focus on the benefits for individuals has so far been 
carried out. The knowledge about effects is based on small analyses and case 
studies.  Intermediate  results  from  NVR  projects  and  other  institutions  show, 
however,  that  validation  improves  the  individual’s  knowledge  of  their  own 
competences. This motivates individuals to look for new jobs or to start again in 
education.  In  addition,  RPL  can  be  used  to  shorten  a  learner’s  educational 
pathway, in particular in relation to the Basic Adult Education programme (GVU) 
- adults are typically able to have their need for teaching at school reduced by at 
least  half,  compared  with  a  normal  course  of  education  (their  practical  training 
experience  being  fully  recognised).  As  indicated  by  the  2007  OECD  Report,  a 
Danish study on good practice of reducing dropouts in VET gives some evidence 
that  the  quality  of  the  obligatory  initial  assessment  of  a  student‘s  competences 
and  the  guidance  process  associated  with  it  as  a  basis  for  formulation  of  the 
personal education plan has some impact on completion rates. 

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

Information  on  current  regulations  regarding  validation  of  non-formal  and 
informal learning and how degrees and certificates can be acquired on the basis 
of validation of non-formal and informal learning is expected to form a part of the 
information on the Danish qualifications framework. 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

Validation statistics 

The  Danish  Ministry  of  Education  formed  as  one  of  its  initiatives  a  partnership 
agreement with the social partners regarding recognition of prior learning running 
from August 2007 to August 2010, which resulted in many initiatives. In the area 
of  Adult  Vocational  Training,  as  well  as  Vocational Education  and  Training,  the 
social  partners  are  usually  involved  in  the  validation  process.  They  have 
contributed significantly and have had influence in a number of areas within the 
legislation. Thus the Government works closely with social partners, for example 
with  the Council  for  Vocational Training  (REU),  the Council  for  Adult  Education 
and  Training  (VEU-Rådet),  the  Council  for  Academy  Profession  Education  and 
Professional  Bachelor  Education.  These  Councils  advise  the  Government  on 
their  specific  areas  of  education  and  training.  The  ‘National  Trade  Committees’ 
define  the  contents  of  qualifications  and  labour  market  competence  framework 
and they monitor labour market developments so as to develop suitable VET. 

The  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  has  been  high  on  the  policy 
agenda in Denmark for more than a decade and is well developed especially in 
VET,  adult  education  programmes  and  tertiary  education.  Many  initiatives  are 
aimed  at  low-qualified  people.  Although  recognition  of  prior  learning  has  been 
established  for  some  time  it  is  also  considered  that  more  needs  to  be  done  to 
recognise  competences  achieved  at  work  and  from  taking  part  in  non-formal 
adult education and training etc. 

There is still a need for more detailed statistics and registration of the activities. 
Validation activity is still relatively low because the new regulations are still under 
implementation. But at the same time the activity is increasing within all fields of 
education. The spread of prior learning assessment is greatest within vocational 
education and training at basic levels. 

94 OECD Thematic Review on Recognition of Non-formal and Informal learning:  Country Background Report 
Denmark 2007 http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/48/33/41721389.pdf 

EN 

71 

   EN 

 
 
                                                 
Estonia95 

National 
validation 

strategy 

on 

Legal 
validation 

situation 

of 

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

Principles  for  the  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning (also known as 
RPL)  in  relation  to  higher  and  vocational  education  have  been  developed 
relatively  recently  at  national 
the 
Development  Plan  for  Estonian  Adult  Education  2009-2013,  the  Development 
Plan for the Estonian Vocational Education and Training System 2009-2013 and 
the  Estonian  Higher  Education  Strategy  2006–2015  also  aim  at  developing 
further RPL. 

level.  Strategic  documents  such  as 

In  higher  education,  the  2003  University  Act  allowed  the  use  of  RPL  to  give 
access  to  university  and  award  partial  diplomas  and  required  universities  to 
elaborate their own rules and procedures for RPL. General principles regarding 
RPL have been set-out in the Standard of Higher Education 2007. In vocational 
education, the vocational standard sets the framework for RPL. No system has 
been initiated so far within general education. 

There  is  no  national  institution  with  responsibility  for  validation.  The  Ministry  of 
Education  and  Research  has  responsibility  for  the  legal  framework.    Current 
developments  in  HE  are  led  by  the  ESF-funded  project  ‘Primus’  and  its  office; 
validation  in  qualification  standards  is  coordinated  by  Estonian  Qualifications 
Authority  and  in  vocational  education  the  developments  are  led  by  National 
Examinations  and  Qualifications  Centre.  Based  on  the  legal  framework,  all 
higher  education, 
“applied  higher  education”  and  vocational  education 
institutions have a set of regulations for recognition of prior learning in place.  

Validation procedures  

Validation  can  be  used  for  admission  to  HEI's,  changing  curriculum,  awarding 
credits  or  continuing studies  in  higher and  vocational  education,  or  achieving  a 
professional  qualification.  Educational  institutes  have  their  own  procedures, 
which include application forms, interviews, assignments etc.  

Costs  

Most  of  the  validation  development  is  funded  through  the  ESF  project  Primus, 
which  has  an  earmarked  1.46  MEUR  budget  for  the  years  2008-2013  (the 
project  aims  to  raise  the  capacity  of  HEI's  to  assess  and  recognise  prior 
learning).  Project  partners  and  HEI's  must  contribute  5  %  of  their  own  funding. 
Funding covers training courses for assessors, counsellors, applicants, the cost 
of  assessment  and  counselling,  information  campaigns  and  other  related 
activities such as the development of specific portfolios and study visits. 

RPL  applicants  in  some  HEI's  have  to  pay  a  fee  which  varies  by  institution. 
Certain institutions charge a fee based on the amount of credit points that they 
apply  for  while  for  others  there  is  a  simple  application  fee  with  no  additional 
credit point charge. Overall, the system for measuring RPL costs is going to be 
developed  as  part  of  the  Primus  project.  Funding  for  developing  RPL  in 
vocational  education  is,  similar  to  higher  education,  funded  by  the  ESF 
programme.  Funding  is  primarily  for  training  validation  practitioners  and  RPL 
promotion. There are staff costs associated with the implementation of RPL and 
in  most  of  the  HEI's  there  is  a  full-time  or  part-time  RPL  coordinator  or 
counsellor. 

Benefits  

There  is  no  common  data  available  on  the  benefits  of  RPL  to  individuals. 
However  successful  RPL  cases  have  been  portrayed.  The  greatest  emphasis 
was  on  saving  time  and  resources  in  studying,  whereas  adult  learners  can 

95  Marin  Gross,  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning  2010,  Country 
Report: Estonia http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77456.pdf 

EN 

72 

   EN 

                                                 
 
benefit from validation of their prior learning since they are not required to repeat 
what they already know.  

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

One of the goals of the NQF process has been to promote validation. According 
to  the  Professions  Act,  the  Estonian  qualifications  framework  (EKR)  has  eight 
levels.  Descriptions  of  the  qualifications  levels  in  the  EKR  are  identical  to  the 
EQF level descriptions. All the descriptions are competence or outcomes based 
and thus enable non-formal and informal learning to be taken into account. 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

Different  ways  of  involving  employers  in  assessment  processes  are  being 
considered.  Employers  are  part  of  assessment  processes  in  more  technical 
areas and also in the ICT area. Professional standards assessment is carried out 
by an awarding body which usually consists of employers’ representatives. 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

Validation  exists  in  both  HE,  adult  and  vocational  education.  Two  new  ESF 
initiatives  were  launched  in  2010  for  people  who  have  dropped  out  of  higher 
education or vocational education. 

Validation statistics 

Based  on  RPL  statistics  collected  by  the  Primus  project  in  2009,  there  were  in 
total  6,986  RPL  applications  in  higher  education,  however  only  900  of  these 
related  to  the  validation  of  non-formal  learning  and  568  were  for  informal 
learning.  There  is  no  data  available  about  validation  beneficiaries  in  vocational 
education,  adult  education  or  qualification  standards.  Current  statistical 
information can be found at http://primus.archimedes.ee/node/54. 

Finland96 

National 
validation 

strategy 

on 

Legal 
validation 

situation 

of 

Validation  of  informal  and  non-formal  learning  has  been  on  the  strategic  policy 
agenda  for  a  long  time  now  and  the  developments  related  to  the  design  and 
implementation  of  the  NQF  have  given  new  impetus  for  work  in  this  field.  In 
accordance  with  the  Decree  on  the  Development  Plan  for  Education  and 
University  Research  (987/1998)  the  Government  adopts  a  plan  for  the 
development  of  education  and  university  research  within  the  administrative 
sector of the Ministry of Education and Culture every four years for both the year 
in  question  and  for  the  following  five  calendar  years.  The  current  Development 
plan is for the period of 2007–2012. 

The  legal  framework  for  validation  is  fairly  well  developed  and  education  laws 
make  validation  the  learner's  subjective  right  in  many  fields  of  education 
(including  upper  secondary  education,  vocational  education  and  training,  and 
higher  education).  Finnish  education 
laws  on  general  upper  secondary 
education, 
Initial  Vocational  Education  and  Training,  polytechnics  and 
universities  state  that  access  to  studies  in  these  institutes  may  be  granted  to 
individuals on the basis or prior experience even if they do not meet the standard 
entry requirements. Furthermore, the Act on Matriculation Examination provides 
school  principals  with  an  opportunity  to  admit  people  directly  to  the  final 
examination of the upper secondary school system - Matriculation Examinations.  
In relation to adult education, the competence-based qualification (CBQ) system 
offers an opportunity for adults to obtain basic, further and specialist vocational 
qualifications  regardless  of  how  and  where  their  competencies  and  knowledge 
have been acquired. 

Institutions 

involved 

in  Finland  has  no  dedicated  validation  agency  in  charge  of  developing  and  co-
ordinating  validation  in  the  country.  The  Ministry  of  Education  and  the  National 

96 Anne-Mari Nevala, European Inventory on Validation of Non-Formal and Informal Learning 2010, Country 
Report: Finland http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77460.pdf 

EN 

73 

   EN 

 
                                                 
validation 

Validation procedures  

Costs  

Benefits  

Board  of  Education  are  the  two  authorities  leading  work  in  this  field.  However, 
the Finnish system of validation in the field of adult education (CBQ) is strongly 
tripartite  collaboration.  Tripartite  Qualification  Committees 
based  on 
(tutkintotoimikunta)  are  appointed  by  the  National  Board  of  Education  and  they 
bring  together  employers,  employee  representatives,  teachers  and,  when 
applicable, representatives of the self-employed. In addition, the Committee can 
include independent experts. There are 152 qualification committees with about 
1,000  members.  The  Qualification  Committees  direct  and  develop 
the 
competence-based qualification system, make contract with VET institutions on 
arranging  the  competence  tests,  confirm  the  assessment  results  and  award 
certificates. Providers of education (VET schools and other VET establishments) 
are responsible for arranging and supervising the competence tests.   

So far, no common standards or requirement have been introduced for validation 
that would include all different levels of education. In relation to the CBQ system, 
the  National Board  of  Education  has drafted  national  qualification requirements 
for  each  competence  based  qualification.  The  documents  specify  the  areas  of 
assessment and standard/criteria for passing/failing.  

Each  HEI  has  the  autonomy  to  decide  on  the  way  in  which  they  take  forward 
validation as long as they follow the rules laid down in legislation for polytechnics 
and  universities  regarding  recognition  of  prior  learning.  HE  institutions  are  also 
expected to follow the recommendations laid down by the Ministry of Education 
and Culture and rectors councils regarding validation of informal and non-formal 
learning. 

In  principle,  no  funding  has  been  earmarked  in  the  national  budget  for  the 
validation  of  informal  and  non-formal  learning.  However,  the  CBQ  system  has 
been  running  since  1994 and  it  is  funded  from  public  sources  and  built  around 
the principle of validation. Several ESF funded projects have also been utilised 
to  develop  tailored  validation  procedures  for  immigrants.  In  the  field  of  higher 
education,  the  HEIs  have  the  responsibility  to  develop  and  carry  out  validation 
from their mainstream budget. In other words, there is no specific budget line for 
validation,  though  national  development  projects have  been  implemented since 
2007  to  provide  training  for  personnel  from  HEIs,  including  he  current  AHOT-
project  for  recognition  and  validation  of  previously  acquired  learning,  with    a 
budget of nearly one million euro between 2009 and 2011 (EUR 935,000). 

Validation  does  not  cost  anything  to  individuals  in  Finland;  validation  is  carried 
out free of charge. This applies to students at all levels of education from general 
to vocational and higher education. However, all participants in the QBC system 
are  subject  to  paying  a  fee  of  EUR  50  per  qualification  whether  they  study  all 
courses  or  only  take  part  in  competence  tests  and  thereby  have  their  prior 
learning validated. The EUR 50 fee includes competence tests for all parts of the 
qualification.  The  fee  is  seen  as  a  low  one  as  all  other  costs  are  paid  by  the 
public authorities and this is the only fee for students. Therefore it is not seen as 
a barrier to learning or validation in Finland. 

No  studies  have  been  carried  out  to  measure  the  benefits  of  validation  to 
individuals as such. Among the benefits usually mentioned are access to formal 
learning  and  increased  motivation.  Shortened  study  times  is  also  considered  a 
benefit,  since  it  in  turn  can  reduce  costs  for  the  society  -  practically  all  adult 
students studying towards an IVET qualification have their study time shortened 
as a result of passing some elements of the qualification just by demonstrating 
their prior learning in competence based skills tests. 

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

The  NQF  development  process  has  made  a  positive  contribution  to  the 
development of validation of informal and non-formal learning in Finland: It has 
led  to  new  and  intensified  discussions  about  validation  of  prior  learning  in  the 
country and learning outcomes (in terms of knowledge, skills and competences) 

EN 

74 

   EN 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

have  been  defined  for  all  levels.  It  is  expected  that  the  elaboration  of  learning 
outcomes for each level will make it easier than before to assess prior learning 
as it can be assessed against the learning outcomes described in the NQF. The  
possibility to expand the NQF from a qualifications framework into a knowledge 
framework, which would open the framework for recognition of all prior learning, 
has  also  been  explored  by  the  working  group  and  future  work  in  this  field  is 
expected. 

Social partners are actively involved. Social partners (or individual employer and 
employee representatives) are involved in the planning and design of CBQ tests 
in  co-operation  with  (training)  organisations,  the  assessment  of  candidates  and 
the provision of on-the-job-learning possibilities. Furthermore, they are involved 
in  quality  assurance,  planning  and  development  of  VET  and  in  informing  the 
needs  of  working  life  (businesses  and  employees)  to  education  authorities  and 
organisers. 

The validation of informal and non-formal learning is more commonly used in the 
context  of  the  competence-based  qualification  system  than  in  other  types  of 
education. The reason is that the CBQ system has been built around the concept 
of  validation  and  many  learners  are  adults  with  relevant  work  experience.  Just 
over  a  third  of  competence-based  qualifications  (36%)  are  taken  in  the  field  of 
technology  and 
followed  by  commerce  and 
administration (21%) and social and health (20%). In practice, validation remains 
minimal in the context of general and vocational secondary education. Significant 
developments  are 
in  higher  education  where  a  national 
development programme is being implemented with a goal of training staff from 
universities and polytechnics in the validation concept and associated methods. 

taking  place 

(36%).  This 

transport 

is 

Validation statistics 

The number of adults taking part in the competence-based qualification system 
has increased continuously since it was first introduced in 1997. The number of 
beneficiaries has increased from around 5,000 adults in 1997 to over 65,000 in 
2008.  

France97 

National 
validation 

Legal 
validation 

strategy 

on 

Not mentioned. 

situation 

of 

Since  1985,  the  validation  system  in  France  has  been  based  on  a  legal 
framework which is regularly updated after consultation and agreement with the 
social  partners.  Validation  of  prior  learning  has  been  established  as  a  right  for 
every citizen in France. The VAE system (Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience) 
stems  from  legislation  introduced  in  1992  for  qualifications  awarded  by  the 
Ministries  of  Education  and  Agriculture,  extended  to  qualifications  delivered  by 
the Ministry of Youth and Sport in 1999, and to all main types of qualification in 
2002.  The  most  recent  change  in  2009  aimed  to  increase  the  number  of 
individuals accessing the VAE process, in particular private sector workers, and 
to develop guidance for VAE.   

Institutions 

involved 

in  The  general  institutional  framework  for  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal 

97  Anne-Marie  Charraud  ,  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning  2010, 
Country Report: France http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77462.pdf 

EN 

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validation 

Validation procedures  

Costs  

Benefits  

learning  is  under  the responsibility  of  the  Ministry  of  Employment,  Industry  and 
Finances,  which  is  in  charge  of  lifelong  learning. Laws  in  this  field  are  debated 
with social partners and Ministries which award qualifications. The entire formal 
education  and  training  sector  is  involved  in  the  development  of  VAE.  It  is 
compulsory  for  all  education  providers  to  develop  a  VAE  process  for  each 
awarded  qualifications,  except  in  the  case  of  qualifications  related  to  regulated 
professions. 

The current VAE system, established in 2002, is used to deliver whole or partial 
qualifications. Each Ministry awarding qualifications has developed its own rules 
for  the  context-specific  implementation  of  the  principles  outlined  in  the 
legislation.  Generally  evaluations  are  made  on  the  basis  of  a  “dossier”  or  a 
portfolio  where  the  applicant  describes  his/  her  experience.  Further  written 
evidence of the experience of the applicant is also frequently requested in order 
to  support  the  evaluation.  This  “declaration”  must  include  details  of  skills  and 
competences  used  in  their  activities.  Further  evaluation  methods  include 
observations of real or simulated working activities, interviews and presentations. 
Certificates  awarded  by  private  actors  (firms,  sectoral  organisations,  private 
training centres) can be recognised after an accreditation process. 

Funding for VAE is included within funding allocated for LLL. In practice, funding 
may  come  from  different  sources:  State  or  regional  funding,  employers  or 
sectoral bodies managed by social partners collecting taxes from employers and 
employees in order to finance and develop training. Employers contribute to the 
cost  of  VAE  of  their  employees  when  it  is  part  of  their  individual  training  plan, 
through the contribution they pay to the sectoral bodies. 

Validation  costs  vary  depending  on  the  awarding  bodies,  the  status  of  the 
applicants  and  the  qualification  concerned.  Two kinds  of  costs  to organisations 
can  be  distinguished:  Costs  related  to  the  design  of  the  standards  used  for 
validation  and  costs  related  to  the  VAE  procedure  itself.  Applicants  pay 
registration  fees,  costs  related  to  the  support  provided  during  the  validation 
process (not compulsory but strongly recommended, vary from around EUR 400- 
1500)  and  the  assessment  process  (approx.  EUR  300).    In  the  case  of 
qualifications awarded under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education by the 
DAVA  (Dispositif  académique  de  validation  des  acquis),  the  process  is  free  o 
charge for the participant, which only bears costs related to the accompaniment. 

Funding  is  allocated  at  national  level  by  the  Ministry  of  Employment  to  its 
regional  structures,  which  themselves  distribute  the  funding  amongst  the 
regional structures of other Ministries that deliver qualifications and other actors 
such  as  enterprises  or  educational  institutions.  For  example,  in  the  Alsace 
region,  VAE  ‘vouchers’  have  been  introduced  to  support  validation  applicants 
who do not benefit from unemployment benefits or support from their employer 
(from EUR 180 to EUR 600, plus an additional flat-rate of EUR 300 to cover the 
costs  linked  to  the  jury  set-up,  where  applicable.  Unemployed  people  can 
receive  financial  support  for  VAE  from  the  Public  Employment  Service  (Pôle 
Emploi).  Additional  support  is  provided  by  the  regions  which  run  specific 
subsidising programmes. 

for 

individuals 

further  studies  or 

Achieving  a  qualification  through  VAE  brings  personal  benefits  to  individuals, 
such  as  improving  their  personal  profile,  capacities  and  self-confidence.  It 
motivates 
the 
employability  of  individuals  and  may  also  help  the  individual  in  his  /  her  job 
and/or  future  career  development,  as  it  helps  to  facilitate  internal  or  external 
mobility,  etc.  VAE  is  also  seen  as  an  opportunity  to  save  time  and  money 
compared  to  the  cost  and  duration  linked  to  the  acquisition  of  the  same 
qualification  within  formal  education.  In  case  of  partial  recognition,  individuals 
can  obtain  a  full  qualification,  by  completing  further  education  or  training,  or 
undergoing further (work) experience in order to acquire the missing skills. 

training.  VAE 

improves 

EN 

76 

   EN 

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

In  France,  recognition  and  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning 
outcomes  is  directly  linked  to  formal  qualifications,  as  VAE  specifically  aims  at 
the  award  of  an  official  formal  qualification  (certification).  The  National 
Qualifications Directory or RNCP, which was established by law in 2002, is the 
basis for the French National Qualification Framework. The RNCP and the VAE 
for  all 
are 
qualifications  registered  in  the  RNCP  except  when  a  qualification  is  linked  to  a 
‘regulated  profession’ 
the  corresponding 
qualification is illegal). Very much supported by the system for validation of non-
formal and informal learning, the French framework can be seen as belonging to 
the first generation of European qualifications frameworks.98 

interdependent,  since  a  VAE  procedure  must  be  available 

(where  activity  made  without 

The validation system in France is based on a legal framework regularly updated 
after consultation and agreement with the social partners. The main changes are 
generally made to integrate the outcomes of social partners’ negotiations in the 
field  of  LLL. Social partners  are  also  involved  in  the  validation  process  through 
representatives  of  employers  or  employees  from  fields  related  to  the  activities 
targeted by the qualification concerned by the process. 

Since 2002 the validation system was renamed VAE and extended to include all 
qualification officially recognised by the State and the social partners and listed 
in  the  national  directory  of  qualifications  (RNCP).  Since  2002  a  significant 
investment  has  been  made  in  the  higher  education  sector  in  particular  to 
produce  standards  (référentiels)  described  in  terms  of  learning  outcomes  in 
order to facilitate VAE (all vocational training diplomas are already described in 
terms  of  learning  outcomes).  In  addition,  in  higher  education,  recognition  of 
professional experience has also been used for a long time (dating back to the 
1930s)  to  allow  access  to  individuals  who  do  not  meet  formal  requirement 
criteria.  Specific  initiatives  are  carried  out  for  example  to  help  job-seekers,  the 
disabled,  civil  servants,  prisoners  who  want  to  benefit  from  VAE,  via  specific 
guidance or funding. 

Validation statistics 

The  number  of  VAE  candidates  per  year  is  high  in  comparison  to  most  other 
European  countries,  with  53,000  in  2008.  In  2010  the  number  of  qualifications 
awarded through VAE was between 72,000 and 75,000. 

Germany99 

National 
validation 

strategy 

on 

Legal 
validation 

situation 

of 

Although  the  will  to  promote  validation  has  become  more  and  more  explicit  in 
recent  years,  no  overall  framework exists  and  validation  in  Germany can  today 
still  be  described  as  a  colourful  mosaic  of  local,  regional  and  national 
approaches.  

In  Germany, there  is  currently  no  legal framework  and  no standardised  system 
for  the  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  at  national  level.  In 
vocational education and training, the External students’ examination under § 45 
(2) of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) includes provision for the validation of 
prior  learning  leading  to  the  award  of  a  qualification  in  a  recognised 
apprenticeship trade.  Access to higher education for qualified workers has been 

98 Jens Bjornavold, Development of National Qualification Frameworks in Europe 2011 

99  Silvia  Annen  and  Markus  Bretschneider  ,  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal 
Learning 2010, Country Report: Germany http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77458.pdf 

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Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

Validation procedures  

Costs  

regulated since 2009 by a decision of the Standing Conference of the Ministers 
of Education and Cultural Affairs of the German Länder.  

Due to the lack of legal framework and standardised system for validation, there 
is neither a central institution nor a standardised institutional framework. Instead, 
there is a variety of approaches, particularly below political level (the regulative 
level): Competent authorities (the Chambers of Crafts, Chambers of industry and 
commerce  and  Chambers  of  farming)  are  responsible  for  the  admission  to  the 
External  students’  examination;  For  access  to  higher  education,  the  German 
Rectors’  Conference  has  defined  the  framework  for  validation.  Concrete 
regulations  and  procedures  are  established  by  the  respective  university;  To 
establish  the  ProfilPASS-system,  a  national  service-centre  was  established  in 
2005. Currently it supports 55 local dialogue-centres. The system is built up by 
multipliers  who  qualify  counsellors.  The  counsellors  work  in  educational 
institutions or free-lance. 

Different  validation  methods  exist:  the  ProfilPASS  is  a  well-known  system  of 
formative  validation  for  both  adults  and  young  people,  while  the  External 
students’  examination  leads  to  the  award  of  a  full  qualification  (there  is  no 
difference  between  this  qualification  and  a  regular  acquired  qualification)  in  a 
recognised  apprenticeship  trade.  Access  to  a  higher  education  course  can  be 
granted  through  the  access  for  qualified  workers  route.  In  higher  education 
acquired  knowledge  and  skills  can  be  recognised  up  to  a  maximum  of  50%  if 
their content and level are equal to the equivalent formal qualifications.  

Data about the total budget is not available; an overall and standardised funding 
framework does not exist. Funding can come from public authorities, as well as 
the private and the third sector. Approaches usually target specific groups using 
specific  methods.  Periods  of  funding  vary.  Chambers  are  responsible  for 
information,  counselling  and  validation  in  respect  to  the  External  students’ 
examination.  They  are  funded  by  contributions  from  their  member  companies. 
Candidates  pay  for  preparatory  courses  and  examination  fees  for  the  final 
examination. If candidates are sent by companies, usually the companies pay for 
the  preparation  and  admission  to  examination.  The  Employment  Agency  also 
plays  a  part  and  currently  has  an  initiative  for  accompanying  the  structural 
change  in  addition  to  standard  funding.  Information,  counselling  and  validation 
are  included  within  the  general,  federal  funded,  budget.  Since  the  approaches 
proceed differently, it is also difficult to make precise statements of the costs to 
individuals.  The  ProfilPASS,  originally  funded  by  the  Federal  Ministry  of 
Education and Research and the EU, the approach is now financed partly by the 
distribution of ProfilPASS-folders (each folder costed EUR 27.90 in 2010). Even 
though  specific  estimates  on  costs  on  validation  cannot  be  maid,  the  OECD 
Report makes an attempt to provide some general knowledge to costs related to 
CET (Continuing Education and Training): 

-    The  expenditure  of  general  CET  providers  was  EUR  1.46  billion  in  2003.  In 
their  turn,  they  are  financed  by  tuition  fees,  grants  from  the  Länder  and  local 
authorities, and third-party funding. 

- While the national education report claims that EUR 23.9 billion was spent on 
CET, the Expert Commission on Financing Lifelong Learning came to a figure of 
around EUR  32.0 billion (based on various studies), of which about 54 % was 
contributed  by  companies  and  only  18  %  by  individuals.  The  methodological 
differences  that  come  into  play  when  gathering  information  on  costs  are  even 
more  significant  than  when  reporting  on  participation  in  CET,  for  example  the 

100  OECD  Status  of  Recognition  of  non-formal  and 
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/15/47/41679496.pdf 

informal  Learning 

in  Germany  2008 

EN 

78 

   EN 

                                                 
Benefits  

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

basic assumption as to what constitutes expense and what does not.100 

The  External  students’  examination  leads  to  the  award  of  a  full  qualification 
(there  is  no  difference  between  this  qualification  and  a  regular  acquired 
qualification) in a recognised apprenticeship trade. An analysis of the benefits of 
the External students’ examination was carried out at the beginning of the 1990s 
(Hecker  1994).  Vocational  improvement,  higher  job-security,  better  chances  for 
personal development and future perspectives were identified by the survey as 
the  main  results  of  the  examination.  Similarily,  a  ProfilPASS  survey  of 
counsellors  and  users  mention  increased  awareness  of  one’s  own  abilities  and 
competences,  as  a  result  of  this  a  growing  motivation  for  further  learning 
activities and the chance to respond better to vocational challenges. There have 
also been individual inquiries about practice and benefits of portfolio approaches 
that lead to similar results. These benefits arise even if a complete procedure of 
a  validation  is  not  performed.  The  steps  of  identification  and  documentation 
contain processes of self-reflexion and awareness-raising about learning results 
and  own  competences.  This  benefit  is  a  precondition  for  a  possible  “hard” 
benefit. As noted by the OECD 2007 Report101, "Young people aged 19–24 and 
people  without  a  vocational  qualification  have  a  particularly  positive  opinion  of 
the benefits of CVET and it is they who tend to experience the greatest change". 

The  current  working  status  of  the  German  Qualifications  framework  (DQR)  is 
expected to support the shift towards the  learning outcome principle, which will 
facilitate  access  for  learners  without  formal  qualifications.  A  special  Federal-
Länder-Coordination-Group  has  started 
further 
regulating  documents  of  exemplary  German  qualifications 
from  general, 
vocational  and  higher  education  and  to  classify  these  qualifications  within  the 
DQR.  At  first,  however,  only  formal  degrees  are  assigned.  Learning  outcomes 
that  were  acquired  informally  or  non-formally  are  to  be  assigned  after  the 
completion of the DQR as well, but they have not yet been considered. 

to  analyse  curricula  and 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

The  social  partners  (Chambers)  are  involved  (as  ‘competent  authorities’)  in  the 
delivery  of  the  External  Examination  and  they  are  also  involved  in  the 
development of the National Qualifications Framework. 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

Validation statistics 

Many  different  approaches  to  recognition  and  validation  of  prior  learning  have 
been developed at regional and national level for different target groups in recent 
years.  The  External  students’  examination  addresses  people  with  vocational 
experience  and  legitimises  admission  to  a  final  examination  in  a  recognised 
occupation  that  normally  requires  formal  training  in  the  dual  system.  Access  to 
higher education also addresses people with vocational experience who do not 
have the formal qualification that is usually required for access to university. To 
avoid  the  effects  of  discrimination,  the  ProfilPASS-system  has  been  developed 
as  a  non-target-group  specific  approach.  However  it  is  targeted  for  different 
target-groups and there is for example a specific ProfilPASS for young people. 

Data on beneficiaries is difficult to find. The data report in the annual report on 
vocational  education  and  training  contains  an  overview  of  the  number  of 
candidates  completing  an  external  examination  -  about  29  000  p.a.  of  which 
about  77%  passed  the  exam.  Since  2006  the  ProfilPASS  has  been  used  by 
more than 80,000 people, of which half were adults (43,000) and the other half 
young people (41,600).  

101 Ibidem 

EN 

79 

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Greece102 

National 
validation 

Legal 
validation 

strategy 

on 

The effort  for  a coordinated  policy  for  lifelong  learning  has started  recently  and 
so far no national strategy exists. 

situation 

of 

The legal framework for the validation and recognition of non-formal and informal 
learning  is  currently  being  developed.  The  recent  Law  3879/2010,  passed  in 
September 2010, aims to address the shortcomings of the Greek education and 
training  system  and  brings  all  further  training  and  adult  education  under  the 
supervision of the Ministry of Education. The law discusses all types of education 
and training, including informal and non-formal learning.  

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

Validation procedures  

Costs  

The Ministry of Education is responsible for the coordination of all issues related 
to  lifelong  learning.  Two  institutions  specifically  dealing  with  validation  are 
foreseen  by  the  3879/2010  Law:  a)  an  institution  that  will  be  responsible  for 
certifying the inputs to lifelong learning (the occupational profiles, training centre 
infrastructures,  trainers,  training  programmes,  training  materials  etc).  This  role 
will  be  performed  by  the  existing  EKEPIS  institution  which  is  renamed  from 
‘National  Accreditation  Centre  of  Continuing  Vocational  Training’  into  ‘National 
Accreditation  Centre  of  Lifelong  Learning  Structures’  maintaining  the  same 
acronym, EKEPIS. b). A new institution responsible for certifying the outputs of 
lifelong learning, i.e. the knowledge, skills and competences that individuals will 
acquire  during  learning  is  set  up.  The  title  of  the  new  institution  will  be  the 
National Organisation for the Certification of Qualifications (EOPP). The private 
sector has taken some initiatives to cover the gap created by the absence of a 
validation system for informal and non-formal learning, especially in the fields of 
language  learning  and  ICT  skills,  but  there  is  no  overall certification system  for 
assessing and recognising competences. 

A  national  system  of  validation  has  not  yet  been  developed.  This  can  be 
attributed to both the difficulty of evaluating non-formal and informal learning and 
to  the  conflicting  interests  of  professional  associations  who  feel  that  their 
professional  rights  might  be  threatened  with  the  establishment  of  a  validation 
system. Currently, the Greek government certifies foreign language learning and 
knowledge  on  Informatics  and  ICTs  through  two  validation  initiatives:  validation 
of  non-formal  language  competences  through  written  and  oral  exams,  and 
validation of ICT competences. 

The  system  of  the  certification  of  Greek  language  competence  (and  the 
accompanying  Greek  Language  courses  that  lead  to  such  certification)  are  co-
funded by national and EU funds, under the Operational Programme ‘Education 
and  Lifelong  Learning’  for  the  period  2007-2013,  while  accreditation  of 
professional  bodies  entitling 
Information 
to 
Technologies,  which  to  date  has  been  carried  out  by  the  Organisation  for 
Vocational Education and Training (OEEK), is supported by national funds. 

issue  certificates  on 

them 

Information on costs for individuals is not comprehensive, but the OECD report 
provides some insights:  Participation in GSAE adult education programs, as well 
as  assessment  and  certification  (when  provided)  are  free  of  charge.  The 
certification  procedure  for  recognition  of  computer  skills  is  funded  by  the 
beneficiaries,  which  pay  an  application  fee  of  50,00  to  70,00  euros  and  an 
examination  fee  of 30,00  to  35,00  euros  for  every  learning  module  (there  is  an 

102  Anna  Manoudi  ,  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning  2010,  Country 
Report: Greece http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77459.pdf 
103OECD Thematic Review on Recognition of Non-formal and Informal learning: Country Background Report 
Greece 2007 http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/47/56/41721594.pdf 

EN 

80 

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Benefits  

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

option of seven in total).103 

The  ECDL  Certification  (European  Computer  Driving  License),  constitutes  an 
essential  qualification  for  participating  in  examinations  for  employment  in  the 
Greek  Public  Sector  and  is  officially  recognised  by  the  Greek  State,  the  OEEK 
and  the  organisation  for  the  examinations  for  employment  in  the  public  sector 
(ASEP).  This  is  also  one  reason  explaining  the  impressive  attendance  of 
candidates  in  the  programmes  of  acquisition  of  ECDL  in  Greece.  In  the 
provisions  for  employment  in  the  public  sector,  it  is  stated  that  only  ICT 
competence certificates that are published by institutions certified by the OEEK 
are  accepted  and  ECDL  is  such  a  certificate.  The  ECDL  certificate  is  also 
recognised by private sector employers.  

Forthcoming legislation is to introduce a NQF and create an integrated system of 
validation of informal and non-formal learning: The Law 3879/2010  introduces a 
NQF)for  Lifelong  Learning,  which  is  intended  to  create  an  integrated  system of 
validation of informal and non-formal learning in Greece. The planned EOPP will 
be  responsible  for  the  creation  and  development  of  the  NQF  and  its 
correspondence  with  the  EQF;  the  correspondence  of  qualifications  gained 
through  non-formal  and  informal  learning  with  the  NQF  levels;  the  recognition 
and validation of non-formal and informal learning and the issuing of permits and 
the monitoring of bodies validating non-formal and informal learning. 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

Social  partners  are  actively  involved  in  the  development  of  the  NQF  and  the 
designing of occupational standards, which can be seen as one step towards a 
system for validation of informal and non-formal learning. 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

Validation statistics 

Currently, the Greek authorities only issue certificates to accredit prior learning in 
relation to language and ICT skills. However, it can be noted that up until early 
2010,  EKEPIS  had  accredited  283  Vocational  Training  Centres  (KEK)  with  560 
training sites and with a capacity of 45,510 training places. The way in which the 
learning acquired in these training centres will be validated, will be determined in 
future.  These  centres  specialize  in  nine  thematic  fields  regarding  technical  and 
transport  professions,  agricultural,  environment,  education,  health  and  care, 
culture,  sports  and  economy  professions.  Moreover,  34  Specialised  Centres  of 
Social and Labour Integration for disadvantaged groups have been certified with 
38 sites and 1 789 training places. Their future role in relation to validation is still 
unclear at this stage. 

In  Greece,  for  cultural  reasons,  formal  educational  attainment,  especially  at 
University  level,  is  held  in  high  esteem.  However,  there  is  a  lack  of  a  training 
culture,  while  non-formal  and  informal  learning  are  not  valued.  Moreover,  the 
lack  of  a  system  for  the  recognition  of  informal  and  non-formal  learning  in 
Greece lowers the motivation of learners to participate in lifelong learning. 

With regards the existing initiative to certify foreign language learning, during the 
period 2003-2009 the following numbers for the participation in the exams for the 
state  certificate  of  Language  Proficiency  were  recorded:  Participation  in  the 
examination of the English language: 160.550 (rate of success: 48.16%); French 
language:  17.565  (rate  of  success:  50.46%);  Italian  language:  25.674  (rate  of 
success:  47.50%);  German  language:  26.703  (rate  of  success:  51.15%); 
Spanish language (2008-2009): 1.063 (rate of success: 70,62%). 

In relation to the aforementioned certificate of ICT competences, in 2006 61.392 
people have so far participated in the exams in order to be accredited in the use 
of  Information  Technologies.  In  relation  to  private  sector  initiatives,  20.000 
unemployed  persons  and  soldiers  participated  in  the  ECDL  certification 
programme. 

EN 

81 

   EN 

 
Hungary104 

National 
validation 

strategy 

on 

Legal 
validation 

situation 

of 

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

It  is  not  yet  possible  to  speak  of  a  functioning  nationwide  system  based  on 
uniform principles and procedures for the validation for non-formal and informal 
learning in Hungary. A system is still under development. Partly as a result of EU 
initiatives, several national policy documents have now included the objective of 
the recognition of non-formal learning. The most important of these documents is 
the government’s Lifelong Learning Strategy, which was produced in 2005. The 
document  set  out  the  main  approaches  and  formulated  the  development  goals 
for  which  funds  are  provided  in  the  context  of  the  relevant  operational 
programmes  of  the  First  National  Development  Plan  (2004-2006)  and  the  New 
Hungary Development Plan (2007-2013). 

According  to the  Act  on  Adult  Training,  which came  into  effect  in  2001;  “Adults 
applying  for  training  may  request  the  preliminary  assessment  of  their  level  of 
knowledge,  which 
into 
consideration”.  This  is  limited  to  adults  entering  into  a  general,  vocational  or 
language  training  programme  provided by  an  adult  training  institution  operating 
under the Act on Adult Training.  

institute  shall  evaluate  and 

training 

take 

the 

learning  assessment  practice.  From  2003 

At  present  there  is  no  organisation  or  institution  responsible  for  the  creation, 
operation and further development of the validation system. Development takes 
place in the context of separate projects. Adult training providers are in charge of 
delivering  prior 
to  2005  an 
experimental  project  concerning  the  assessment  of  prior  learning  in  adult 
education and training was conducted by the former National Institute for Adult 
Education.  The Ministry of Education and Culture supervises the work aimed at 
developing  a  validation  model  for  higher  education.  At  the  present  stage  of 
development  an  idea  is  taking  shape  to  create  a  “knowledge  centre”  type 
institution that would, in the long run, undertake professional activities related to 
the  introduction  and  further  development  of  the  validation  procedure.  ECDL 
examination takes place in separate training centres. 

Validation procedures  

The work carried out by the adult training providers is sometimes considered as 
an  early  form  of  assessment,  which  potentially  could  be  used  as  a  basis  for 
validation.  Currently, validation is being carried out mainly through language and 
computer skills certificates.  

Costs  

In  higher  education,  a  system  level  development  will  be  implemented  within 
TÁMOP  (SROP),  the  biggest  government  development  programme  to  address 
validation.  The  project  is  managed  by  the  project  managers  of  the  NQF  and  it 
aims to develop a validation model that can be implemented in higher education, 
as well as formulating proposals regarding its introduction. The main goal of this 
project is the development and testing of a voluntary ‘validation model’ operable 
for higher education.  

The costs of prior learning assessment (which is only possible for adults) in the 
adult  training  sector  are  borne  by  the  training  provider  (training  providers 
themselves are funded by the state, by employers, by participants, or by a mix of 
these). The procedure itself is free to adult students entering training, regardless 
of how the training provider is financed. Costs are basically “hidden” as there are 
no  calculations  regarding  the  cost  items  of  assessment  or  any  other  related 
services  as such.  The costs  of  credit  transfer  in  higher  education  are  borne by 

104  Éva  Tót,  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning  2010,  Country  Report: 
Hungary  http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77461.pdf 

EN 

82 

   EN 

                                                 
 
the HEIs concerned. In general, one of the main challenges is the lack of a clear 
and transparent financial regulation on sharing of the costs and benefits among 
the  interested  parties.  Actual  figures  of  funding  are  only  available  for  the 
European  Computer  Driving  Licence  (ECDL)  examination  system,  where 
participants cover the costs   (between EUR 15 and 40).  

for 

the 

According to the 2006 OECD Country Report105, the costs for the development 
of assessment tools carried out by the Institute of Adult Education amounted to 
approximately  530.000  EUR,  through  which  53  training  institutions  received 
funding 
for  carrying  out 
infrastructure  development  necessary 
assessments  (setting  up  workstations).  This  funding  was  used  to  finance  the 
development of special-purpose software and the drawing up of the assessment 
tools (tests). No calculations have been made of how much it costs to assess an 
individual’s prior learning. According to training institutions, costs depend on how 
many  individuals  are  assessed  altogether  –  how  far  the  assessment  flows  in  a 
“production  line”  fashion.  Hungary  has  also  received  various  EU-funding  for 
validation and LLL related initiatives. 

Benefits  

There is no evidence-based evaluation on the benefits to individuals. There are 
only assumptions concerning these benefits and the motivation of the individuals 
(i.e. that it is a shorter and more cost-effective way to get a qualification). 

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

A  NQF  is  currently  under  development.  The  development  of  the  NQF  and  the 
validation system are interconnected as they rely on a learning outcomes-based 
approach  in  the  formulation  of  the  education  and  training  requirements.  This 
close  connection  is  reflected  also  in  the  fact  that  the  two  development  projects 
are  organised  under  the  same  project  management.106  However,  student-
centred  learning,  outcomes-based  orientation  and  use  of  learning  outcomes  in 
designing  programmes  and  learning  units  are  still  a  key  challenge  in  the  HE 
sector.107 

Social partners are consulted in the NQF process.108 

There  are  very  conspicuous  sectoral  differences  in  implementation,  a  feature 
that  generally  characterises  the  Hungarian  education  and  training  system  and 
developments.  Thus  the  connections  between  the  management  of  public 
education, higher education, vocational education and training and adult training 
have  been  very  weak  to  date,  and  as  a  result  developments  in  the  various 
sectors  are  separated  from  one  another.  Of  these  sectors  VET  and  adult 
education and training are most receptive to validation. 

Currently  there  are  some  isolated  but  very  successful  validation  procedures  of 
validation such as the European Computer Driving Licence examination scheme 
and foreign language proficiency examinations. Initiatives to develop recognition 

105  OECD  Recognition  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning,  Country  Backgroud  Report  Hungary 
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/3/52/41679667.pdf 

106  Eva  Tót,  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning  2010,  Country  Report: 
Hungary  http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77461.pdf 

107 Jens Bjornavold, Development of National Qualification Frameworks in Europe 2011  

108 Ibidem 

EN 

83 

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Validation statistics 

of  non-formal  learning  on  a  larger  scale  are  driven  by  the  government  (several 
national  policy  documents  refer  to  this  objective,  including  the  2005  Lifelong 
Learning  Strategy),  with  the  strong  influence  of  the  European  Commission 
initiatives.  

There  is  very  little  data  available  on  the  number  of  participants  in  existing 
validation initiatives in Hungary. The ECDL examination can be seen as a unique 
skill  assessment  and  certification  programme.  According  to  data  from  ECDL 
Hungary  nearly  400  accredited  examination  centres  have  been  set  up 
nationwide.  Although  similar  systems  are  in  operation,  in  Hungary,  thanks  to 
strong  management,  the  ECDL  examination  has  become  widely  used.  By 
February 2009 335,000 people had registered in the system (of which 210 000 
people  had  been  awarded  the  certificate).  According  to  the  number  of 
participants,  Hungary  is  eighth  among  the  ECDL  countries.  According  to 
Educational  Authority  statistics,  more  than  175,000  people  passed  a  language 
proficiency  examination.  There  is  no  data  regarding  the  numbers  that  have 
acquired their skills outside the framework of formal training. 

Ireland109 

National 
validation 

Legal 
validation 

strategy 

on 

Not mentioned. 

situation 

of 

The  legal  framework  for  all  matters  including  validation  is  the  Qualifications 
(Education & Training) Act, 1999. The Act, while referring to recognition of prior 
learning, does not legislate specifically for a detailed validation system but rather 
brought  into  being  a  range  of  institutions  which  through  their  policies  and 
procedures  has  ensured  that  validation  is  now  a  key  issue  and  one  which  is 
being addressed by all sectors of the educational system. 

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

The Qualifications Act established entities that have had a significant impact on 
the  educational  landscape  in  Ireland.  These  include  the  National  Qualifications 
Authority  of  Ireland  (NQAI)  and  the  awards  bodies  for  higher  and  further 
education,  the  Higher  Education  &  Training  Awards  Council  (HETAC)  and  the 
Further  Education  &  Training  Awards  Council  (FETAC).  The  work  of  the  NQAI 
has  been  the  single  biggest  contributor  to  the  development  of  policies  and 
practices in the field of RNFIL. The NQAI has a responsibility to develop the use 
of RNFIL throughout the Irish System and to ensure as far as possible that the 
developments  take  place  in  a  coherent  manner,  and  that  there  is  a  degree  of 
harmonisation,  if  not  full  compatibility,  across  the  systems  devised  for  the 
different  educational  sectors.  There  are  seven  universities  in  the  Republic  of 
Ireland, all of which are autonomous in terms of degree awarding status and the 
validation of awards. Technically the universities are not governed by the NQAI 
or  the  decisions  this  body  makes  but  in  reality  the  universities  are  now  fully 
committed to the NQF. 

Note: Due to the economic crisis and following the work of the Special Group on 
Public  Service  Numbers  and  Expenditure  Programmes,  Government  has 
announced  that  the  NQAI  will  be  merged  with  the  awards  bodies,  the  Higher 
Education  &  Training  Awards  Council  (HETAC),  the  Further  Education  & 
Training Awards Council (FETAC) and the Irish Universities Quality Board. 

109

 Dermot Coughlan, European Inventory on Validation of Non-Formal and Informal Learning 2010, Country 

Report: Ireland http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77464.pdf] 

EN 

84 

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Validation procedures  

The Qualifications Act allows for RPL to be used for access, transfer/progression 
and  the  awarding  of  full  awards.  In  HE  systems  differ  somewhat  and  the 
components  depend  on  the  specific  way  validation  is  applied  (i.e.  access, 
exemption  or  full  award).  The  assessment  may  include  applications  portfolios, 
interviews,  tests  etc.  In  further  education  each  education  provider  can  develop 
their  own  system,  provided  that  they  conform  to  the  general  guidelines  of 
FETAC.  

Costs  

Benefits  

The  funding  of  Recognition  of  Non-formal  and  Informal  Learning  (in  Ireland 
referred to as simply RPL) is difficult to address from a number of perspectives: 
the expenditure associated with RPL is not insignificant and has been increasing 
in  recent  times,  but  the  allocation  is  being  done  in  a  defused  manner  –  main 
source is central government funding, with additional resources secured from the 
European  Commission  and  minor  amounts  from  industry  and  the  professions. 
One of the difficulties is the fact that up to recently, RPL initiatives could emerge 
from at least two principal Government Departments. The extent of the funding 
made available through central government can be gauged by an outline of the 
funding  made  available  as  part  of  the  Strategic  Innovation  Fund  (SIF):  139 
MEUR  was  made  available  through  the  two  rounds  of  SIF,  of  this  35.2  MEUR 
was allocated to areas related to Lifelong Learning and Teaching and Learning. 
Not  all  of  this  was  directly  related  to  RPL  but  from  it  emerged  very  significant 
work  in  this  area.  Principal  amongst  these  was  the  Education  in  Employment 
project, which was a dedicated RPL project. Generally RPL is financed by public 
providers  of  education  and  training  from  within  their  overall  budgets.  In  recent 
years, the vast majority of the funding for RPL initiatives has come from specific 
projects  such  as  the  SIF  funding.  Anecdotal  evidence  from  institutions  and 
employers  regarding  their  RPL  activities  suggests  that  RPL  is  a  resource-
intensive activity. The majority of the costs are those required to provide advice 
and guidance to candidates and to structure and carry out the assessment of the 
candidate.  Some  costs  decline  over 
time  or  as  activity  expands,  e.g. 
administrative and certification costs. In addition, it can be noted that costs differ 
according  to  the  particular  kind  of  RPL  intervention,  e.g.  costs  are  generally 
lower 
full 
to  programmes  and  higher 
awards/qualifications  The  problem  with  this  approach  is  that  much  of  the  costs 
are  absorbed  into  the  general  budgets  of  those  involved  and  a  true  costing  is 
then never calculated. This, coupled with the fact that detailed data on the level 
of  RPL  activity  is  not  collated  in  any  meaningful  way,  means  that  a  genuine 
costing  is  impossible.  Finally,  there  is  not  accurate  information  collected 
regarding  the  time  spent  by  advisors  and  guidance  professionals.  To  date  the 
practice of charging the individual learner a fee has not been universally applied 
but as the budgets of educational institutions continue to be eroded it is possible 
that  the  practice  will  become  more  widespread.  In  some  cases  employers 
contribute to industry-wide initiatives, but the extent of this income is unknown as 
no data is collected. 

for  access 

for  access 

to 

The  benefits  of  validation  have  not  been  reported  upon  other  than  in  general 
terms.  On  a  policy  level,  there  is  clear  evidence  emerging  from  the  actions  of 
central government that education and the re-skilling & up-skilling of the labour 
force  are  seen  as  key  drivers  for  economic  recovery.  On  an  individual  level, 
learners have been clearly enthused by the fact that their experience cannot just 
be  recognised  but  that  values  can  be  attributed  to  it  and  consequently  their 
educational journey is less fraught with difficulty and barriers. There is also broad 
acceptance  that  the  special  targeted  programmes  such  as  the  Labour  Market 
Activation Fund (LMA) have had a positive impact in raising the esteem and self-
worth of individuals, but all of this evidence is anecdotal and prompts the need 
for further examination of this issue. In terms of RPL, it will be worthwhile in due 
course  to  examine  how  many  of  the  funded  projects  had  included  it  as  part  of 
their offerings and if it was successful.  

Integration  of  validation  The  development  of  the  practice  has  been  significantly  enhanced  through  the 

EN 

85 

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within the NQF 

continued work being undertaken pertaining to the development of the NQF. As 
a  result  of  the  major  developments,  which  have  seen  the  Irish  Framework  fully 
referenced  to  the  EQF,  RPL  issues  have  emerged  as  important  developments 
and as they have arisen they have been addressed, albeit not in great detail. 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

The  role  of  the  social  partners  has  many  facets.  Since  the  1970s,  Ireland  has 
had a series of what began as national pay agreements but which, beginning in 
the  1980s,  developed  to  become  agreements  on  a  broader  range  of  social 
issues, including education and training. Employers and Trade Unions, through 
their  central  role  in  these  agreements,  have  driven  many  of  the  education  and 
training reforms and special initiatives such as Skillnets, SIF and LMA to name a 
few. Specific validation programs are also set in place by social partners in areas 
such as aviation, hospitality, engineering and nursing. 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

There  is  clear  evidence  that  institutions  across  all  sectors  of  the  educational 
cycle  outlined  in  the  NQF  are  using  RPL,  but  the  level  of  uptake  and  the 
uniformity of the practises remain unclear. 

Validation statistics 

The  collection  of  data  is  a  weakness  in  Ireland.  It  is  possible  to  obtain  some 
statistics from pilot studies and other ‘one off’ initiatives but an overall picture is 
hard  to  develop.  For  instance  the  The  Cork  Institute  of  Technology  published 
some material indicating that, 1,060 portfolios of prior experiential learning were 
submitted over the period 2000- 2006. At the University of Limerick, the National 
Council  for  Exercise  and  Fitness  (NCEF),  has  processed  421  applications  for 
RPL from September 2007 to May 2010. The vast majority of these applications 
were for access and were successful.  

Italy110 

National 
validation 

strategy 

on 

No national strategy seems to exist, but some recent Government initiatives are 
expected to lead towards the introduction of a validation system in Italy, such as 
The White Paper of the Ministry of Labour (2009), Italia 2020 – An action plan for 
employability of young people, and Guidelines for Education in 2010. 

Legal 
validation 

situation 

of 

There  is  no  specific  legal  framework  related  to  validation,  but  the  Ministerial 
Decree  No.  270/2004  affirmed  the  possibility  for  the  Universities  to  recognise 
"the  knowledge  and  professional  skills  certified  according  to  the  existing 
legislation as well as the other knowledge and skills gained in training courses at 
a  post-secondary  level  in  which  the  university  contributed  in  design  and 
delivery".  Also,  Italian  legislation  (Legislative  Decree  469/1997)  entrusts  the 
Regional  and  Provincial  Authorities  with  the  programming,  organisation  and 
implementation  of  a  wide 
(including 
reconstruction  and  recognition  of  competences  acquired  through  formal,  non-
formal and informal learning and skillmatching in the labour market). 

“employment  services” 

range  of 

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

A wide range of institutions are involved, which partly has delayed the process of 
introducing a national system of validation. Despite the difficulties, national and 
regional  institutions,  for  example  the  Ministry  of  Education,  Universities  and 
Research  and  the  Ministry  of  Labour  and  Social  Policies,  social  partners  and 
employers'  associations  at  national  level  and  representatives  of  the  Regions 
have  tried  to  establish  a  set  of  professional  standards  of  reference  for  the 

110

 Elisabetta Perulli and Gabriella di Francesco European Inventory on Validation of Non-Formal and Informal 

Learning 2010, Country Report: Italy http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77467.pdf 

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Validation procedures  

Costs  

promotion  of  initiatives  of  validation  of  non  formal  and  informal  learning.  In 
addition,  there  have  been  initiatives  to  recognise  and  validate  non-formal  and 
informal learning in the form of credits within University courses. 

Until  now,  the  design,  formalisation  and  implementation  of  institutional  systems 
and  devices  aimed  at  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  has  only 
been  fully  developed  at  a  regional  level:  In  recent  years,  some  Italian  regions 
have  introduced  tools  for  the  validation  of  informal  and  non-formal  learning, 
making it an individual right (e.g. Emilia Romagna and Toscana), linking it to the 
recognition  of  credits  for  the  access  to  formal  training  or  education  (Valle 
D’Aosta, Lombardy, Marche, Umbria) or using it to promote the employability of 
jobseekers (Veneto and Lombardy). 

level  also 

Centres for Lifelong Learning (CAP) are academic centres operating at regional 
in  partnerships  with  enterprises  and  pubic 
and  national 
administrations.  One  of  the  main  purposes  of  CAP  is  to  help  individuals  to 
validate  non-formal  learning  (as  credits  toward  the  university  programmes  the 
individual is interested in), and to personalise training pathways according to the 
previous  experience  acquired  in  other  contexts  and  to  facilitate  the  access  of 
adult learners and / or employees to validation. 

Schools, VET and University Systems (and related providers) ‘receive’ students 
who  apply  for  the  recognition  of  (training)  credits  based  on  the  value  given  to 
previously  acquired  competences.  The  practice  of  credit  recognition  requires  a 
clear outline of the criteria, tools and methods that are necessary to carry out this 
process. In Italy, self-assessment and evidence collection methods are preferred 
instead of external testing and assessment methods. However, sometimes these 
processes  may  suffer  from  a  lack  of  validity  and  reliability,  due  to  the  lack  of 
external objective assessment 

Funding  for  validation  programmes  is  almost  entirely  derived  from  public 
resources and mostly from the European Social Fund (ESF) or the EU’s Lifelong 
Learning  Programme.  There  is  no  official  information  about  the  costs  of 
validation  procedures.  However  some  information  is  available  for  example  in 
relation  to  the  Libretto  Formativo  (a  strategic  tool  for  the  development  of  a 
national validation system). In tests, it has been found that 8 - 12 hours of staff 
time  are  required  to  complete  the  competence  analysis  of  an  individual, 
excluding  the  eventual  assessment  sessions  and  the  formal  certification.  From 
this  data  it  can  be  estimated  that  the  validation  procedure  will  cost  EUR 
500/1000  of  staff  costs  per  individual.  There  are  no  validation  programmes  in 
Italy in which a direct cost for the individual is envisaged. 

Benefits  

There  is  no  reliable  data  available  to  evaluate  the  benefits  or  results  of  the 
existing validation methods. Potential benefits that are mentioned include:  

−  Shortened learning pathways to achieving/completing formal certificates; 

−  Greater opportunities for the recognition and certification of experience; 

−  Economic benefits in the form of increased wages; 

− 

Increased motivation / self-esteem / confidence; 

−  Opportunities for individualised training / career planning; 

− 

Increased transferability of competences; 

−  A better understanding of one’s strengths and weaknesses, to inform career 

development; 

EN 

87 

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Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

−  A means of better presenting oneself to employers. 

Other  potential  benefits  mentioned  by  stakeholders in  the  2008 OECD Country 
report111  include:  possibility  of  reducing  dropout  rates,  and  thus  raising  internal 
efficiency  rates;  and  greater  prospects  of  reaching  employment  and  training 
targets set at the European level and adopted as a frame of reference in national 
programming  documents  (the  percentage  of  individuals  with  upper  secondary-
education certificates and university degrees, etc.).  

Although there is a significant interest from policy-makers, the development and 
institutionalisation  of  a  national  system  of  validation  and  certification  of 
competences  acquired  through  non-formal  and  informal  learning  has  been 
delayed, in particular due the absence of a National System of Qualifications and 
the diversity of institutions involved in this matter at national, regional and local 
level. During 2009 and 2010 national developments have further encouraged the 
recognition of learning acquired outside the formal education and training context 
in line with plans to set up a NQF. 

The Social Partners are involved in almost all processes of the Italian validation 
system, in order to ensure it functions well. On 17 February 2010 an agreement 
between  the  Ministry  of  Labour,  the  Regions  and  Social  Partners  was  signed, 
concerning  training  and  general  policies  to  be  jointly  implemented  through  the 
year.  The  agreement  envisages  the  national  qualifications  system  as  the 
fundamental basis for efficiency and transferability of the outcomes of non-formal 
and informal learning. Validation is mentioned as an important aspect to develop 
in  relation  to  competitiveness  and  lifelong  learning.  Italian  labour  legislation 
individual 
measures  give  also  enterprises 
qualifications  whether  acquired  in  a  training setting or  in  non-formal  or  informal 
contexts.  In  such  cases,  the  process  of  validation  of  non  formal  and  informal 
learning  is  connected  with  the  role  of  private  Institutions  (for  developing 
continuous training. 

the  authority 

‘recognise’ 

to 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

A  number  of  local  experiences  have  been  implemented  in  Italy  applying  to 
various sectors/ levels of education, but there is no comprehensive approach to 
validation. 

Validation statistics 

The European Inventory Country Report does not provide any specific statistics, 
but  it  does  state  that  "Some  significant  experiences  of  validation  of  non  formal 
and  informal  learning  can  be  found  within  programmes  and  initiatives  financed 
by public resources." 

Latvia112 

National 
validation 

strategy 

on 

Recent  policy  and  legislative  documents  have  supported  the  concept  of 
validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning.  One  of  these  documents  is  the 
revised  national  Lifelong  Learning  Strategy  “Guidelines  for  Lifelong  Learning 
2007-2013”.  The  strategy's  action  programme  identifies  the  definition  of  the 
procedure  of  validation  of  knowledge,  skills  and  competences  acquired  outside 

111 OECD Thematic Review on Recognition of Non-formal and Informal learning: Country Background Report 
Italy 2008 http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/58/33/41712650.pdf 

112  Agnese  Rusakova  and  Prof.  Andrejs  Rauhvargers  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and 
Informal Learning 2010, Country Report: Latvia http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77471.pdf  

EN 

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Legal 
validation 

situation 

of 

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

Validation procedures  

Costs  

of  the  formal  education  system  among  the  tasks  to  be  carried  out  during  the 
period 2008-2013.  

The  system  on  validating  professional  competence  obtained  outside  formal 
education  legally  was  established  by  adopting  the  Cabinet  of  Ministers 
Regulations  “Procedure  how  professional  competence  obtained  outside  formal 
education  system  is  assessed”  (February  2011).  In  vocational  education,  a 
system (except tertiary levels and regulated professions) will be put in place via 
an amendment of the Vocational Education Law. The Vocational Education Law 
states  that:  1)  the  assessment  of  vocational  competence  performed  by 
accredited education institutions shall take into account the requirements of the 
respective  Occupational  Standard;  2)  The  accredited  education  institutions  and 
accredited  examination  centres  can  be  delegated  to  perform  the  validation 
process  of  competence  acquired  through  non-formal  and  informal  learning.  3) 
The  regulation  on  the  validation  process  of  competence  acquired  through  non-
formal and informal learning is defined by the Cabinet of Ministers”.  As regards 
the validation of non-formal and informal learning in higher education (also in the 
field  of  higher  vocational  qualifications),  the  draft  Law  on  Higher  Education  has 
been submitted to the Parliament for approval and is still awaiting its adoption at 
the  time  of  writing  of  the  Inventory  report.  There  is  no  clear  deadline  for  its 
adoption. 

The  Ministry  of  Education  and  Science  develops  the  framework  regulations  for 
both academic and vocational education and accredits providers. It also creates 
and updates the register of Occupational Standards and makes proposals for the 
allocation  of  funds  from  the  state  budget.  Through  the  recently  adopted 
amendments  of  the  Vocational  Education  Law  the  Ministry  of  Education  and 
Science  will  coordinate  the  validation  system  of  professional  skills  acquired  in 
learning other than formal learning. Within the Ministry, the Department of Higher 
Education,  Department  of  Vocational  and  General  Education  and  the  State 
Service  of  Education  Quality  all  play  their  role  in  validation.  Other  institutions 
involver  are  the  Vocational  Education  and  Employment  Tripartite  Cooperation 
Subcouncil, the Latvian Rector's Council and the Higher Education Council.The 
institutions  assessing  professional  competence  may  be  accredited  education 
establishments or examination centres, which have been assigned by the State 
Education Quality Service.113 

The  methodology  for  assessing  non-formal  learning  and  skills  defines  a 
procedure  for  the  vocational  qualifications  system,  namely  for  acquiring 
vocational  qualifications  from  level  one  to  three,  without  affecting  the  tertiary 
levels and regulated professions. The obtained certificate will be identical to the 
one acquired through formal learning and will not contain any indication that the 
document  has  been  obtained  through  the  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal 
learning. In June 2011 first qualifications were awarded using this procedure.114 

In the draft “Regulation of the Cabinet of Ministers on the validation process of 
competence acquired through non-formal and informal learning” it is planned that 
validation  candidates  will  have  to  cover  the  costs  for  the  service  of  completing 
the  process  of  validation  of  non-formal  learning.  Thus  it  will  not  affect  the 
budgets  of  the  state  or  the  regional  local  government.  The  institutions  or 
examination centres that have been delegated the task of validation will have to 
provide guidance prior to the validation free of charge. The adopted Vocational 
Education  Law  states  that  the  draft  amendments  to  the  Law  will  promote 
competition  among  the  educational  institutions  and  examination  centres  in 

113 Jens, Bjornavold, Development of National Qualification Frameworks in Europe 2011 

114 Ibidem  

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Benefits  

providing a quality service of non-formal learning validation. It will also promote 
settling  objectively  reasonable  and  proportionate  fees,  as  the  Cabinet  of 
Ministers will quote publicly the fees of the services provided by the institutions 
licensed to validate non-formal learning. They will make sure that the fees do not 
exceed  the  costs  of  the  validation  procedure  and  thus  will  make  sure  that  the 
rights  and  possibilities  to  obtain  the  assessment  are  not  infringed  for  different 
target  groups.  At  the  same  time  the  action  programme  “Guidelines  for  Lifelong 
Learning  2007-2013”  emphasises  the  accessibility  of  formal  and  non-formal 
learning  by  for  example  considering  possible  motivational  measures  (tax 
reductions).  There  is  a  monthly  allowance  available  to  unemployed  people 
wishing to undertake non-formal learning.  

The  benefits  to  individuals  are  currently  only  evident  at  the  theoretical  level,  in 
concepts  and  guidelines  elaborated  by  the  policy  makers.  Potential  benefits  of 
the  forthcoming  validation  system  include  for  example:  Reduced  period  (terms) 
of  education;  Reduced  education  fee;  Better  career  possibilities;  Increased 
possibilities  of  mobility;  Increased  individual  competitiveness  on  the  labour 
market; More opportunities for further education; and Flexible learning pathways. 

During the approval of the “Methodology of Validating Non-formal Learning and 
Assessing  the  Skills”,  four  potential  applicants  for  validation  were  involved  in 
testing  the  methodology.  Even  though  the  initial  attitude  towards  validation  is 
rather positive, it was evident that it is necessary to discuss the benefits of and 
need  for  the  procedure  and  its  components  with  social  partners  and  other 
representatives,  since  the  concept  is  rather  new  to  individuals  and  many 
uncertainties create a hesitant and reserved attitude. 

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

The introduction of a National Qualifications Framework and the development of 
a system of validation of non-formal and informal learning are twin objectives.  

Role of social partners in 
validation 

The Vocational Education and Employment Tripartite Cooperation Subcouncil is 
part  of  the  National  Tripartite  Cooperation  Council  (an  institution  working  at 
national  level,  where  the  appointed  representatives  of  Government,  Employers’ 
Confederation  of  Latvia  and  Free  Trade  Union  Confederation  of  Latvia 
collaborate).  The    Subcouncil  is  taking  care  of  elaborating  and  updating  the 
Occupational  Standards  and  their  relation  to  the  educational  programs,  it  is 
responsible  for  organising  vocational  further  education  in  the  lifelong  learning 
framework; it coordinates the creation and activities of Sectoral expert councils. It 
will  also  provide  experts  for  conducting  the  validation  process  at  the  delegated 
validation  institutions  and/or  examination  centres.  National  cycle  descriptors  for 
the NQF have also been elaborated in cooperation with social partners. 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

The  policy  on  validation  in  Latvia  during  the  period  of  economic  downturn  is 
targeted  primarily  at  individuals  who  are  willing  to  achieve  a  vocational 
qualification – an official certificate – with the aim to enter the labour market and 
the possibility to further acquire competences which they are lacking, if they are 
not awarded a full qualification. 

Validation statistics 

According  to  the  estimated  results  to  be  achieved  in  the  following  years,  as 
stated in the “Programme for Implementation of Guidelines for Lifelong Learning 
2007-2013 in 2008-2013”, the number of beneficiaries in 2010 were expected to 
be  100,  with  a  5-10%  increase  annually.  However,  taking  into  account  the 
delayed development of the legal framework, these numbers most probably will 
not reflect the real situation of validation at least by the end of 2010. 

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Lithuania115 

National 
validation 

strategy 

on 

Validation of non-formal and informal learning is not a new concept in Lithuania 
as  such,  although  practical  implementation  has  been  rather  slow  and  so  far 
based on single initiatives. Several strategic documents (Strategy on Vocational 
Guidance, Strategy Paper on Lifelong Learning and their action plans, Strategic 
Guidelines  for  the  Development  of  Education  for  2003-2012  and  Single 
Programming Documents for 2004-2006 and 2007-2013) have set out concrete 
measures for the further development of a national knowledge and competence 
assessment system, including the validation of non-formal learning experiences. 
These documents call on the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry 
and Social Security and Labour to implement respective measures. 

Legal 
validation 

situation 

of 

An early impetus was provided by the White Paper on VET (1998) through the 
principle of ‘formal recognition of the acquired qualification, irrespective of how it 
has been acquired’. Since then legal acts defining the procedures for the formal 
recognition  of  competencies  acquired  through  non-formal  (including  vocational 
training and adult education) or informal learning have been adopted.  

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

The  Ministry  of  Education  and  Science  (MES)  shapes  and  implements  State 
education policy. The Ministry organises matura examinations and confirms the 
Procedure  for  final  qualification  examinations,  including  the  validation  of  non-
formal and informal learning experiences. 

In relation to the validation of knowledge and skills acquired through non-formal 
vocational  training,  vocational  schools  and  labour  market  vocational  training 
providers (regional labour market training centres) have an overall responsibility 
to  offer  all  necessary  support  leading  towards  final  qualification  exams  to  an 
applicant  seeking  to  validate  knowledge  and  skills  acquired  outside  formal 
education. There is no clear stipulation in the legal acts in relation to validation of 
non-formal and in-formal learning at universities. If such possibilities are created, 
they are usually developed by the universities as their own initiative. 

Validation procedures  

An  overall  institutional  model  of  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning 
achievements is not established as yet. The process mainly relies on scattered 
ad-hoc initiatives. 

Costs  

Most of the national level initiatives are funded by the ESF with co-financing from 
the  state  budget.  International  projects  and  various  EU  funding  streams  in  the 
field  of  education  and  training  are  now  included  under  the  framework  of  the 
Lifelong  Learning  Programme  (Leonardo  da  Vinci,  Grundtvig  etc.).  Existing 
possibilities  of  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  usually  require 
applicants to contribute with a small fee to cover administrative costs. 

The  absence  of  a  national  approach  to  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal 
learning,  standardised  procedures,  and  an  institutional  framework  drives  the 
costs up for individual stakeholders, for instance companies / NGOs and others 
using  certain  competence  assessment  methods  and  procedures  for  their 
individual  operational  needs.  High  costs  to  organisations  are  among  the  main 
obstacles to greater take up and the development of validation initiatives among 

115

  Rasa  Juciute  ,  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning  2010,  Country 

Report: Lithuania http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77469.pdf 

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the  potential  providers  of  these  opportunities.  Only  larger  entities  (companies, 
NGOs,  trade  unions,  employers’  associations,  sectoral  organisations  etc.)  can 
afford the investment required in terms of time, expertise and sustainability of the 
process. 

Validation of non-formal and informal learning offered by education and training 
providers requires a financial contribution by the individual. One common basic 
fee is applied for every application submitted; then a second fee is based on the 
volume  and  level  of  certificates  applied  for.  Overall,  the  actual  fee  is  not  high 
(just  to  cover  administrative  costs)  and  it  is  always  much  lower  than  a  fee  for 
study  programme  credits  /  modules  offered  by  education  providers  as  part  of 
formal education study programmes. 

Benefits  

It  is  an  early  stage  for  any  generalisations,  but  available  anecdotal  evidence 
suggest  that  further  career  development  and  improved  self-esteem  are  among 
the main benefits for individuals of validation of non-formal and informal learning. 

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

Assessment  /  recognition  (validation)  of  qualifications  is  an  integral  part  of  the 
NQF and consists of three main elements: assessment regulations, assessment 
methods  and  assessment  and  recognition  institutions.  A  national  project  is 
currently  being  planned  to  focus  on  the  development  of  the  content  of  these 
elements.  Meanwhile  the  system  of  standards  is  still  incomplete  and  only 
vocational  education  and  training  standards  are  in  place.  VET  standards  are 
used for validation purposes but mostly in the case of validation of competences 
for  the  unemployed  (as  a  labour  market  policy  measure).  Occupational 
standards  are  being  developed  further  and  it  is  the  responsibility  of  the 
Qualifications  and  Vocational  Education  and  Training  Development  Centre  to 
manage  this  process  within  the  ESF  programme  for  the  Development  of  a 
National Qualification System. 

Amendments to the Law on Vocational Education have broadened the powers of  
stakeholders  (employers  and  trade  unions)  in  VET  and  now  they  are  more 
closely  involved  within  the  entire  VET  organisation  and  delivery  process. 
Stakeholders are legally obliged to participate in shaping VET policy, initiate the 
development  of  new  qualifications,  occupational  standards,  VET  curricula, 
provide content contributions and support for the development of VET standards 
and  training  programmes.  In  addition,  since  2006  the  responsibility  for  running 
final qualification exams at VET schools was also fully transferred to the network 
of Chambers of Industry, Commerce and Crafts and the Chamber of Agriculture 
and  includes the  entire  cycle  of  tasks  from  designing  examination  material  and 
providing  assessors  to  award  qualifications.  Validation  of  non-formal  and 
informal  learning  achievements  at  vocational  schools  is  also  assigned  to  the 
remit of their responsibilities. 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

Recognising non-formal learning in admission processes has been implemented 
by  most  education  providers  and  study  programmes  for  years,  whereas  the 
award  of  qualifications  through  validation  of  competences  is  currently  in 
development. 

Validation statistics 

Numbers of beneficiaries are so far relatively low but are gradually increasing. 

EN 

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Luxembourg116 

National 
validation 

strategy 

on 

The  system  of  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  is  not  yet  fully 
unified  but  further  developments  are  expected,  as  recommended  in  the  2009 
governmental programme. 

Legal 
validation 

situation 

of 

In  Luxembourg,  a  legal  framework  consisting  of  complementary  legislations  to 
support validation of non-formal and informal learning exists. At this stage most 
sectors/levels  of 
learning  are  concerned.  However,  general  compulsory 
education has not been targeted so far.  

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

The  Ministry  of  Education  and  the  University  of  Luxembourg  are  the  main 
stakeholders  in  the  validation  of  non  formal  and  informal  learning  processes 
leading  to  certification.    In  the  area  of  adult  learning,  the  Luxembourg  Lifelong 
Learning Centre (LLLC), the training department of the Chambre des salaries, is 
noteworthy.  

Validation procedures  

Regardless  of  the  level/sector  concerned,  the  validation  of  non-formal  and 
informal  learning  is  being,  as  a  minimum,  introduced  as  a  way  of  accessing 
formal learning. 

Vocational secondary education certificates and diplomas as well as vocational 
upper  secondary  qualifications  (e.g.  brevet  de  maîtrise)  can  be  achieved  by 
individuals  who  have  not  followed  formal  education  beforehand.  The  only 
requirement is to introduce a formal request (dossier) to have their prior informal 
or  non-formal  learning  validated.  To  do  so,  they  must  supply  evidence  that  the 
total length of their prior learning amounts at least three years and is effectively 
related  to  the  certificate/qualification  desired.  This  validation  model  is  similar  to 
the VAE (validation des acquis de l’expérience) system offered in France. 

With  regard  to  higher  education,  the  law  of  19  June  2009  notably  specifies 
validation  related  rules  for  programmes  leading  to  higher  technician  certificates 
(Brevets  de  Technicien  Supérieur  or  BTS).  The  following  specificity  is  worth 
being  noted:  whilst  these programmes  are  offered  by  upper secondary schools 
which fall under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, resulting diplomas 
are  overseen  by  the  Ministry  of  Higher  Education.    At  University  level,  the 
legislation  creating  the  University  of  Luxembourg  in  2003  includes  an  article 
allowing  a  prospective  student 
‘validation  des  acquis  de 
l’expérience’, which is effectively a validation of non-formal and informal learning 
of  the  candidate,  as  a  substitute  to  certification  or  other  proof  of  having 
undertaken the formal education required for entry to the university.  

to  request  a 

In the field of adult learning, the ‘Règlement grand-ducal’ (17 June 2000, revised 
18  May  2007)  regarding  the  organisation  of  adult  learning  allows  in  certain 
cases,  the  admission  to  courses  (giving  access  or  shortening  the  length  of  the 
regular  training)  for  candidates  who  do  not  meet  the  regular  requirements, 
providing that they have relevant previous professional experience, which can be 
validated.  

Validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  in  the  VET  and  non-university 
higher  education  sectors  (programmes  leading  to  BTS)  is  publicly  funded.  In 
these  sectors,  the  ‘validation  des  acquis  de  l’expérience’  falls  under  the 
responsibility  of  the  Ministry  of  Education  and  a  budgetary  line  is  specifically 

Costs  

116  Oberheidt,  Stephanie,  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning  2010, 
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devoted  to  this  activity.  This  budgetary  line  covers  the  fees  allocated  to  the 
members  of  the  validation  commissions,  the  costs  for  training  the  latter, 
administrative  and  management  costs,  etc.  This  budgetary  line  is  fixed  on  a 
yearly basis accordingly with national budgetary rules. 

The  Luxembourg  Lifelong  Learning  Centre  (LLLC)  for  adult  learning  is  funded 
with EU support: EUR 4.5 million was allocated by ESF to the centre for 2009-
2010.  In the case of the LLLC, the validation process cost EUR 150 in total per 
certificate. Other costs associated with the process are the costs required to pay 
the practitioners involved in evaluation committees.  

In  the  case  of  validation  processes  in  the  VET  sector,  individuals  are  only 
required  to  pay  EUR  25  for  the  formal  submission  (droit  de  timbre)  of  their 
application. The rest is fully free of charge for the applicant. No information was 
found on the costs to individuals at university and in the adult learning sector. 

Benefits  

No data with evidence of benefits of validation to individuals was found. With the 
exception  of  the  LLLC  which  has  carried  out  validation  processes  for  some 
years, such processes are rather new in the VET and higher education sectors. 

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

The concept of validation is clearly referred to in the forthcoming NQF. 

The  principal  private  sector  stakeholders  in  the  training  and  lifelong  learning 
sector in Luxembourg are as the chamber of commerce, the chamber of crafts, 
the Chambre des Salariés (representation group for all workers) and the  Institut 
de Formation Bancaire, Luxembourg –IFBL (Institute for training in the banking 
sector).  The above-mentioned professional chambers, in collaboration with the 
Ministry  of  Education,  deliver 
formal  apprenticeship  schemes.  Validation 
procedures  are  in  place  in  this  area.  In  addition,  the  Chambre  des  salariés 
(which has been formed from the merging of the former Chambre de travail and 
Chambre des employés privés) has set in place provision for validation of skills 
and  competences  for  candidates  to  its  adult  education  evening  courses  in 
continuing vocational training. The Chambre des salariés offers evening courses 
to  adults  in  a  variety  of  vocational  subjects,  including  ICT  and  administration, 
accounting  and  management,  law  and sales.  The courses  are  delivered  by  the 
Luxembourg  Lifelong  Learning  Centre  (LLLC),  the  training  department  of  the 
Chambre des salariés, and on completion of six modules learners are delivered 
an official diploma by the Ministry of Education (although it does not constitute a 
formal state qualification). 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

Currently, validation according to the legislation concerns most sectors/levels of 
learning:  vocational  secondary  and  upper  secondary  education,  vocational 
higher  education,  university  level  and  adult  learning  (general  compulsory 
education is not covered). 

Validation statistics 

Little data is available on the number of beneficiaries to date. 

EN 

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Malta117 

National 
validation 

strategy 

on 

The Government, in its effort to meet the targets set out in the Lisbon Agenda, is 
committed  to  developing  a  framework  and  administrative  structures  for  the 
validation  of  informal  and  non-formal  learning  as  part  of  the  country’s  National 
Reform Programme for the period 2008-10. 

Legal 
validation 

situation 

of 

There is currently no overarching legal framework for the validation of non-formal 
and informal learning in Malta -  the legislation which regulates the validation of 
informal and non-formal learning in Malta is still in draft form. 

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

Validation procedures  

Costs  

Benefits  

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

In  Malta  the  Ministry  of  Education,  Employment  and  Family  has  the  ultimate 
responsibility for the entire education system. The regulation of the NQF is under 
the responsibility of the Malta Qualifications Council, (MQC) which has recently 
taken  a  number  of  important  steps  towards  the  development  of  a  system  of 
validation,  including  consultations,  collaborative  pilot  studies,  etc.  Following 
legislation, Sector Skills Councils will be established and occupational standards 
for the different sectors will be developed. 

The MQC intends to develop a decentralised system of assessment, recognition 
and  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning,  which  will  ensure  that  the 
standards  and  guidelines  are  respected  through  internal  and  external  verifiers. 
Before  a  system  of  validation  is  implemented,  it  is  intended  to  establish  a 
number  of  Sector  Skills  Units,  with  the  role  of  identifying  the  knowledge,  skills 
and  competences  required  to  perform  occupations  within  their  sector.  These 
units  will  identify  the  different  jobs  in  their  particular  sector,  outline  the 
knowledge,  skills  and  competences  required  to  perform  these  jobs  and  map 
these against the National Qualifications Framework. They will also ensure that 
the  validation  institutions  are  meeting  the  required  standards  set  out  for  the 
validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning.  Sector  Skills  Units  will  also  be 
responsible  for  the  validation  process  as  well  as  training  institutions.  The 
University (and its institutions) is responsible for its own validation procedures.  

The  details  of  the  funding  framework  for  validation  have  not  yet  been  defined 
and no study has been conducted to verify the costs of the validation of informal 
and non-formal learning to organisations. It is also yet to be determined what the 
costs  to  individuals  of  the  validation  procedures  will be.  For  participants  in  EU-
funded projects, participation is usually free of charge. 

Systematic  studies  on  the  benefits  of  validation  to  individuals  have  not  been 
carried  out  in  Malta.  However,  the  policy  document  ‘Valuing  all  Learning  IV’ 
outlines the following key benefits for learners of the introduction of a validation 
framework:  Increased  self-confidence  as  learners  –  which  can  lead  to  better 
motivation for further learning; The opportunity to better plan their career; Access 
to better and more informed career guidance support; and wider opportunities for 
lifelong learning. 

The  Government  is  committed  to  developing  a  framework  for  the  validation  of 
non-formal  and  informal  learning  as  part  of  the  country’s  National  Reform 
Programme 
tasked  with 
implementing a new national qualifications framework for the country. 

the  period  2008-10.  The  MQC  has  been 

for 

Role of social partners in 

It  is  envisaged  that  representatives  of  employers  and  employer  associations, 

117

  Katerina  Mantouvalou  ,  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning  2010, 

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validation 

workers  and  professionals  and 
the 
aforementioned sector skills units, which will be set up by the MQC. Enterprises 
are  also  already  working  independently  to  validate  their  learners’  informal  and 
non-formal learning. 

trade  unions  will  be  members  of 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

Validation  procedures  are  highly  scattered  and  incomprehensive.  National, 
private and third sector organisations use different tools of assessment. 

Validation statistics 

Information  is  not  available,  since  a  validation  system  does  not  exist.  Data  on 
validation in companies and the third sector is not collected either. 

Netherlands118 

National 
validation 

strategy 

on 

Legal 
validation 

situation 

of 

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

With  the  publication  of  De  Fles  is  Half  Vol!  (“The  glass  is  half  full!”)  in  2000,  a 
first step towards lifelong learning using the Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL; 
EVC or Erkenning van Verworven Competenties) was taken in the Netherlands. 
A  national  working  group  on  EVC  formulated  a  broad  vision  on  EVC  and  the 
implementation  process.  Practices  already  in  use  for  some  years  were 
disseminated  and  the  quality-issue  of  the  procedures  was  addressed  by 
developing a national quality-code on EVC. 

There are no specific laws regarding validation, but validation of non-formal and 
informal  learning  is  well  developed  and  embedded  in  existing  education  acts. 
There  is  however  an  informal  right  for  citizens  without  a  formal  starting-
qualification    to  obtain  this  level  of  qualification.  He/she  can  enter  any  VET 
school  and  start  a  learning  programme  towards  this  goal.  In  VET,  the  Law  on 
Adult  &  Vocational  Education  (WEB,  1996)  was  the  basis  for  developing  a 
national  standard  for  the  recognition  and  certification  of  acquired  skills.  For 
Higher  Education,  the  WHW  law  on  higher  education  and  scientific  research 
regulates the admission and exemption policy in higher education and stipulates 
the possibilities for RPL in higher education. 

The Kenniscentrum was the main institution responsible for setting up the Quality 
Code for EVC. Presently, the Ministry of Education is responsible for maintaining 
this Quality Code and overcoming the bottlenecks in the process. It is expected 
that  in  the  future  this  responsibility  will  be  taken  over  by  an  intermediate 
organisation or a conglomerate of such organisations. The government focuses 
on  the  infrastructure  and  on  the  quality  of  EVC  and  the  EVC  system.  The 
government  stimulates  the  use  of  EVC  with  a  communication  campaign 
(Ervaringscertificaat), subsidies for regional partnerships, a fiscal facility for EVC, 
the knowledge centre EVC, platforms with experts and companies, the regional 
learning  and  working  desks,  subsidies  for  the  Ervaringscertificaat  during  the 
economic  crisis  (2009-2011),  research  into  the  use,  the  success  and  failure 
factors and the effects of EVC. A regional infrastructure policy was put forward in 
the  working  plan  for  2005-2007,  Strengthening  Learning  and  Working.  The 
ministries of Education, Culture and Science, of Social Affairs and Employment, 
of  Agriculture  and  Nature  Management,  and  of  Economic  Affairs,  were  all 
involved.  Other  stakeholders  are  social  partners  and  vocational  training 
institutions.  

Colo is the association of 17 Dutch National Centres of Expertise on Vocational 

118

  Ruud  Duvekot,  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning  2010,  Country 

Report: Netherlands http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77473.pdf 

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Validation procedures  

Costs  

Education,  Training  and  the  Labour  Market  (KBBs).  These  17  Centres  of 
Expertise  jointly  represent  more  than  40  different  branches  of  industry.  Colo 
stimulates  dynamic  interaction  between  the  labour  market  and  vocational 
education  and  represents  its  members  on  local,  regional,  national  and 
international  levels.  The  qualification  structure,  developed  by  the  Centres,  is 
used as a basis for EVC procedures.  

Educational  institutions  have  signed  agreements  with  the  government  to  carry 
out  EVC  procedures  and  guarantee  a  minimum  quality  standard  of  these 
procedures.  The  ‘Ervaringscertificaat’  is  the  formal  procedure  in  which  a 
candidate can get accreditation of his/her learning outcomes.  A candidate who 
wants to reflect his/her prior learning outcomes on a qualification, has to fill in a 
portfolio  (showcase)  in  which  s/he  can  demonstrate  how  his/her  learning 
experiences match with the competences in the qualification s/he has chosen. In 
an  assessment  s/he  is  judged  and  gets  a  report  stating  all  learning  outcomes 
that  match  with  the  learning  outcomes  that  are  defined  for  the  chosen 
qualification.  With  this  Certificate  of  Experience  (ErvaringsCertificaat)  s/he  can 
turn  to  an  awarding  body  (the  exam  committee)  of  a  school  or  university.  Only 
the awarding body is allowed to turn the  advice into an official exemption. This 
awarding  body  can  decide  on  exemptions  in  the  learning  programme.  On  the 
basis of these exemptions it is possible to achieve a (partial or full) qualification. 
In  VET  and  HE,  the  autonomous  institutions  decide  for  themselves  how  to  use 
the  results  of  EVC  procedures  (the  extent  to  which  these  results  lead  to 
exemptions or a diploma). The government plays no part in this, but does ensure 
that the procedures meet quality assurance standards In HE, EVC is primarily an 
instrument for awarding exemptions, but can also be used for admittance. Within 
higher vocational education, an important development is the introduction of the 
Associate Degree programmes. An Associate Degree programme is a two-year 
programme  within  the  HBO-bachelor  programme  that  leads  to  a  new  legally 
recognised qualification: the Associate Degree (AD). This education programme 
is intended for workers and students entering from MBO (Secondary Vocational 
Education). 

Over  the  years  2005-2010,  the  Dutch  government  invested  nearly  EUR  100 
million  in  lifelong  learning  including  EVC  at  upper  secondary  and  higher 
vocational  education  levels,  in  developing  a  regional  infrastructure  for  learning 
and working and in promoting EVC. Now, EVC is financed in different ways by 
different  stakeholders.  Sectoral  Training  and  Development  Funds  often  finance 
agreements  on  EVC.  Both  employees  and  employers  pay  a  small  amount  of 
their  incomes  to  these  sector  funds,  which  were  originally  set  up  to  support 
educational initiatives for employees in the sector.  In January 2007, the Dutch 
government extended a tax facility to EVC applicants. In 2007 an EVC procedure 
for level 3 and 4 (Vocational education) cost between EUR 800 and EUR 1 300. 
For higher vocational education this was between EUR 1 000 and EUR 1 500. A 
grants  scheme  has  been  set  up  to  promote  prior  learning  assessment  and 
recognition (EVC) in higher education and tailor-made programmes for working 
and  learning.  Also,  when  EVC  is  not  funded  by  the  government  or  the  social 
partners, the individual user can fiscally deduct the costs for EVC. EVC is fiscally 
considered  as  a  cost  for  learning  and  all  costs  above  EUR  500  are  tax-
deductable.  

Benefits  

The Dutch European Inventory country Report does not report any documented 
evidence  on  benefits,  but  refers  to  an  extensive  list  of  potential  benefits, 
including  developing  confidence  in  own  competence,  gain  official qualifications, 
employability, reintegration to labour market etc. 

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

At the moment there is no NQF in the Netherlands. There is however a working 
group established by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sciences to work on 
setting up a National Coordination Point for translating Dutch qualifications to the 
EQF. 

EN 

97 

   EN 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

Social  partners  stimulate  the  use  of  EVC  by  collective  labour  agreements.  In 
most cases social partners, sector organisations and regional vocational training 
institutes (ROC’s) are involved in setting up EVC procedures. The further design 
and implementation of validation remains to be developed as a strongly labour-
market  driven  process  in  which  the  government  expects  the  social  partners  to 
take responsibility and steer the EVC-process. Also, Colo has a tripartite board 
consisting  of  representatives  from  employers,  employees  and  the  national 
vocational education bodies (laid down in the statutes of the association). Social 
partners  are  specifically  responsible  for  defining  and  updating  the  occupational 
profiles, which form the basis of the qualification profiles. At regional level, most 
regional training centres (ROC) have a representation of social partners in their 
supervisory board. 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

Validation  is  comprehensive,  but  it  is  important  to  note  that  Dutch  higher 
education  is  a  binary  system  of  higher  vocational  education  (HBO)  and  of 
universities  (WO).  EVC  is  embedded  in  higher  vocational  education  but  not  in 
universities (academic levels; apart from the Open University). 

Validation statistics 

The  number  of  Ervaringscertificaten  awarded    has  increased  during  the  last 
couple of years, from 9,900 in 2007 to 12,500 in 2008 and 15,700 in 2009. This 
meant that in the period 2007-2009 the number of awarded Ervaringscertificaten 
has  grown  with  more  than  60%.  For  2010  33  000  Ervaringscertificaten  were 
expected. 

Poland119 

National 
validation 

strategy 

on 

Legal 
validation 

situation 

of 

A  new  strategic  document,  the  ‘Perspective  of  lifelong  learning’,  is  being 
prepared by an interdepartmental team of experts. Its main aim is to highlight the 
two dimensions of lifelong learning (taking account of the potential of nonformal 
and informal learning) as well as the learning outcomes (indicating the need for 
assessment and recognition of competences as learning outcomes, irrespective 
of the method, place and time of their acquisition) 

The current legal framework in the field of education does not define the concept 
of validation and there are no regulations at central level addressing validation of 
learning  outcomes  achieved  in  a  mode  other  than  formal  education.  The  legal 
environment has  been  gradually  adjusting  to  meet  the  demands  in  this  respect 
and  different  aspects  of  non-formal  education  are  regulated  by  separate 
legislation. In particular, the legislation from 2006 adopted specific arrangements 
whereby  professional/vocational  skills  acquired  through  employment  can  be 
validated through qualification examinations. The new regulation also introduced 
mechanisms  for  awarding  partial  qualifications  in  recognition  of  competences 
obtained  as  a  result  of  completing  training  in  a  non-school  setting,  and  for 
recognising  partial  qualifications  obtained  in  this  way  by  adults  who  take  up 
study in schools for adults providing vocational education and training. 

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

In  the  vocational  education  and  training  sector,  four  areas  of  validation  can  be 
distinguished together with various bodies that are responsible for them:  Central 
Examination  Commission  (Centralna  Komisja  Egzaminacyjna,  CKE)  and  eight 
District Examination Commissions (Okręgowa Komisja Egzaminacyjna, OKE) in 

119 Aleksandra Duda, European Inventory on Validation of Non-Formal and Informal Learning 2010, Country 
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EN 

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charge  of  examinations  confirming  vocational  qualifications  in  the  formal 
education  system;    Chambers  of  crafts  supervised  by  the  Polish  Craft 
Association that carry out master and journeyman exams, which are treated as a 
part  of  formal  system  of  vocational  education;    Sectoral  organisations/branch 
associations  (e.g.  Accountants  Association,  Polish  Federation  of  Engineering 
Associations,  the  Association  of  Polish  Electricians)  which  organise  training, 
exams  and  certification;    Institutions/organisations  that  carry  out  validation  of 
informal and non-formal earning through various, often ESF-funded, projects. 

In adult continuing education, several levels of state administration are in charge, 
with  the  key  responsible  bodies  at  the  central  level  including:  The  Minister  for 
National  Education,  whose  competences  include  formulation  of  overall  policies 
concerning education; The Minister for Labour and Social Policy, who lays down 
conditions  and  procedures  for  attending  training  and  other  forms  of  vocational 
activation  by  the  unemployed  and  job  seekers;  The  Minister  for  Finance,  who 
proposes  the  budget  assumptions  for  a  given  budget  year  and  tax  allowances; 
and  the  Minister  for  Science  and  Higher  Education,  who  is  responsible  for 
administration,  preparation  and  implementation  of  the  strategy  and  policies  for 
the development of higher education. Although not decided on yet, the formation 
of a central, supra-departmental body coordinating the processes of examination 
and validation was listed by the team of experts as one of the key conditions for 
a proper implementation of the NQF and comparability of qualifications.  

One of the long-established practices of validation and recognition of non-formal 
and informal learning in private sectors in Poland is the training and examination 
for  craftsmen  and  candidates  for  particular  certificates  in  craftsmanship.  These 
examinations  can  be  taken  by  both  young  people  who  have  completed 
vocational  education  and  training  in  crafts,  and  adults  wishing  to  validate  their 
knowledge  and  skills  acquired  through  work  and  theoretical  training.  The 
openness  and  accessibility  of  this  track  of  examination  for  these  two  groups 
make  it  different  from  exams  carried  out  by  OKE  and  correspond  in  a  way  to 
validation  of  informal  and  non-formal  learning.  The  most  common  validation 
method applied in Poland represents a mixed approach. It usually consists of an 
examination  in  the  form  of  a  test  of  work  activity  (próba  pracy),  based  on 
checking  the  practical  skills,  accompanied  by  a  theoretical  part  (written  or  oral 
examination).  The 
formal  education  (schools, 
universities)  also  have  the  power  to  issue  appropriate  types  of  certificate  and 
diplomas.  A separation of educational activities from those related to organising 
the  validation  process  was  recommended  by  the  NQF  expert  team  as  a 
necessary step in the implementation of a lifelong learning policy. 

institutions  responsible 

for 

Validation procedures  

Costs  

Benefits  

There are no studies regarding the costs to organisations in Poland. Resources 
for  the  validation  of  non-formal  learning  may  come  from:  state  and  local 
government  budgets;  special-purpose  funds:  e.g.  the  Labour  Fund,  State  Fund 
for  Rehabilitation  of  Disabled  Persons;  programmes  supporting  vocational 
activity  of  people  with  disabilities;  foreign  assistance  funds  –  i.e.  World  Bank 
loan;  European  structural  funds  and  enterprises.  For  individuals,  the  external 
examination  is  free  of  charge.  Sectoral  exams  are  usually  financed  by  the 
applicants  (who  can  apply  for  the  reimbursement  of  the  examination  fee  at  the 
labour offices).  In the case of private schools, the learners are obliged to pay for 
the  tuition.  As  for  the  training  organised  by  the  public  employment  services 
(mainly  the  district  labour  offices),  the  beneficiaries  of  such  education  are  not 
charged.  

Building  on  the  experience  of  the  ‘Let’s  build  together’  project  from  Olsztyn,  it 
can  be  said  that  a  key  benefit  to  individuals  from  participating  in  a  validation 
initiative  is  an  opportunity  to  confirm  their  skills  and  obtain  a  certificate  without 
bearing  any  costs.  Among  the  most  important  motivations  specified  by  the 
respondents  were:  to  increase  their  employment  opportunities  (35%)  and  to 
obtain  a  certificate  (22%).  The  evaluation  of  this  project  also  revealed  that  the 

EN 

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validation  of  competences  acquired  through  non-formal  learning  had  a  positive 
impact  on  the  self-esteem  of  its  participants  and  their  desire  to  improve  their 
competences. Accordingly, almost all respondents who participated in the project 
felt encouraged to undertake further training (98%).  

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

The  new  Polish  Qualifications  Framework  model  has  been  drafted  in  January 
2010  and  work  on  it  will  continue  until  2012.  Parallel  to  that,  a  system  for 
validation  of  learning  outcomes  acquired  outside  the  formal  system  will  be 
developed. 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

Employers are actively involved in the NQF development.  In general, the private 
sector  shows  a  high  level  of  interest  in  the  implementation  of  the  validation 
system.    

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

A  fully-fledged  system  of  validation  and  recognition  of  learning  outcomes 
acquired through non-formal or informal learning is not yet in place. Plans are in 
place to introduce a comprehensive validation system. 

Validation statistics 

There  is  no  systematic  and  comprehensive  statistical  data  available  regarding 
the situation (including that of beneficiaries) of non-formal and informal learning 
in Poland.  

Portugal120 

National 
validation 

strategy 

on 

Legal 
validation 

situation 

of 

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

The  New  Opportunities  initiative,  launched  in  December  2005  by  the  ministries 
defines a strategy for national education and training in Portugal, aiming to raise 
the  qualifications  level  of  the  population  to  secondary  level  (12th  grade),  to 
reinforce vocational and technical paths as real options for young people and to 
develop  basic  and  secondary  education  and  vocational  training  for  the  working 
population. Validation processes are an important axis of the measures in place 
to meet these goals. 

In 2001 the National System for the Recognition, Validation and Certification of 
Competences (SNRVCC) was created. In HE, recent legislation allows access to 
adult students who do not meet the standard admissions requirements based on 
the recognition of prior learning. 

The  SNRVCC  was  created  by  the  Ministry  of  Education  and  the  Ministry  of 
Labour  and  Social  Security,  under  the  coordination  of  the  National  Agency  for 
the Education and Training of Adults, (ANEFA), which launched the first network 
of  Centres  for  the  Recognition,  Validation  and  Certification  of  Competencies  in 
2000. From 2004, responsibility for the SNRVCC was held solely by the Ministry 
of  Education,  but  it  became  a  joint  initiative  of  both  Ministries  again  in  2007, 
under  the  responsibility  of  the  National  Agency  for  Qualifications  (Agência 
Nacional para a Qualificação, ANQ). 

The  ANQ, created  in  2007,  is now  the  body responsible  for  the coordination of 
the national system of validation, as well as the development of young and adult 
education  and  training  policies.  ANQ’s  activities  are  developed  in  strong 
cooperation with  the  Employment  and Vocational  Training  Institute  (IEFP),  with 
social  partners  and  other  organisations  from  civil  society.  The  underlying 
principle 
together  and  share 
responsibilities according to their own aims and missions. Under the coordination 

these  stakeholders  should  work 

that 

is 

120  Ana  Luisa  Oliveira  Pires  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning  2010, 
Country Report: Portgal http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77477.pdf 

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Validation procedures  

Costs  

Benefits  

of  ANQ,  the  New  Opportunities  Centres  were  created  in  2007  to  develop 
processes for the recognition, validation and certification of competences (RVCC 
processes).  By  April  2010,  the  national  network  of  New  Opportunities  Centres 
was  composed  of  454  centres.  The  New  Opportunities  network  of  centres  is 
constituted  by  a  large  range  of  institutions:  national  organisations  of  education 
and training, such as vocational training centres, basic and secondary schools, 
local  and 
professional  schools,  entrepreneurial  associations,  enterprises, 
regional associations, and local authorities.  At the level of Higher Education, the 
responsibility  for  validation  is  devolved  to  the  universities  and  polytechnics 
themselves.  According  to  a  recent  law,  institutions  have  autonomy  to  develop 
their own strategies and methodologies in order to give credits to nonformal and 
informal learning. 

The  National  Skills  Certification  System  (SNCP)  is  a  system  that  regulates  the 
access  to  professional  activities  in  the  labour  market.  The  SNCP  is  being 
reformulated under the developments of the ongoing Vocational Training reform. 
The SNCP certifies independently the way in which the professionals acquire the 
skills  —  vocational  training,  work  experience  or  training  in  another  country  for 
example.  The  Vocational  Aptitude  Certificate 
(Certificado  de  Aptidão 
Profissional,  CAP)  is  the  certificate  that  allows  people  to  perform  a  specific 
occupation; it certifies that a person has the necessary skills to pursue a specific 
occupation.  A  Certifying  Body  issues  the  certificate  for  a  set  period  of  time 
(established case by case). In order to renew the certificate, individuals have to 
prove  that  they  have  up-to-date  skills.  Individuals  with  professional  experience 
can get a CAP through the process of RVCC. 

The  national  financing  programme  POPH  (Programa  Operacional  Potencial 
Humano) - partly supported by the ESF structural funds - is the main source of 
funding for validation processes at the basic and secondary level, developed in 
New  Opportunities  Centres  under  the  national  coordination  of  ANQ  .  This 
financing  covers  most  of  the  expenses  of  a  NO  centre  (human  resources, 
facilities  and  equipment  and  current  expenses).  It  is  not  possible  to  obtain 
specific information about the budget allocated to validation within the POHP – it 
is  simply  part  of  the  work  of  the  NO  centres  and  is  not  allocated  ring-fenced 
funding. According to ANQ information, the cost of an adult certification in a NO 
centre increased from 1000 Euros in 2008 to 1600 Euros in 2009, approximately. 
Shortage  of  human  resources,  cash  flow  difficulties  and  the  nature  of  the 
process are identified as barriers faced by the validation centres.  

HEI's use their own financial budget to develop validation processes. Institutions 
determine  specific  fees  for  the  validation  and  crediting  processes,  which  vary 
largely.  Since  HE  institutions  are  autonomous,  they  can  determine  their  own 
procedures and fees. There are institutions where candidates pay on a basis of 
number of credits awarded and others where candidates pay for the process as 
a whole, regardless of the number of credits claimed. 

The  survey  carried  out  by  CIDEC  in  2007  reinforces  the  results  of  the  2004 
CIDEC  survey  —  essentially  the  positive  effects  of  the  RVCC  process  on  the 
individual  selfesteem,  self-worth  and  self-knowledge,  reconstructing  life  plans, 
facilitating employability (the process seems to reduce discouragement and has 
an impact on the motivation to find work, bringing the unemployed closer to the 
labour  market)  and  raising  motivation  to  continue  studies.  The  influence  of 
having a diploma on the transition from unemployment to employment is limited, 
more  specifically  in  the  lower  group  of  certification  (6th  grade  of  schooling). 
Although the percentage of people that returned to formal studies is very low, the 
RVCC process seems to motivate people to pursue formal education, at least in 
terms of raising expectations. In the group of lower level certification, RVCC also 
seems  to  be  associated  with  pay  rises  (for  25%  of  employees).  According  to 
Fernandes (2009) the results of the two CIDEC studies emphasised the capacity 
of  the  RVCC  process  to  activate  the  unemployed:  around  one  third  of 

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101 

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unemployed adults who acquired a certificate found a paid job after six months 
of  completing  the  process.  Case  studies  developed  in  the  external  evaluation 
published  in  2009  provide  further  and  up  to  date  evidence  of  the  benefits  to 
individuals:  the  development  of  competences  (such  as  literacy  and  ICT 
competences) with impact on their personal and social lives, the reinforcement of 
self-esteem  and  motivation  towards  future  learning.  The  improved  sense  of 
responsibility  and  participation  in  civic  life  is  also  a  perceived  benefit  for 
individuals.  However,  individuals  certified  at  the  basic  level  do  not  have 
expectations  towards  a  professional  improvement,  while  individuals  certified  at 
the  secondary  level  have  developed  expectations  towards  new  educational 
pathways  (in  HE  or  specialised  training)  and  towards  new  professional 
opportunities  (mainly  greater  professional  mobility).  Other  academic  research 
also reinforces the evidence that the main benefit of the process is related to the 
personal dimension. 

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

Development and implementation of the comprehensive NQF in Portugal aims to 
further develop the national system of recognition, validation and certification of 
competences  (RVCC)  and  to  give  new  impetus  to  promote  attractiveness  of 
vocational  training.  It  is  now  fully  integrated  into  the  national  qualifications 
system and framework.121 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

The private sector is involved in the delivery of validation, but at different levels. 
The  NO  initiative  has  developed  more  than  500  protocols  linking  private 
including  public  entities  and 
federations, 
enterprises,  associations  and 
enterprises.  The  aim  is  to  improve  the  qualification  of  workers  within  the 
framework  of  the  SNQ  through  qualified  training;  to  identify  training  needs  in 
enterprises and to improve the content of National Qualifications Catalogue; and 
to  facilitate  the  professional  insertion  of  young  people  in  the  labour  market.  A 
group  of  large  enterprises  —  mainly  belonging  to  tourism,  telecommunications 
and distribution sectors — have created internal validation centres under the NO 
initiative. 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

Validation  is  comprehensive,  but  in  HE  there  is  a  considerable  diversity 
regarding  validation  and  institutions  are  free  to  determine  their  own  validation 
practices 

Validation statistics 

According  to  ANQ  data  324,370  adults  had  been  granted  a  certificate  through 
RVCC processes  by April 2010. Since 2007, 55 % of those granted certificates 
were  women  and  45%  were  men.  The  age-group  35-44  years  is  the  most 
represented (39%), followed by the age-group age 45-54 years (25.8%) and by 
25-34  years  (23.2%).  In  April  2010,  there  were  more  than  1  million  adults 
enrolled  in  the  New  Opportunities  Centres;  and  nearly  150  000  were  attending 
Adult Education and Training Courses. In the HE sector,  the widening of tertiary 
education  to  new  sectors  of  the  population  through  the  new  access  regime 
students aged over 23 years is increasing: the number of adults entering tertiary 
education (mainly at first degree level) by this means has risen to 11,775 in the 
academic year 2007-2008, compared to 10,850 in 2006-07.  

121 Jens Bjornavold, Development of National Qualification Frameworks in Europe 2011  

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strategy 

on 

Not mentioned. 

Romania122 

National 
validation 

Legal 
validation 

situation 

of 

In Romania, there is a legal framework in place for the validation of non-formal 
and informal learning in relation to professional competences. More specifically, 
Law  253/2003  which  widened  the  duties  and  competences  of  the  National 
Council  of  Adult  Training  (CNFPA),  made  reference  to  the  assessment  and 
certification  of  competences  acquired  through  CVET  organised  in  formal, 
informal  and  non-formal  contexts.  Later  on,  the  Governmental  Ordinance 
76/2004  laid  down  the  foundation  for  the  validation  centres  as  institutions 
accredited  by  the  CNFPA  to  conduct  assessments  for  the  recognition  of  a 
professional competence based on occupational standards. The Ordinance also 
made  reference  to  the  importance  of  evaluating  and  recognising  competences 
gained  through  non-formal  and  informal  learning.  Order  No.  4543/468  of  23 
August  20042  of  the  Ministry  of  Education  and  Research  and  the  Ministry  of 
Labour,  Social  Solidarity  and  Family  (completed  and  amended  by  Order  No. 
3329/81  of  23  February  2005)  finally  laid  down  the  procedures  for  the 
assessment and certification of informal and non-formal learning. 

The  CNFPA  has  the  role  of  National  Authority  for  Qualifications,  with 
responsibility for the coordination of the National Registry of Qualifications. The 
CNFPA  also  has  the  overall  responsibility  for  validation  of  non-formal  and 
informal  learning  at  the  national  level.  More  specifically,  the  CNFPA  is 
responsible for the authorisation of validation centres and for the certification of 
individual assessors of professional competences. CNFPA is also responsible for 
issuing  formal  certificates  which  record  the  achievements  of  an  individual 
following  the  assessment  procedure.  A  new  Law  of  National  Education  of  12 
April 2010 stipulates that the CNFPA will be merged with the National Agency for 
Qualifications 
the  Economic 
in  Higher  Education  and  Partnership  with 
Environment  (ACPART),  to  form  a  National  Authority  of  Qualifications.  It  is 
envisaged  that  this  will  provide  for  a  better  link  between  validation  and  the 
qualifications  framework  at  the  national  level.  As  of  July  2010,  there  were  52 
validation  centres  in  the  national  registry  of  centres  authorised  by  CNFPA, 
dealing  with  the  assessment  of  competences  for  112  qualifications  in  various 
fields,  e.g.  social  work,  agriculture,  construction,  administration  and  public 
services,  ICT,  tourism,  hotels  and  restaurants,  the  retail  trade,  food  industry, 
forestry  and  wood  processing,  and  welding.  The  Centres  can  be  specialised 
departments  in  private  companies  or  training  centres,  as  well  as  recruitment 
agencies or other types of organisations that meet the authorisation criteria laid 
down by the CNFPA. 

Professional  competences  are  defined  as  “the  ability  of  a  person  to  use 
theoretical  knowledge,  practical  skills,  and  specific  attitudes  to  carry  out  the 
activities  required  at  the  workplace”.  These  competences  can  be  either 
vocational or general. As a result of the validation process, individuals can earn 
competence certificates, which may be used (in principle) by beneficiaries to be 
admitted  to  a  course  either  in  compulsory  education  or  in HE (requiring certain 
qualifications  as  entry  requirements).The  competence  certificates  can  also  be 
used  to  request  an  exemption  from  attending  a  certain  unit  of  a  formal  study 
programme.  However,  no  practical  examples  have  been  identified  to  support 
these statements. Also worth noting is that a person can only acquire complete 

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

Validation procedures  

122

  Carmen  Juravle,  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning  2010,  Country 

Report: Romania http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77479.pdf 

EN 

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Costs  

Benefits  

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

qualifications. The methods used in the evaluation of professional competences 
include  “self-evaluation,  direct  observation,  oral  test,  written  test,  project-based 
evaluation,  simulation  or  structured  observation,  reporting  or  evaluation  by 
others”. 

Validation centres must pay an authorisation fee to CNFPA for each occupation 
or  qualification  they  wish  to  be  able  to  deliver,  ranging  from  140  to  412  EUR. 
Other  costs  borne  by  validation  centres  are  operational  costs  as  well  as 
personnel costs. The resulting revenues go into the state’s budget. The greatest 
majority  of 
to 
beneficiaries, as well as ESF funding for cofunded projects. There are no rules 
regarding payment for validation services. In some cases, the beneficiaries pay a 
fee based on the level of certificate.  

the  revenues  of  validation  centres  come 

from  charges 

Stakeholder mention various individual benefits of validation, such as enhanced 
employability, professional credibility and self-esteem. It should be also be noted 
that  in  the  labour  market,  the  qualification  certificates  based  on  the  validation 
and  certification  of  competences  have  the  same  value  as  certificates  for 
participation in formal training.  

The  system  of  validation  of  non-formal  learning  has  been  set  up  as  a  parallel 
system  to  formal  VET.  The  link  to  formal  system  has  not  been  established  yet 
and  the  results  of  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  are  not 
recognized  in  the  formal  system  (i.e.  certified  competences  through  validation 
can not facilitate entry or mobility in the formal education system). However, the 
new Law of National Education adopted in 2011 provides for better integration of 
validation  and  national  qualifications  framework  at  the  national  level.  According 
to  this  Law, professional qualifications  awarded  via  validation can  be  related to 
all levels of the NQF.123 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

Social  partners  are  involved  in  the  development  of  the  NQF  and    Romanian 
employers  have  generally  become  more  interested  in  validation  of  non-formal 
and  informal  learning.  In  the  private  sector,  there  are  a  few  examples  of 
Romanian  private  companies  that  have  made  efforts  to  develop  their  own 
validation methodologies. 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

Validation has so far mostly been confined to non-academic sectors and recent 
validation projects mainly show a focus on professional/vocational skills targeting 
specific  groups.  Validation  can  be related  to  higher education  qualifications  but 
this  area  is  still  in  its  infancy.  One  validation  centre  (Centrul  de  Pregatire  in 
Informatica)   offers HE level qualifications in the IT field for various occupational 
standards. No examples of university-led projects on validation were identified. 

Validation statistics 

Between 2006 and 2009, the 72 assessment centres authorised by CNFPA have 
issued over 25, 000 certificates for 150 occupations or qualifications. In October 
2010, the total number of certificates was up to 28,000. Certificates were issued 
for  different  occupations, 
the  most  common  being  construction,  social 
assistance, agriculture and commerce.  

123 Jens Bjornavold, Development of National Qualification Frameworks in Europe 2011 

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Slovakia124 

National 
validation 

Legal 
validation 

strategy 

on 

Not mentioned. 

situation 

of 

The  main  emphasis  of  the  Slovak  approach  to  recognising  non-formal  and 
informal learning, as set out in the law on lifelong learning (568/2009 Z.z). The 
law  addresses  a)  quality  assured  non-formal  further  learning  recognised  at 
national level through a register of accredited further education programmes; b) 
recognition of non-formal and informal learning in view of achieving full or partial 
qualifications by accredited education and training institutions. 

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

Validation procedures  

is 

in  charge  of  definition  of  qualifications 

The  Ministry  of  education  in  cooperation  with  representatives  of:  employers, 
employees,  regional  authorities,  education  and  training  institutions  and  central 
public  administration 
the 
qualifications system and design of standards Assessment and validation of non-
formal and informal learning according to (full or partial) qualifications standards 
are  done  by  assessment  commissions  organised  by  education  and  training 
institutions  (schools  or  higher  education  institutions)  accredited  specifically  for 
this  procedure.  Only  education  and  training  institutions  who  are  accredited  to 
provide formal education and training leading to the specific full qualification can 
also be accredited for recognition of NFIL for this full qualification. 

in 

There  are  three  main  ways  in  which  non-formal  and  informal  can  be  validated 
and  recognised  in  Slovakia:  Assessment,  validation  and  recognition  in  view  of 
achievement of a full or partial qualification (referred to in this text as recognition 
of  non-formal  and 
full  or  partial 
learning 
qualifications);Validation of learning activities that are not undertaken as part of 
full  time  school  participation  in  the  form  of  individualised  education  plans;  and 
recognition of professional competences to deliver a trade licence. 

view  of 

informal 

in 

Individuals  can  only  achieve  full  or  partial  qualifications  that  are  a  maximum  of 
one level higher than the level of education they have achieved through formal 
education and training.  Qualification (both full and partial) is defined in relation 
to  the  practice  of  professional  activities  and  access  to  an  occupation. 
Consequently, not all certificates delivered after the successful final assessment 
following  the  participation  in  an  accredited  further  education  programme  are 
qualifications in this sense. Some certificates are not related to an occupation or 
are  too  small  in  scope  to  correspond  to  all  activities  of  a  profession.  Therefore 
there  can  be  nationally  recognised  certificates  of  non-formal  education  and 
training that are not qualifications. 

It is up to the accredited education and training institutions to choose the exact 
assessment method to be used in line with the occupational activities for which 
the  qualification  prepares  and  the  assessment  standard.  The  law  on  lifelong 
learning defines that there has to be a theoretical and a practical part and these 
can  take  form  of  written,  oral  or  practical  assignments  or  their  combination. 
Given  the  very  early  stages  of  the  implementation  of  this  process  it  is  not  yet 
clear what the actually used assessment methods will be. 

The approach  to recognition  of non-formal  and  informal  learning as well  as  the 
accreditation of non-formal learning and  the design of the qualifications system 
and  its  register  is  planned  to  be  funded  through  the  ESF  Fund  and  the 
Operational Programme for Education. 

Costs  

124  Daniela  Uličná,  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning  2010,  Country 
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The accredited education and training institutions accredited for recognising full 
or partial qualifications can raise fees from participants. The maximum amount is 
stipulated  in  the  law  on  lifelong  learning:  maximum  EUR  300  for  the  first 
assessment  and  maximum  EUR  100  in  case  the  learner  has  failed  the  first 
assessment and requested a second additional assessment. This fee is meant to 
mainly cover the human resources and possibly material needed to carry out the 
assessment.  Accredited  institutions  have  to  be  able  to  provide  the  technical 
equipment  and  other  material  resources  needed  to  carry  out  the  assessment. 
Education and training institutions wishing to obtain an accreditation will have to 
pay a fee that will cover the costs of the accreditation process.  

Benefits  

The procedure is only in a very early stage of implementation. The direct benefits 
expected  are  related  to  the  enhanced  possibilities  of  individuals  to  practice 
professions where a qualification is required. 

The  system  of  recognition  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  was  completely 
unrelated  to  the  qualifications  system  or  the  formal  education  and  training  until 
the  law  on  Lifelong  Learning.    The  aim  of  the  NQF  is  to  create  a  system 
environment  that  will  support  comparability  of  learning  outcomes  achieved  by 
various  forms  of  learning  and  education  and  to  enable  recognition  of  real 
knowledge and competences independently of the way they were acquired.125 

The  private  sector,  as  organised  in  employers’  and  sectoral  organisations,  has 
an  important  role  in  defining  the  qualifications  system  and  the  qualifications 
standards.  Private  companies  can  also  become  accredited  providers  of  non-
formal learning under the law on lifelong learning. In fact, in Slovakia, currently 
the majority of requalification courses as well as continuing vocational education 
and  training  are  provided  by  private  institutions.  Such  accreditation  gives  their 
certificates issued after final assessment national value. 

In theory, the recognition of non-formal and informal learning defined in the law 
on lifelong learning applies to both vocational education and training, and higher 
education. The practical aspects of how it will apply to higher education still need 
to be defined. One of the obstacles to the application to higher education is the 
fact  that  higher  education  is  based  on  accredited  programmes  and  not  on  full 
qualifications  based  on  qualifications  standards  as such.  There  is  a  willingness 
to  ensure  that  at  least  components  of  Bachelor  degrees  should  be  achievable 
through recognition of non-formal and informal learning. 

No  data  is  currently  available  with  regard  to  recognition  of  non-formal  and 
informal  learning  in  view  of  full  or  partial  qualifications  as  the  implementation 
process has only just started.  

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

Validation statistics 

Slovenia126 

National 
validation 

strategy 

on 

In  Slovenia,  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  is  an  important 
element of the National Strategy for Life Long Learning. 

Legal 

situation 

of  The National Vocational Qualification Act (NVQA), adopted in 2000 (last revision 
2009),  makes  it  possible  for  individuals  to  obtain  a  National  Vocational 

125 Jens Bjornavold, Development of National Qualification Frameworks in Europe 2011 

126 Veronika Tašner ,  European Inventory on Validation of Non-Formal and Informal Learning 2010, Country 
Report: Slovenia http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77461.pdf 

EN 

106 

   EN 

 
                                                 
 
validation 

Qualification (NVQ) in recognition of prior learning and experiences through the 
assessment  and  verification  of  vocation-related  knowledge,  skills  and 
experiences acquired outside of formal education. 

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

Validation procedures  

Costs  

The  Ministry  of  Labour,  Family  and  Social  Affairs  is  responsible  for  National 
Vocational  Qualifications,  for  the  coordination  between  social  partners  and  for 
continuing vocational education and training. The Ministry is responsible for the 
assessment and  certification  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning and  publishes 
occupational  standards,  verifies  educational  and 
institutions  and 
finances the NEC for the assessment and certification of non formal and informal 
learning. 

training 

Several  institutions  are  involved  in  validation.  The  Slovenian  Institute  for  Adult 
Education trains accredited assessors and vocational advisors for the validation 
of  prior  learning  (in  relation  to  adult  learning).  The  National  Institute  for 
Vocational  Education  and  Training  (NIVET)  is  the  National  Reference  Point  for 
national  vocational  qualifications  which  includes  databases  on  vocational 
standards, catalogues of standards of subjects of specialisation for assessment 
as  well  as  providers  of  procedures  for  the  assessment  of  national  vocational 
qualifications.  The  National  Examination  Centre  (NEC)  is  responsible,  among 
other  things,  for  developing  methodologies  and  procedures  of  assessment  and 
validation of professional knowledge and competences, in relation to all types of 
qualifications. It is also the main body responsible for monitoring the work of the 
examination  bodies  for  validation  and  assessment  of  national  vocational 
qualifications. When in 2007 rules on the assessment of knowledge in vocational 
education  and  continuing  vocational  education  were  connected  into  the  same 
system, it became obvious that the education field needed an interdepartmental 
body.  The  validation  procedures 
learning 
outcomes, regardless of the way they were acquired, obliged the institutions that 
cover  vocational  education  and  adult  education  to  cooperate  and  formulate 
common criteria for the validation of non-formal learning. This task is performed 
by the National Council of Experts for Technical and Vocational Education.  

that  require  nationally  agreed 

The  NVQA  established  a  certification  system  and  regulates  the  procedures, 
bodies  and  organisations  for  approving  standards  for  different  vocational 
qualifications,  which  are  approved  by  specific  committees.  Assessment  and 
validation  of  knowledge  and  skills  in  the  vocational  qualification  system  is 
provided  by  a  relevant  commission,  which  examines  the  documents  submitted 
and  other  evidence  or  the  candidate's  portfolio  and  determines  whether  the 
candidate  meets  all  the  requirements  defined  by  the  catalogue  of  professional 
knowledge  and  skills.  In  HE,  a  national  system  of  recognition  does  not  exist. 
Recognition  in  the  field  of  HE  is  very  loosely  regulated  and  it  is  up  to  HE 
institutions  to  define  in  their  accredited  study  programmes  “the  criteria  for 
recognition  of  knowledge  and  skills  gained  before  enrolment  into  the  study 
programme”.  

There is no overall budget for the validation of informal and non-formal learning 
in  Slovenia. In 2008, the project introducing renewed VET programmes in VET 
schools (including setting up a framework for validation) started with the financial 
support of the European Social Fund.  

The main responsibility for implementation and financing of the National Plan of 
Adult Education is in the Ministry of Education and Sport and by the Ministry of 
Labour, Family and Social Affairs. On average 50 MEUR are allocated each year 
to  the  National  Plan  of  Adult  Education  (150.000  participants  annually).  For 
example, Project learning for young adults is co-financed to the value of EUR 1.2 
million a year. 

According to the 2007 OECD National Report, individuals who file an application 
for  NVQ  (National  Vocational  Qualification)  acquisition  are  obliged  to  pay  the 

EN 

107 

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Benefits  

costs  of  the  procedure  for  obtaining  the  certificate,  ranging  up  to  140  EUR  (in 
2004).127  

The 2007 OECD national report for Slovenia128 gives some information based on 
experiences from NVQ assessments on the benefits of validation of non-formal 
learning for individuals. Positive effects of NVQ certification have been recorded 
at  individual,  local,  entrepreneurial  and  national  level.    Employers  praise  a 
possibility  of  speedier  adaptation  of  the  labour  force  to  new  needs  of  the 
employers,  as  well  as  highlighting  reduced  time  and  lower  costs  of  NVQ 
acquisition in comparison with school education programmes. Recorder benefits 
include: 

- young drop outs from formal VET programmes have a new and quicker chance 
of achieving a qualification 

- people with no qualifications or low qualifications and work experience have the 
opportunity to gain a qualification and improve their employability 

− a study on the benefits of NVQs for social caretakers shows that the certificate 
enabled  long  term  employment,  higher  pay,  better  professional  knowledge, 
better  communication  skills,  especially  with  their  employer,  and  improved  self 
esteem 

− analysis  dealing  with  the  implementation  of  a  system  of  national  vocational 
qualifications  shows  that  successfully  acquired  NVQ  stimulates  people  to 
continue  their  education,  improves  employability,  affects  self-esteem  and 
promotes personal growth. 

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

The NQF is under development. The national professional qualifications and the 
validation  of  non-formal  knowledge  in  Slovenia  are  based  on  assessment 
qualifications  catalogues  (catalogues  of  standards  for  professional  knowledge 
and skills).129 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

Social  partners  participate  in  the  development  and  delivery  of  the  validation  of 
informal and non-formal learning by planning vocational and professional training 
at  all  levels,  defining  occupational  standards,  and  adopting  and  implementing 
training programmes. 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

There is currently no national system of validation covering all sectors/levels of 
learning. The concept of validation of non-formal learning was introduced in VET 
schools in 2007.  

Validation statistics 

In the youth sector, by 2008, more than 3,000 young people had used the Nefiks 
record book which is can be used to describe non-formal and informal learning. 
In addition, over 5,000 young people had signed up to use the electronic version 
of the record book.  

127  New  OECD  Activity  on  Recognition  of  Non-formal  and  Informal  Learning:  Draft  Country  Background 
Report Slovenia 2007 http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/4/23/41680347.pdf 
128  Ibidem 
129 Jens Bjornavold, Development of National Qualification Frameworks in Europe 2011 

EN 

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Spain130 

National 
validation 

Legal 
validation 

strategy 

on 

Not mentioned. 

situation 

of 

There are a number of Acts which make up the legal framework for validation of 
non-formal  and  informal  learning  in  Spain.  In  2009,  the  Royal  Decree  on  the 
recognition  of  professional  competences  acquired  through  work  experience 
established  the  procedures  and  requirements  for  the  validation  of  professional 
competences  acquired  through  work  experience  and  non  formal  learning 
processes. The Qualifications and Vocational Training Ac (2002), established the 
creation of a National System of Qualifications and Vocational Training. The Act 
introduces flexibility, allowing vocational education and training to be linked more 
closely  to  the  labour  market  and  allows  the  accreditation  of  non-formal  and 
informal  learning,  although  it  does  not  specify  how  the  latter  should  be  carried 
out. In addition, the Act enables the Catalogue of Professional Qualifications to 
act as an observatory of the economic sectors. The catalogue is a compendium 
of the standards of professional competences in the labour market, and serves 
as a reference in the design of VET qualifications and professional certificates. A 
new  decree  to  regulate  validation  procedures  in  Higher  Education  has  been 
drafted and will be finalised by the end of 2010. 

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

the  General  Council 

the  validation  process.  Also, 

The government is responsible for establishing the procedures and prerequisites 
for the validation of professional competences acquired through non-formal and 
informal  learning.  As  a  result,  the  State  Public  Employment  Service  Ministry  of 
Labour and Immigration, the General Directorate of Professional Education and 
the Ministry of Education; have put in place a joint Committee to guarantee the 
for 
development  of 
Professional  Education  acts  as  an  advisor  in  the  process  and  evaluation  of 
results.  The  Committee  works  together  with  the  Autonomous  Communities  to 
regulate the evaluations of professional competences. The competent authorities 
at  regional  and 
level  (Education  Departments,  Education  General 
Directorates, etc.) set up the calls for examination and requirements and inform 
the  Committee,  as  well  as  carrying  out  the  validation  process.  The  evaluation 
and  accreditation  of  professional  competences  must  relate  to  modules  or 
qualifications  in  the  Catalogue  of  Professional  Qualifications.  The  National 
Institute for Qualifications (INCUAL) is responsible for updating the Catalogue. In 
June  2010  the  Catalogue  included  454  vocational  qualifications  from  26 
educational  and  training  areas,  according  to  INCUAL.  The  National  Reference 
Centres  on  Vocational  Training  are  some  of  the  authorised  centres  for  the 
instruction and implementation of validation procedures. 

local 

Validation procedures  

The reference points for evaluation and accreditation are the competence units 
of  the  Catalogue  of  Professional  Qualifications  which  are  also  used  as 
references  for  the  official  diplomas  on  vocational  training  (and  occupational 
aptitude  certificates.  In  HE,  since  the  1970s  individuals  aged  over  25  without 
upper  secondary  education  have  been  entitled  to  access  HE  upon  satisfactory 
performance  in  ‘over-25s’  HE  access  exams  –  although  without  receiving  a 

130  Noel  Alonso,  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning  2010,  Country 
Report: Spain http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77452.pdf 

EN 

109 

   EN 

 
 
                                                 
 
 
secondary school qualification through this process. Later, from the early 2000s 
new  measures  were  put  in  place  at  national  level  in  order  to  further  recognise 
competences  acquired  through  non-formal  and  informal  learning.  Today  there 
are some opportunities for validation in relation to HE and now also professional 
competences (up to a certain level). There are standards in place to support the 
implementation of validation, although not in relation to Higher Education, since 
HEIs  are  autonomous  and  at  the  moment  devise  their  own  standards  for  the 
validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning.  At  Higher  Education  level  the 
Ministry of Education is currently working on a new regulation on validation. The 
new regulation will establish the procedures to validate non-formal and informal 
learning  up  to  15%  of  an  undergraduate  degree  or  master  degree.  The  VET 
Decree of 2009 is restricted to only some levels of competence and the calls for 
examination will only apply to certain economic sectors each year. The first joint 
call for validation of professional competences will be carried out in 2011 and will 
only  cover  some  competences.  It  is  planned  that  other  competences  will  be 
included in the calls launched in the following years. 

The  Spanish  central  government  has  made  a  commitment  to  fund  the  new 
validation  process 
the  CCAAs  (Some 
for  professional  experience,  with 
Autonomous  Communities)  providing  partial  funding  in  the  future.  At  the 
moment,  there  is  no  private  funding  or  funding  from  the  third  sector,  but  the 
private  sector  can  support  individuals  in  their  applications.  In  addition  to  the 
CCAAs’  initiatives  on  validation,  many  regional,  local  and  EU-funded  initiatives 
have  been  set  up  in  parallel.  In  2008,  the  budget  for  the  Roadmap  planned  to 
allocate  over  EUR  30  million  to  the  evaluation  and  accreditation  of  non-formal 
learning  associated  with  professional  competences  for  the  period  2009-2010. 
However,  there  was  a  delay  on  the  implementation  of  the  process  and  the 
figures for the first year of implementation changed. Nevertheless, Spain is one 
of  the  few  European  countries  with  specific  funding  designated  for  validation. 
The  central  administration  now  funds  the  first  call  for  applications  in  2011. 
According  to  the  Ministry  of  Education’s  calculations,  training  costs  for  each 
practitioner  will  be  EUR  300,  as  well  as  each  application.  During  2010,  3.000 
practitioners will be trained and it is expected that 8,000 individuals will apply to 
the 2011 call; which in costs is MEUR 3.5.  

No  specific  study  on  benefits  is  referred  to  in  the  European  Inventory  Country 
report.  Assumed  benefits  include:  Individuals  validating  their  professional 
competences  will  be  able  to  prove  their  experience  and  will  acquire  a  formal 
qualification  in  a  specific  module  or  unit.  The  counselling  will  also  provide 
individuals with information on the requirements of other modules to complete a 
full  qualification.  Formal  qualifications  provide  individuals  with  a  comparative 
advantage in the labour market compared to those without any qualifications. 

Costs  

Benefits  

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

Spain is currently developing a NQF based on learning outcomes.The framework 
will  include  qualification,  obtained  in  compulsory  education,  in  post-secondary 
and  higher  education  (academic  and  VET)  and  integrate  validation  non-formal 
and informal learning processes.131 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

Social  partners  provide  information  regarding  the  validation  process  and  the 
most representative social partner at regional level will be able to request official 
announcements (calls for application) for particular private sector needs. 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

In  Spain,  some  limited  forms  of  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning 
have  been  recognised  in  the  national  legal  framework  for  decades  and  today 
there  are  some  opportunities  for  validation  in  relation  to  HE  and  now  also 
level).  Some  Autonomous 
professional  competences 

to  a  certain 

(up 

131 Jens Bjornavold, Development of National Qualification Frameworks in Europe 2011 

EN 

110 

   EN 

                                                 
Validation statistics 

Communities  have  also  established  procedures  for  validation.  In  other  areas 
more work remains to be done. 

Data  on  validation  is  limited.  However,  take-up  of  some  of  the  validation 
initiatives  currently  available  is  relatively  high:  Between  2004  and  2005  the 
number  of  people  who  made  use  of  the  registered  university  entrance 
examinations  for  over  25s  was  19,853  and  the  number  of  students  who 
accessed VET via entrance examinations at intermediate level was 12,267, while 
at higher level the number was 7,796. The first round of validation of professional 
competences  under  the  new  regulatory  framework  at  national  level  will  be 
carried  out  in  2011,  covering  modules  included  within  the  Catalogue  on 
children’s education and medical care sectors. It is expected that 8 000 people 
will take part in the process in 2011. 

Sweden132 

National 
validation 

strategy 

on 

The  work  of  the  Swedish  National  Agency  for  Higher  Vocational  Education  is 
intended to result in overall policies for validation. No other kind of overall policy 
or strategy for validation is planned. 

Legal 
validation 

situation 

of 

In Sweden, validation of non-formal and informal learning has been considered 
as an important issue on the political agenda for some time, although there is still 
no overall national legal framework to regulate individuals’ rights to validation or 
clearly established organisational structures and financial responsibilities. There 
are  various  situations  in  which  individuals  are  granted  the  right  to  have  their 
knowledge, skills and competences recognised and valued.  The decree on HE 
states  that  all  higher  education  institutions  are  obliged  to  assess  prior  and 
experiential  learning  of  applicants  who  demand  such  an  assessment  and  who 
lack the formal qualifications. 

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

Sweden  does  not  have  a  fully  developed  system  for  the  validation  of  informal 
and  non-formal  learning  with  roles,  organisational  structures  and  financial 
responsibilities  clearly  stated  and  established.  In  December  2003,  the  Swedish 
government appointed the “Swedish National Commission on Validation” for the 
period  2004-2007  to  promote  and  further  develop  validation  methods  and 
enhance  (regional)  cooperation.    The  work  initiated  by  the  Swedish  National 
Commission  on  Validation,  to  establish  common  processes  and  methods  for 
validation  is  now  being  continued,  coordinated  and  supported  by  the  Swedish 
National  Agency  for  Higher  Vocational  Education.    The  work  is  still,  to  a  large 
extent,  based  on  project-based  government  validation  initiatives  where  the 
agency and the Swedish Public Employment Service are the main coordinators. 
Cooperation  with  education  and  training  providers,  sector  organisations,  the 
social  partners,  universities  and  municipalities  is  an  essential  part  of  this  work. 
The Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education has, since it was 
established in  2009, been given the responsibility to support a national structure 
the 
for  validation  and 
trade 
involvement  of  educational 

in  cooperation  with  relevant  authorities  promote 

institutions  and  business  sector  and 

132  Ida  Thomson,  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning  2010,  Country 
Report: Sweden http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77476.pdf 

EN 

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   EN 

 
 
                                                 
 
organisations when strategies, methods and information regarding validation are 
being  developed.  Other  official  agencies,  such  as  the  Public  Employment 
Service,  the  Swedish  National  Agency  for  Education,  the  National  Agency  for 
Higher Education, the National Council of Adult Education (third sector education 
covering  liberal  adult  education  including  folk  high  schools,  study  circles,  etc.) 
and  the  Agency  for  Higher  Education  Services  all  have  separate  minor 
responsibilities  or  governmental  commissions  to  work  on  validation  within  their 
areas of responsibilities. 

Validation procedures  

Validation can be used as a way to gain entry to different educational pathways, 
usually following upper secondary education. Validation processes inclyde: 

1)  Särskild  prövning,  in  which  an  individual’s  real  competence  is  examined  in 
order  to  receive  credits  and  qualifications  used  within  the  elementary  and 
secondary  level  of  the  education  system.  Primarily  used  to  meet  general  or 
specific entry requirements to further/higher education. 

2)  Folk  high  schools  which  provide  non-formal  education  determine  their  own 
entrance  requirements  and  often  use  validation  to  determine  the  individual’s 
ability to fully complete their education. 

3) The so called 25:4 rule, which automatically gave adults aged 25 or more who 
had  a  minimum  of  four  years  of  work  experience  and  a  knowledge  of  Swedish 
and  English,  general  eligibility  to  HE.  Universities  and  university  colleges  could 
decide themselves their selection criteria to be used for up to one third of their 
places. This rule has now been replaced by a change that gives applicants the 
possibility to apply to higher education on the basis of real competence. 

At the beginning of the decade much validation was project-funded through EU-
initiatives  such  as  the  Lifelong  Learning  Programme  and  the  European  Social 
Fund.  Over  the  last  couple  of  years,  however,  more  focus  has been  placed  on 
making validation a common and integrated part of both formal and non-formal 
education  and  training  and  activities  for  the  unemployed.  Since  the  national 
commission  on  validation  was  appointed  in  2003,  much  of  the  development  of 
validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  has  been  funded  by  the  national 
government through the Ministries of Education and Research, and Employment. 
Today funding is channelled through the Agency for Higher Vocational Education 
and  the  Public  Employment  Service.  One  validation  is  estimated  to  cost  on 
average  EUR  1  550.  Approximately  EUR  7254  000  to  1  0354  000  will  be 
allocated each year specifically to support the coordination and development of a 
national  structure  (i.e.  standardised  methods  and  approaches,  standardised 
quality assurance methods and also clarification of the roles and responsibilities 
of  the  different  actors  involved)  for  validation.  It  should  however  be  noted  that 
much  of  the  validation  taking  place  in  Sweden  today  is  performed  within  the 
funding  framework  of  the  formal  education  and  training  system.  This  makes  it 
difficult  to  assess  the  total  amount  of  resources  used  for  validation.  The 
individual  is  usually  not  required  to  pay  a  fee  for  going  through  a  validation 
process. Särskilt prövning is, however, one exception where the individual pays 
a  fee  for  his  or  her  validation.  The  exception  is  when  the  individual  has 
previously failed the course and wants another chance; it is then for free. Usually 
the cost is about 500 SEK per course or subject validated.  

No solid evidence on benefits to individuals of validation has been established. 
There are however several “success stories” available, in which individuals who 
have gone through validation testify to the benefits they have experienced both 
on a private and professional level. Basic studies on societal economic effects of 
validation  (national  cost-benefit  analysis)  are  also  being  performed  by  the 
Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education.  

Costs  

Benefits  

Integration  of  validation  Validation  is  a  key  element  in  planning  and  developing  the  NQF  with  the 

EN 

112 

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within the NQF 

anticipation  that  the  framework  will  help  in  structuring  and  clarifying  the 
standards against which validation could be made. 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

Validation statistics 

There  is  a  national  network  consisting  of  approximately  25  business  sector 
organisations  and  130  trades,  representing  both  social  partners  and  business 
sector  organisations.  The  Public  Employment  Service  also  participates  in  this 
network  of  organisations  which  provide  information,  advice  and  guidance 
(although this is not their main, or only activity). The participants of the network 
meet two to four times a year but have regular contact in between meetings. The 
Agency  for  Higher  Vocational  Education  organises  the  network  meetings.  The 
purpose  of  the  network  is  to  spread  information  about  validation  initiatives, 
projects and ongoing validation. The network also discusses the development of 
methods, models for validation and future needs in the validation area. No major 
initiatives  or  projects  on  validation  in  the  private  sector  are  presently  known. 
Separate systems of validation are rare. 

Validation  is  comprehensive,  but  mainly  used  in  order  to  gain  entry  to  different 
educational pathways following upper secondary education.  

A  national  database  for  individuals  going  though  validation  is  currently  being 
developed.  Estimates  of  the  number  of  applicants  or  persons  actually  going 
through validation are hard to obtain, since the term validation is used for many 
different kinds of activities and end results. Validation is also performed in many 
different  institutional  settings.  The  number  of  validations  performed  are  today 
only available at project level. The Public Employment Service has, during 2009 
and  2010,  undertaken  initiatives  to  increase  the  use  of  validation  as  a  tool  to 
to  support 
enhance 
approximately 3800 validation processes and about one third of the funding had 
been used at the time of writing this report. 

individuals’  employability.  Funding  was  earmarked 

UK England, Wales, Northern Ireland133 

National 
validation 

strategy 

on 

In the UK, there has been a devolved system of governance for lifelong learning 
(education and training) and many aspects of the skills agenda since 1997. Each 
of  the  devolved  administrations  has  developed  its  own  strategy  for  skills  and 
lifelong learning. 

Legal 
validation 

situation 

of 

Not mentioned. 

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

There  is  currently  no  national  approach  to  the  validation  of  non-formal  and/or 
informal learning in the UK. There are methods / guidelines in place in relation to 
the national qualifications framework and within specific sectors of learning (e.g. 
adult and continuing education, higher education) but in general the application 
of  validation  is  devolved  to  the  learning  provider,  or  at  times  to  departments 
within the learning provider. As such, there is a great deal of differentiation in the 
approaches  taken  to  validation,  both  between  different  providers  and  within 
providers  themselves.  In  addition  to  the  range  of  methodologies  /  initiatives  in 

133 Jo Hawley, European Inventory on Validation of Non-Formal and Informal Learning 2010, Country Report: 
UK (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77661.pdf 

EN 

113 

   EN 

 
 
                                                 
 
place, there are a number of different terms / acronyms in use. These range from 
Accreditation  of  Prior  Learning  (APL)  and  Accreditation  of  Prior  Experiential 
Learning (APEL) to Accreditation and Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning 
(ARPEL)  and  Recognising  and  Recording  Progress  and  Achievement  in  Non-
Accredited Learning (RARPA). It has been suggested that this lack of consensus 
on  terminology  leads  to  confusion,  lack  of  understanding  and  inconsistency, 
even within institutions. 

In  England,  Ofqual  has  responsibility  for  the  qualifications  framework.  Ofqual 
became  a  legal  entity  in  April  2010,  independent  of  the  curriculum  and 
government.  Ofqual  recognises  a  range  of  awarding  organisations,  which  can 
award  credits  and  qualifications.  However,  Ofqual  operates  a  ‘light  touch’ 
approach  to  its  role  and  does  not  provide  guidelines  on  assessment  methods, 
nor  does  it  categorise  learning  according  to  whether  it  is  formal,  non-formal  or 
informal. Thus, in essence, any qualification awarded by a recognised awarding 
organisation  could  be  attained  by  proving  non-formal  /  informal  learning 
equivalent to the required learning outcomes, since Ofqual does not impose any 
restrictions on how the learning should take place. The only requirement is that 
the learning outcomes necessary to achieve the qualification can be assessed in 
a  robust  way.  In  Northern  Ireland,  the  qualifications  regulator  is  the  Council  for 
Curriculum,  Examinations  and  Assessment  (CCEA),  which  regulates  external 
qualifications.  In  Wales,  the  qualifications  regulator  is  the  Welsh  Minister.  This 
work  is  wholly  delegated  to  the  Department  for  Children,  Education  Lifelong 
Learning and Skills. The Guidance on the recognition of prior learning within the 
Qualifications  and  Credit  Framework  sets  out  principles  to  help  individual 
awarding organisations to develop or review their own RPL policies. It promotes 
a  system-wide  provision  of  RPL.  In  relation  to  higher  education,  the  Quality 
Assurance  Agency  for  Higher  Education  (QAA)  publishes  guidelines  –  in  the 
form of a Code of Practice applicable across the UK – to help institutions develop 
effective  systems.  Nevertheless,  the  actual  responsibility  for  implementation  of 
accreditation of prior learning lies with the individual HEIs. In England, the former 
Learning  and  Skills  Council  (LSC)  launched  the  RARPA  system.  The  Learning 
and Skills Council has been split into the Skills Funding Agency and the Young 
People’s Learning Agency. The coalition government, elected in May 2010, has 
not at the time of writing this report confirmed if these two bodies will remain in 
place  and  thus  it  is  not  clear  where  the  responsibility  for  RARPA  will  lie  in  the 
future.  

A significant national-level development in recent years, which has the potential 
to  provide  considerable  support  for  the  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal 
learning,  is  the  introduction  of  the  Qualifications  and  Credit  Framework  (QCF). 
The  QCF  is  not  yet  fully  embedded  at  the  time  of  writing;  the  scheduled 
implementation  date  is  September  2011.  It  provides  the  relevant  supporting 
structure to facilitate the recognition of non-formal and informal learning, on a par 
with  formal  learning.  The  QCF  Regulatory  Arrangements  use  the  term 
‘Recognition of Prior Learning’ (RPL) and set out the following definition of RPL: 
“A method of assessment that considers whether a learner can demonstrate that 
they  can  meet  the  assessment  requirements  for  a  unit  through  knowledge, 
understanding or skills they already possess and do not need to develop through 
a  course  of  learning”.  There  are  also  national-level  guidelines  to  help  Higher 
Education Institutions relating to the accreditation of prior learning. 

In  the  adult  and  continuing  learning  sector,  there  is  a  methodology  entitled 
Recognising  and  Recording  Progress  and  Achievement  in  Non-Accredited 
Learning  (RARPA)  for  informal  recognition  of  the  learning  outcomes  of  non-
accredited  courses.  In  relation  to  vocational  education,  National  Vocational 
Qualifications  (NVQs)  were  designed  so  that  the  award  of  credit  in  the 
qualification  should  be  independent  of  the  mode,  duration,  and  location  of 
learning. Recognition of non-formal and informal learning was therefore identified 
as  one  means  of  generating  evidence  for  the  (accreditation)  units  which 

Validation procedures  

EN 

114 

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Costs  

Benefits  

comprise  the  qualification.  For  further  and  higher  education,  Accreditation  of 
Prior Learning (APL) and Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL), or 
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), which emerged in the early 1990s, are used 
for both admission and for awarding credit. 

In spite of the methods and guidelines in place within specific sectors of learning 
(e.g.  adult  and  continuing education.  HE),  the  application  of  validation  is  still  in 
general devolved to the learning provider. 

From  2009–10  the  Learning  and  Skills  Council  introduced  new  funding 
arrangements  for  England,  explicitly  aligned  to  the  QCF  (Qualifications  and 
Credits Framework). These new funding arrangements included specific support 
for  RPL,  based  on  the  principle  that,  within  limits,  providers  would  be  able  to 
claim Learning and Skills Council (now Skills Funding Agency)  funding leading 
to the award of credit through RPL, in the same way as they would for a taught 
programme leading to the award of credit towards the same qualification.  

In  relation  to  higher  education,  there  is  no  national-level  budget  specifically 
allocated to validation of non-formal and informal learning. A number of projects 
acquire  funding  through  European  programmes  such  as  the  Lifelong  Learning 
Programme  and  the  European  Social  Fund.  In  Wales,  the  HEFCW  circular  on 
funding  the  accreditation  of  prior  experiential  learning  (APEL)  confirms  that 
funding will be provided for institutions awarding APEL. Funding is made against 
specific  APEL  module(s)  within  a  programme  of  study  and  also  against  other 
modules  within  a  programme  of  study.  It  has  been  suggested  that  the  cost  of 
assessing  learners  through  APL  (e.g.  for  NVQs)  can  be  as  high  as  those 
associated  with  delivering  a  formal  courses.  In  the  HE  sector,  anecdotal 
evidence suggests that it is costly to deliver AP(E)L procedures, mainly because 
it  is  frequently  based  on  the  assessment  of  a  portfolio  and  is  therefore  more 
costly in terms of staff time. A study conducted by the Welsh Higher Education 
Credit  Consortium  found  that  APEL  was  considered  to  be  complex  and 
expensive in terms of staff time. 

There is no national guidance or regulation in relation to the costs which can be 
charged to individuals for validation procedures. Costs vary across providers and 
sector.  The element  of  the  validation process which is charged  for  can  vary  as 
well  as  the  amount  charged.  Some  HEIs  might  set  charges  according  to  the 
number of credits applied for / awarded, while others charge per hours of advice 
and guidance received. Specific examples of costs are GBP 75 (EUR 90) for the 
assessment of an APE(L) portfolio at one HEI.Nevertheless, the cost of AP(E)L 
is generally lower than taking a course in full, plus the individual saves on time 
by  not  having  to  repeat  learning  already  achieved,  which  is  an  indirect  cost 
saving. 

A number of potential benefits to individuals of the Recognition of Prior Learning 
are identified in the literature. However no data was identified through research, 
which specifically demonstrates the benefits of RPL to individuals. The potential 
benefits  include  for  example:  Reducing  the  time  required  to  complete  a 
qualification; Reducing the cost of acquiring a qualification; Receiving recognition 
of  skills  and  competences  already  acquired,  for  example  in  the  workplace; 
Avoiding the need to study things the learner already knows. 

In the voluntary and community sector, validation projects often aim to increase 
the employability of their participants. In the Higher Education sector, APL /APEL 
is  used  to  facilitate  access  for  non-traditional  learners.  In  further  education, 

134 OECD Thematic Review on Recognition of Non-formal and Informal learning: Country Background Report 
United Kingdom 2007 http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/19/4/41782373.pdf 

EN 

115 

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Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

Validation statistics 

RARPA can be used to support learners to make the transition from non-formal 
learning  to  formal  learning.  Case  studies  in  the  2007  OECD  Country  Report 
show  that  participants  grew  more  confident  and  attained  a  higher  level  of  job 
satisfaction threw different life-long learning and validation initiatives.134 

The  QCF  is  an  additional  regulatory  framework  that,  at  present,  operates 
alongside  the  preexisting  National  Qualifications  Framework  (NQF).  The  NQF 
contains  general  and  vocational  qualifications;  some,  but  not  all,  have  credit 
values  assigned  to  them.  The  QCF  contains  only  credit-based  qualifications 
composed  from  units  and  conforming  to  rules  of  combination  for  qualification 
achievement. The QCF recognises skills and qualifications by awarding credit for 
qualifications and units. The QCF is expected to be fully implemented by 2011. 
The QCF is by many presented as a ‘mature’ NQF and as such influencing later 
framework  developments  in  Europe  and  beyond.135  The  QCF  is  intended  to  be 
inclusive and should recognise the achievements of all learners at any level and 
in any area of learning. 

Sector  Skills  Councils  (SSCs)  are  involved  in  developing  the  occupational 
standards  used  for  vocational  qualifications  in  the  UK.  The  Guidance  on  the 
recognition  of  prior  learning  within  the  Qualifications  and  Credit  Framework 
suggests that they may play an active role in supporting awarding organisations 
and  approved  centres  (i.e.  learning  providers)  to  develop  plans  for  the 
implementation  of  RPL.  The  Guidance  suggests  that  the  SSCs  can  help  for 
example by identifying the market needs/targets of the workforce and the sector. 

Validation exists across the educational sector, but practises are determined by 
individual institutions.  

Data  is  not  collected  at  national  level  in  relation  to  validation  in  any  of  the 
sectors. Furthermore, it has been observed that even within institutions, data is 
not always collected centrally, rather at the level of the department. Some trends 
however have been identified and it is also possible to provide information on the 
number of participants in some of the validation projects: 

• By 2006, around six million NVQs had been awarded in the UK since they were 
introduced in the 1980s. 

•  It  is  suggested  that  there  has  been  an  increase  in  the  number  of  APEL 
applicants  in  the  HE  sector,  although  neither  the  actual  number  of  applicants 
there are currently, nor projected numbers have been identified.  

UK – Scotland136 

National 
validation 

strategy 

on 

The 2007 Skills for Scotland Strategy noted the importance of using the Scottish 
Credit  and  Qualifications  Framework  (SCQF)  to  encourage  the  recognition  of 
informal  learning.  In  2010,  Skills  for  Scotland:  Accelerating  the  Recovery  and 
to  refresh  and 
Increasing  Sustainable  Economic  Growth  was  produced 
supplement the original Strategy. IThe new Strategy also refers to the role of the 
SCQF  Partnership’s  Recognition  of  Prior  Learning  network  in  developing  tools, 

135 Jens Bjornavold, Development of National Qualification Frameworks in Europe 2011 

136 Jo Hawley, European Inventory on Validation of Non-Formal and Informal Learning 2010, Country Report: 
UK (Scotland) http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2011/77662.pdf 

EN 

116 

   EN 

 
                                                 
 
supporting organisations and sharing best practice that supports the recognition 
of learning that individuals may have completed. 

Legal 
validation 

situation 

of 

Aside  from  guidelines,  there  are  no  formal  regulations  or  requirements  for  the 
provision of RPL and thus implementation varies. 

Institutions 
validation 

involved 

in 

Validation procedures  

Costs  

Benefits  

The  Scottish  Credit  and  Qualifications  Framework  Partnership  was  established 
in  2006.  This  partnership  consists  of:  Scotland’s  Colleges;  The  Quality 
Assurance  Agency  for  Higher  Education  (QAA);  Scottish  Ministers;  Scottish 
Qualifications  Authority  (SQA),  and;  Universities  Scotland.  Although  it  receives 
funding  from  government,  the  partnership  is  a  registered  charity  and  also  a 
company  limited  by  guarantee.  The  structure  of  the  company,  in  which  the 
government is a partner on the board of directors, ensures that the development 
of the SCQF is focused on the learner and is not influenced by changes in policy. 
The  SCQF  Partnership  has  responsibility  for  maintaining  the  quality  assurance 
and  integrity  of  the  SCQF,  as  well  as  its  further  promotion  and  development, 
whilst  maintaining  relationships  with  other  frameworks  in  the  UK,  Europe  and 
Internationally.  The  SCQF  Partnership  also  offers  advice  and  support  for  all 
types of stakeholder involved in RPL. There is also a Quality Committee for the 
SCQF,  which  advises  the  SCQF  Partnership  on  the  quality  and  integrity  of  the 
Framework. Only SCQF Credit Rating Bodies can formally award SCQF Levels 
and  Credit  Points  through  RPL.  These  are  the  organisations  responsible  for 
allocating  a  level  of  learning  and  number  of  credit  points  to  a  qualification  or 
learning programme. Credit rating bodies include colleges and HEIs, the Scottish 
Qualifications  Authority  (SQA)  and  other  organisations  approved  by  the  SCQF 
Partnership. 

Accreditation  of  prior  learning  (APL)  or  Accreditation  of  Prior  Experiential 
Learning  (APEL)  is  not  a  new  concept  in  Scotland,  although  in  the  past  it  has 
been  predominantly  implemented  in  HE.  ‘Recognition  of  Prior  Learning’  (RPL) 
has  been  linked  to  the  implementation  of  the  Scottish  Credit  and  Qualifications 
Framework  (SCQF)  and  guidelines  on  RPL  were  developed  by  the  SCQF 
Partnership in 2004, then finalised in 2005. In Scotland, RPL can be used for the 
award  of credits  towards qualifications  or  in  the admissions process  (to  assess 
applicants to education and training courses and also to grant exemptions from 
course  units).  It  is  also  recognised  as  a  method  of  supporting  personal 
development  planning,  career  development  and  to  form  bridges  between 
nonformal  /  informal  learning  and  formal  education  and  training.  Responsibility 
for  RPL  is  held  at  the  level  of  the  provider  and  thus  there  is  considerable 
diversity  in  the  way  it  is  implemented.  In  addition,  Scottish  Vocational 
Qualifications (SVQs) “do not specify the way people doing the qualification have 
to become competent — just what they have to be able to do to get the SVQ”.  

There is no national funding framework for RPL. It is funded at the level of the 
sector,  provider  or  by  the  individuals  themselves.  Also,  employers  or  employer 
bodies  often  cover  costs  to  show  their  commitment  to  workforce  development. 
Organisations can charge costs for the provision of RPL. These are decided at 
the level of the organisation and there are no national level rules on how much 
providers should charge. In HE, there is generally no charge for RPL which takes 
place  as  part  of  the  admissions  process  but  RPL  claims  for  credit  tend  to  be 
subject to a fee. These fees vary across institutions from a proportion of or the 
full cost of the module applied for. Anecdotal evidence suggests that these fees 
start at around GBP 50 (EUR 61). However, at the UHI Millennium Institute, no 
fees are charged for RPL relating to admissions as charging at this point is felt to 
be against the University’s participation strategy, since it would present a barrier 
to entry.  

As is the case in many other European countries, data on participation in RPL is 
scarce.  The  SCQF  handbook  indicates  that  RPL  can  be  for  personal  or  career 
learning 
development,  or 

towards  other  qualifications  or 

to  gain  credit 

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the  skills/knowledge  he/she  has  acquired 

programmes.  The  handbook  suggests  that  RPL  helps  learners  make  “clearer 
connections  between  the  learning  they  have  already  achieved  and  future 
learning and/or career opportunities”. It can help the learner to improve his / her 
confidence;  recognise 
through 
experience  and  /  or  identify  ways  to  further  develop  these  skills/knowledge 
through further learning. The evaluation of the SSSC project found that learners 
involved  had  increased  their  confidence  and  motivation  and  benefited  from  the 
opportunity to “learn how to think and write reflectively”. This can help to reduce 
any  negative  perceptions  of  participating  in  formal  education  and  training 
opportunities  as  well  as  giving  the  participants  greater  confidence  in  the 
workplace.  

The  evaluation  of  the  RPL  profiling  tool  for  the  community  and  development 
sector found that the tool had the potential to support youth workers to achieve 
work-based qualifications and to support further professional development. The 
process  was  also  felt  to  help  to  raise  the  confidence  and  self-esteem  of 
participants.  Several  employers  using  RPL  to  deliver  SVQs  report  that  their 
workforce has developed increased self-esteem resulting from the recognition of 
their  experience  and  competence.  This  gives 
individuals  a  sense  of 
empowerment  to  take  on  new  responsibility,  as  well  as  confidence  that  the 
external recognition of their skills has a currency within their industry or sector as 
a whole.  

RPL  has  been  linked  to  the  implementation  of  the  Scottish  Credit  and 
Qualifications Framework (SCQF). This Framework aims to be all-inclusive and 
to take account of all types of learning, including formal, non-formal and informal 
learning across all sectors (public, private and the voluntary sector). The SCQF 
was  referenced  to  the  EQF  in  February  2010  as  a  part  of  the  overall  UK 
referencing process 

The  national-level  RPL  network,  which  has  been  established  by  the  SCQF 
Partnership is made up of representatives across different education and training 
sectors, including employers, professional bodies and the Scottish Government. 
The  network’s  programme  of  work  is  based  on  activities  to  support  the  use  of 
RPL within formal education and training, in the workplace, in the community and 
in relation to careers guidance. 

APL/APEL  has  in  the  past  it  has  been  predominantly  implemented  in  the  HE 
sector.  Today,  work  is  ongoing  to  identify  ways  of  using  the  SCQF  to  support 
RPL and to enable individuals to benchmark their attainments and achievements 
to  the  SCQF,  throughout  the  educational  sector.  This  work  spans  the  different 
learning environments from HE through to the workplace and the community. 
No  data  is  available  at  national  level  on  the  number  of  people  who  have 
undergone  RPL  in  Scotland.  It  has  been  suggested  that  national-level  data 
would be hard to produce, since beneficiary numbers would be produced at the 
level of the individual learning provider. However, anecdotal evidence suggests 
that RPL has been taking place for several decades and is now on the increase.  

Integration  of  validation 
within the NQF 

Role of social partners in 
validation 

Is 
comprehensive 
sectoral? 

validation 
or 

Validation statistics 

EN 

118 

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8.4. 

Annex 4: Cost/benefit analysis  

The benefits of validation  

Benefits for individuals137: 

Economic benefits: 

−  Enhanced employability; 
−  Career gains (short term and longer term); 
− 
−  Saved money for formal education and training; 
−  Earned  money  on  the  labour  market  for  the  time  not  spent  in  formal  education  and 

Increased wages; 

training; 

−  Saved time for formal education and training that can be invested elsewhere. 

Educational/personal benefits: 

−  A second chance to obtain a qualification on the basis of experiences; 
−  Return to the formal system without the formal qualifications (e.g. school dropouts); 
−  Obtained credits (exemptions) for prior learning; 
−  Avoided unnecessary formal education and training for things the learner already knows, 

understands and is able to do; 

−  Increased self-confidence; 
−  Increased awareness of one's own abilities; 
−  Enhanced motivation to learn (engagement in further learning). 

Benefits for employers and for the economy at large: 

−  An up-skilled and re-skilled labour force (needed in the knowledge economy), making it 

possible for companies to attract well qualified staff; 

−  More visibility of what individuals know, understand and are able to do. This may lead to 
a better skills match in individual companies and in the economy as a whole as it allows 
human  capital  to  be  deployed  across  the  economy  more  productively  by  giving  people 
access to jobs that better match their true skills.  
−  On the company level a better skills match relates to: 

−  Recruitment: decisions can be taken on the basis of full, not partial, information on 

individuals;  

−  Staff allocation: a better match can be reached between the abilities of workers and 

the tasks to be performed; 

−  Competence  development  of  staff:  better  decisions  on  staff  training  needs  can  be 
taken if they take into account the complete information on individuals’ knowledge, 
skills and competences; 

137  European  Inventory  2010,  op.  cit.,  P.  Werquin  (2010),  Recognising  Non-Formal  and  Informal  Learning, 

Outcomes, policies and practices, Paris: OECD 

EN 

119 

   EN 

                                                 
−  Possibilities for validation make it more motivating for staff to develop their skills; 
− 

Increased  competitiveness  of  companies  and  of  the  economy  through  an  increased 
productivity; 

−  Migrant workers: if their knowledge skills and competences can be validated, they can be 
employed  more  appropriately  (e.g.  trained  school  teachers  working  as  cleaning  staff  or 
taxi drivers); 
Improved adjustment of the knowledge, skills and competences of staff in fast-changing 
professions. 

− 

Benefits for the society at large: 

−  Successful validation schemes contribute to making lifelong learning a reality; 
−  Bridging training and the world of work; 
−  A better qualified population and workforce; 
−  The potential of individuals (knowledge, skills and competences) can be fully used; 
−  A better access to further education for disadvantaged minority groups, disaffected youth 
and  older  workers  who  did  not  have  many  opportunities  for  formal  learning  when  they 
were younger; 

−  Validation contributes to realizing an inclusive labour market; 
−  Validation  offers  possibilities  for  redirecting  people  to  other  sectors  as  adjustment  to 

changes in the demand and supply for labour. 

The benefits  of validation  for individuals, the economy and the society at large do not only 
concern  the  benefits  related  to  the  fact  of  obtaining  a  qualification;  they  also  concern 
validation limited to the steps of identification and documentation, which already give clearer 
information on the knowledge, skills and competences of individuals.   

Costs of validation: 

Costs of validation can be divided in two categories: 
−  Direct costs of validation systems;  
−  Opportunity costs; 

Direct costs of validation systems: 

running of validation procedures; 

the design of validation systems and procedures; 

Setting up and further developing validation arrangements asks for important investments in 
human and other resources. Comprehensive arrangements for validation entail costs related to 
the following items: 
− 
−  setting up and maintaining infrastructure; 
− 
−  guidance and support; 
−  assessments; 
− 
−  awareness raising campaigns; 
−  setting up and maintaining quality assurance systems; 

training of guidance counsellors and assessors; 

EN 

120 

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− 

time  spent  by  organisations  and  individuals  in  validation  procedures  (on  the  individual 
level this mainly concerns the time invested in documentation). 

Opportunity costs: 

Costs of forgone earnings and other resources (time) by individuals for periods during which 
they are engaged in formal education and training. For employers this can mean lost working 
days  of  staff  members,  thus  reduced  productivity  or  replacement  costs.  For  the  economy  at 
large  a  lack  of  possibilities  for  validation  might  not  lead  to  the  re-skilling  and  up-skilling 
needed and reduce economic growth in the long term. 

How is validation financed in the Member States?  

According to the evidence provided by the European Inventory for none of the Member States 
there is comprehensive information available on the costs of validation. Earmarked validation 
budgets are the exception rather than the rule and if they exist they usually concern one part of 
the  validation  system.  Luxembourg  and  Spain  are  the  only  countries  were  budgets  on  an 
aggregate level are available. The Spanish budget available for the validation of non-formal 
learning associated with professional competences amounted to 30 million EUR for the period 
2009-2010. In Luxembourg a validation budget was awarded to the Lifelong Learning Centre 
with an allocation of 4.5 million EUR for the period 2009-2010. 

The  available  evidence  suggests  that  in  most  countries  validation  initiatives  are  to  a  large 
extent publicly financed138, both from national/regional sources and from European resources, 
(mainly  from  the  European  Social  Fund  and  also  from  the  Lifelong  Learning  programme). 
Also employers and individuals pay contributions. The wide variety in validation policies and 
practices in the Member States is reflected in the wide variety of financing mechanisms for 
validation which are detailed in annex 3.   

Within  the  public  sector  a  large  number  of  actors  are  funding  validation,  e.g.  ministries, 
public employment services, education and training institutions. Many national reports of the 
European  Inventory  indicate  that  activities  on  validation  of  e.g.  centres  for  vocational 
guidance  and  of  education  and  training  establishments  (to  recognise  prior  learning 
experiences as part of the admission procedure) are financed from their normal budgets, and 
therefore their costs for validation are not separately visible.  

In some countries the validation system is to a large extent financed by the European Social 
Fund. This is the case for the Portuguese validation system. Other countries where the ESF is 
an  important  financing  source  for  the  validation  system  are  Austria,  Cyprus,  Belgium, 
Estonia, Finland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. 

Some  cost  indications  are  available  for  several  countries  concerning  individual  formal 
assessments.  For  example  in  Portugal,  the  costs  of  adult  certification  carried  out  by  a  New 
Opportunities Centre were 1,600 EUR in 2009. The costs for validation, in particular relating 
to  assessments,  depend  usually  on  the  level  and  the  nature  of  a  qualification.  In  Belgium 
(Flanders) assessment centres in charge of providing the certificate for vocational experience 
receive 960, 1,200 or 1,440 per assessment depending on the occupation. In the Netherlands 

138 Antonio Giménez Plaza, Jo Hawley and Manuel Souto Otero (2010), "Thematic Report: Costs and Benefits of 

Validation", European Inventory 2010, op. cit. 

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obtaining  an  experience  certificate  by  the  Knowledge  Centre  on  validation,  consisting  of  a 
formal advice on an individual's skills, knowledge and competences, costs between 800 and 
1,300 EUR for EQF qualification levels 3 and 4 and between 1,000 and 1,500 EUR for higher 
vocational  qualifications.  For  the  period  2009-2010  the  Dutch  government  made  available 
EUR  57  million  for  the  validation  scheme.  In  Romania  the  total  fee  for  obtaining  a 
qualification  on  the  basis  of  prior  learning  experiences  costs  between  140  and  410  EUR, 
usually paid from by professional associations, employers and public authorities. For Sweden 
the average costs of validation are estimated at around 1,550. 

It  is  not  possible  in  general  to  indicate  how  much  setting  up  a  comprehensive  validation 
system will cost. The total costs will depend on many factors such as:  

−  The readiness of the current system: if validation arrangements can be developed within 
the  existing  institutional  set  up  and  if  existing  standards  can  be  used,  the  costs  will  be 
higher than if hardly any infrastructure exists.139  

−  The scale of validation arrangements: In a well functioning education and training system 
with  an  appropriately  qualified  population  and  workforce,  the  need  for  a  large  scale 
validation  programme  will  normally  be  lower  than  in  a  country  where  the  overall 
qualification  levels  of  the  population  are  lower.  Both  France  and  Portugal  have  a 
comprehensive  validation  system,  but  the  scale  is  different.  Whereas  in  France  53,000 
people, on a total population of around 60 million, applied for a qualification on the basis 
of validation of past experiences in 2008140, in Portugal more than 320,000 people, on a 
population  of  about  10  million  had  been  granted  a  certificate  through  the  validation 
process by the year 2010141. 

−  Target  groups  of  validation:  if  validation  is  targeted  to  vulnerable  groups,  the  costs  for 
guidance and counselling are expected to be much higher than validation of already well 
qualified  people  who  validate  their  knowledge,  skills  and  competences  in  order  to  get  a 
higher  qualification  level.  On  the  other  hand  for  higher  qualified  people  the  costs  of 
assessment will be higher (based on country experiences), but the costs for guidance will 
typically be more limited. Which groups are targeted in particular will typically depend on 
policy choices made. 

−  The  type  of  validation:  if  validation  is  limited  to  the  stage  of  documentation  it  is  less 

costly than if full qualifications are awarded.  

In short, there is a large amount of factors that determines the costs of a validation system and 
there  is  a  large  variety  between  Member  States  in  the  way  the  costs  for  validation  are 
distributed  among  different  actors:  central  government  funding,  European  funding  (in 
particular  by  the  ESF),  regional  local  government  funding,  formal  education  and  training 
institutions,  employers,  social  partners  and  finally  individuals.  Especially  in  the  case  of 
vulnerable  groups  many  countries  apply  a  policy  of  exemption  from  fees  and  validation  is 
largely  funded  through  public  means  in  this  case.  And  although  there  are  examples  on  unit 
costs  for  assessment  given  for  some  countries,  these  are  specifically  related  to  the  way  in 

139  Peer  Learning  Activity  on  the  costs  and  benefits  of  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning,  12-13 

February 2009. 

140  Anne-Marie  Charraud  (2010),  "Country  Report:  France",  in:  European  Inventory  2010,  op.  cit., 

http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/bibliographies/18212.aspx. 

141  Ana  Luisa  Oliveira  Pires  (2010),  "Country  Report:  Portugal",  in:  European  Inventory  2010,  op.  cit.,  

http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/bibliographies/18212.aspx. 

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which validation has been set up in the countries concerned and they do not provide a solid 
base for an EU wide extrapolation.   

Ratio between costs and benefits 

For a ratio between costs and benefits it is important to consider several elements: 

−  An important consideration is that the costs of validation should be compared to the costs 
of  formal  training  (either  the  full  or  the  part  from  which  the  person  is  question  is 
exempted),  in  terms  of  direct  costs  as  well  as  in  terms  of  opportunity  costs  (forgone 
earnings for the individual). Under the participating countries of the OECD study of 2010 
all  assumed  that  for  a  given  individual  the  costs  of  validation  of  learning  outcomes  are 
lower  than  the  costs  of  following  a  formal  education  or  training  programme142.  If 
validation  systems  have  been  developed  by  Member  States  so  far,  they  confirm  the 
assumption that validation is, in principle, beneficial. 

−  A  second  consideration  is  that  benefits  can  only  be  measured  in  monetary  terms  to  a 
limited  extent  and  that  only  a  part  of  the  costs  can  be  measured  in  monetary  terms. 
Therefore a full quantitative picture of both costs and benefits is missing. 

−  A  third  consideration  is  that  the  cost-benefit  ratio  depends  each  time  on  the  individual. 
The  higher  the  currency  value  in  the  labour  market  for  qualifications  obtained  after 
validation,  the  more  probable  it  is  that  the  financial  benefits  of  validation  outweigh  the 
financial costs.  A contrario, the lower the currency value of a qualification obtained the 
higher is the probability that the costs will outweigh the benefits. However, a full picture 
of costs and benefits also needs to take account of other, non-monetary, costs and benefits. 
Whereas for specific target groups in society, it is probable that the benefits of validation 
in monetary terms (e.g. low currency value of validation results on the labour market) are 
lower  than  the  costs  of  validation  (which  include  intensive  guidance),  including  social 
costs and benefits might very well change the trade off. The latter are of a decisive value 
in considerations to establish validation systems focused on enhancing the social inclusion 
of vulnerable groups. 

142 P. Werquin (2010), op. cit., p.88. 

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