CELEX: 52012PC0485
Language: en
Date: 2012-09-05
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION on the validation of non-formal and informal learning

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		52012PC0485
		
			Proposal for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION on the validation of non-formal and informal learning /* COM/2012/0485 final - 2012/0234 (NLE) */
			
				
		
		
			
			   	EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
1.           CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL
The importance of
creating new learning opportunities
Today's learning opportunities
are limitless, borderless and instantaneous. Individuals learn and acquire new
skills and competences not only in the traditional setting of the classroom
(formal learning) but more and more outside it. Important learning takes place at
work, through participation in civil society organisations or in the virtual
space provided by the internet and mobile devices, individually or with peers. Increasingly
often, companies offer their workers training opportunities to upgrade their
skills through organised, but non-formal, learning. Informal learning is also
becoming increasingly important in a global and interconnected world where
technology allows individuals to learn in a plethora of different ways through
for example open educational resources and at a distance.
Engaging and empowering
all learners with learning experiences is essential in order to cope with rapid economic and technological changes, more frequent job
transitions throughout an individuals' lifetime and pushing individuals to
acquire higher and more relevant skills to increase employability, productivity
and economic growth. 
In today's situation of rising unemployment
- particularly acute among young people - and lack of economic growth, making
use of new learning opportunities outside the formal system and of the skills
acquired through these is urgent: Europe needs to develop the right mix of
skills and achieve a better match between skills and jobs to help boost
competitiveness and prosperity. 
In such context, education and
qualification systems need to give an opportunity to all citizens[1] to make visible what they have
learnt outside school and to use it for their career or further learning. This
can be achieved by a process of validation of
learning outcomes acquired through non-formal and informal learning; in this
process an authorised body confirms that an individual has acquired learning
outcomes (knowledge, skills and competences) measured against a relevant
standard. 
Non-formal and informal learning in the Europe
2020 Strategy
Validation of non-formal and informal
learning experiences in the EU Member States makes an essential contribution to
EU's ambition to achieving smart, sustainable and inclusive growth set by the
Europe 2020 Strategy. Its impact can be significant in the labour market
functioning: validation mechanisms allow for more transparency on the skills
available in the workforce and facilitate a better match between skills and
labour demand, promote better transferability of skills between companies and
sectors and facilitate mobility on the European labour market. By easing
occupational and geographical mobility and allowing for a better skills match,
validation can have an important impact in addressing skills shortages in
growing sectors and support economic recovery, 
In times of an ageing population and
shrinking workforce, validation of informal and non-formal learning experiences
can also help Europe bring those furthest away from the labour market closer to
new learning and work opportunities and tap into all human capital to combat
unemployment, boost productivity and competitiveness. In particular, validation
can support young unemployed looking for their first job or with very little
professional experience to demonstrate and create a market value for their
skills and competences acquired in different contexts.
From an individual perspective, validation
brings prospects of enhanced employability, increased wages and career moves,
easier transferability of skills across countries, second chances for those who
have dropped out from school prematurely, improved access to formal education
and training, greater motivation to learn and increased self-confidence. 
Altogether the validation of non-formal and
informal learning experiences also contribute towards the achievement of the Europe
2020 headline targets for early school leaving, the proportion of 30-34 year
olds having completed tertiary or equivalent education, the overall employment rate
and poverty and social exclusion, a process that is followed up during the
European Semester. 
Building on Europe's policy agenda
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. Since
the Copenhagen Declaration on enhanced European cooperation in vocational
education and training a series of initiatives have been taken to develop
European tools and instruments in the area of lifelong learning: 
–                        
In 2004 Common European principles on
validation were adopted in the form of Council Conclusions.
–                        
In 2004 the Europass framework was
established, including the Europass CV and a portfolio of documents which
citizens can use to better communicate and present their qualifications and
competences throughout Europe. Other tools for documenting learning outcomes
concern the Youthpass for the Youth in Action Programme and sectoral
skills and qualification passports developed under the European sectoral
social dialogue.
–                        
A major landmark towards the validation of
non-formal and informal learning was the adoption in 2008 by the European
Parliament and the Council of the Recommendation on the European
Qualifications Framework (EQF) for lifelong learning. The EQF is a
reference framework of qualification levels defined through learning outcomes.
It has resulted in an ongoing process under which all Member States are setting
up their National Qualification Framework and reference their
qualifications to the European qualification levels. Through this process
qualifications will become more comparable and easier to understand for
employers, educational establishments, workers and learners.
–                        
In 2009 the Commission and Cedefop published European
guidelines for validating non-formal and informal learning which provides policy-makers
and practitioners with technical advice on validation. These focus on different
validation perspectives (e.g. individual, organisational, national, European).
The guidelines form a practical tool to be applied on a voluntary basis.
–                        
Alongside the other tools credit systems based
on learning outcomes facilitate the validation of non-formal and informal
learning. For higher education this concerns the European Credit Transfer
and Accumulation System (ECTS), which was developed under the Bologna
process to facilitate mobility between higher education institutions. For
vocational education and training this concerns the European Credit System
for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET).
In addition the
Lifelong Learning Programme has, since 2007, financed a number of pilot
projects which have enabled the development of validation processes and tools
in specific sectors or contexts, particularly in vocational education and
training and adult education. The European Social Fund has been used in some
countries to develop validation systems.
Despite the existence of these European
policies, progress in validation has been uneven, irregular and slow throughout
Europe. 
According to the latest update of the
European Inventory of 2010 on the validation of non-formal and informal
learning only four EU Member States have a highly developed validation system while
a further seven have either a national system in its initial phase or a
well-established, but partial, system of validation in one or more sectors. 
The need for action now
This means that the majority of EU Member
States do not have a comprehensive validation system. The countries with a
well-developed system have a mainstreamed approach to validation within their
lifelong-learning system (e.g. legally anchored), an infrastructure supportive of
validation, strong involvement of stakeholders (in particular social partners)
and validation that is affordable for applicants. Some countries have recently
taken initiatives on validation as part of the development of a National Qualification
Framework. In other countries, limited developments have taken place, reflecting
a lack of national strategies, a lack of knowledge on how to carry out
validation in practice and - in some cases – a lack of trust in validation on
the part of individuals and employers as well as cultural and attitudinal
barriers. 
The uneven availability of national
validation policies and practices, as well as existing disparities between
Member States, reduces 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 obstacles for the transnational mobility of learners and workers just
when such mobility is needed to create more economic growth.
Given the urgent need to increase mobility of labour reducing shortages of skilled workforce,
as well as for a better valuing of skills and competences acquired outside
formal systems, the Commission has, in the Europe 2020 flagships "An
agenda for New skills and Jobs"[2] and
"Youth on the Move"[3] and its recent initiatives on the Single Market Act[4] and the Employment Package[5],
announced this proposal for a Council Recommendation on the validation of
non-formal and informal learning as a contribution at EU level to accelerate
the reform agenda.
EU action on validation, aiming at
cooperation and coordination across Member States, 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 of Member States in each other's validation
systems will be enhanced. Especially Member States with low trust levels and
weak traditions in validating non-formal and informal learning can benefit from
this. Mutual trust cannot be achieved as effectively by Member States alone without
action at EU level.
Specific monitoring
for the implementation of the Council Recommendation is part of the legal
aspects of this proposal. The Commission will also follow the overall progress
on validation of informal and non-formal learning across Member States within
the framework of overall structural reforms for education and training
monitored through the European Semester and the "Education and Training
2020" open method of coordination.
2.           RESULTS OF CONSULTATIONS WITH THE
INTERESTED PARTIES AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS
Consultation
Consultation has taken the following forms:
–                        
An open consultation, through an online survey conducted
between December 2010 and February 2011. Invitations to participate in the
online survey and to submit a position paper were sent to members of the most
relevant groups and other stakeholders in the areas of education and training,
employment, youth and sport[6].
–                        
Discussion at meetings of policy bodies, in
particular the European Qualifications Framework Advisory Group; 
–                        
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 social partners, both employers and
trade-union representatives, have been consulted as members of the EQF Advisory
Group and through their participation in several peer-learning activities. 
The above 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%). 
The results showed a lack of overall
coherence in the approaches towards validation within and between Member
States, as well as a large number of constraints on 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.
The consultation of the EQF Advisory Group
and the various peer-learning activities also generated positive support for a
European initiative on the validation. 
Impact Assessment
The impact assessment compared three
options for European action in the field of validation of non-formal and
informal learning, namely (1) the baseline scenario consisting of the current
situation and its expected evolution without further EU action, (2) a Council
Recommendation on the implementation of validation of non-formal and informal
learning and (3) setting up a new process based on a new open method of
coordination devoted to validation so as to develop of a European quality charter
on validation.
The social, economic and other impacts of
the three options considered were examined in qualitative terms based on likely
impacts, as there are no hard data available. 
Option 2, a Council Recommendation focusing
on the implementation of validation, proved to be the most effective and
efficient option, generating the largest positive economic and social impacts.
It is the option most consistent with EU policy objectives. Under a Council
Recommendation, Member States make a formal commitment to action. It is the
most powerful available instrument within the area of soft law. Past
experience, in particular with the EQF, has shown that it has the ability to
generate peer pressure for action by Member States. 
Concerning Option 1
(baseline scenario) the impact assessment revealed that the current situation
of validation is expected to change only slowly in the absence of further
action, implying that the limited availability and use of validation of
non-formal and informal learning experiences, as well as the lack of a
harmonised approach on validation across Europe, would persist. 
Option 3 (a new OMC)
would be expected to lead to improvements compared to the baseline scenario regarding
impact effectiveness, efficiency and coherence with wider EU policy objectives.
However, setting up a new OMC would create additional structures and additional
reporting mechanisms, increasing the administrative burden and costs for the
Member States. Moreover it would not provide sufficient guarantees of the adoption
of validation measures within a reasonable timeframe, since its success would rely
exclusively on the OMC method. 
The impact
assessment also revealed the following advantages of a Council Recommendation
focusing on implementation, when compared to the other two options:
–                        
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 remedy a shortcoming of the
European Qualifications Framework, which provides for the promotion of
validation of non-formal and informal learning, but gives no further guidance
on its implementation; 
–                        
It proposes concrete practical measures for the implementation
of validation in the Member States;
–                        
A Council Recommendation, as a legal instrument,
signals the commitment of Member States to the measures set out, most of which
will require implementation at national level and adaptation to the national
context; 
–                        
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
simpler implementation structure than foreseen under Option 3; 
–                        
It will form a new and stronger political basis
for cooperation in the field of validation of non-formal and informal learning.
3.           LEGAL ELEMENTS OF THE PROPOSAL
Summary of the
proposed actions
The proposed actions include practical
recommendations to Member States to provide by 2015 every citizen with the
opportunity to have his/her skills acquired outside formal education and
training systems validated and to use this validation for working and learning
purposes throughout Europe. On a more concrete level, these actions entail the
following recommendations to Member States:
–                        
To ensure that by 2015 national systems for the
validation of non-formal and informal learning have been established providing
the opportunity to all citizens to have their knowledge, skills and competences
validated, irrespective of the contexts where the learning took place. This
validation provides the basis on which the award of a full or partial
qualification takes place, with no prejudice to other applicable Union law, in
particular Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional
qualifications; 
–                        
National systems of validation of non-formal and
informal learning should focus on the following four aspects of validation: the
identification of learning outcomes, their documentation, their assessment
against agreed standards and finally their certification;
–                        
In the form appropriate to each national
context, to ensure that information on validation opportunities is widely
available (in particular to disadvantaged groups), that access to validation is
affordable for citizens who wish to undertake a validation procedure, that
appropriate guidance and counselling is available and affordable for citizens who
wish to undertake a validation procedure and that transparent quality-assurance
mechanisms are established and applied to the validation system in relation to both
the assessment (methodologies and tools, qualified assessors) and its results
(agreed standards); 
–                        
Provide individuals with the opportunity to
undergo an audit of their skills and competences within three months of an
identified need such as the perspective of unemployment or insecure forms of
employment. For this purpose the use of the current and future Europass tools
to facilitate the identification and documentation of learning outcomes should
be promoted. The links between validation arrangements and credit systems such
as ECTS and ECVET should be strengthened;
–                        
Involve social partners and other relevant stakeholders,
namely employer organisations, trade unions, chambers of commerce, industry and
skilled crafts, national entities involved in the process of recognition of
professional qualifications, employment services, youth organisations, youth
workers, education and training providers as well as civil society
organisations in the development of the validation mechanisms and in
documenting the learning outcomes acquired through non-formal and informal
learning; 
–                        
promote partnerships and other initiatives to
facilitate the documentation of learning outcomes developed within SMEs and
other small organisations;
–                        
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 activities;
–                        
Provide incentives to education and training
providers to facilitate access to formal education and training and to grant
exemptions 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 EQF Advisory Group will be the main
body overseeing the actions proposed under this recommendation. The proposed
measures also foresee reporting on the follow-up of the actions in the Joint
Commission and Council Report published under the Education and Training 2020
Strategy. Finally, the annual Cedefop report on the development of National Qualification
Frameworks in Europe will assess progress in establishing national systems for
the validation of non-formal and informal learning.
The proposed actions call on the Commission
to: 1) regularly update the European Guidelines for validating non-formal and
informal learning; 2) facilitate effective peer-learning and exchange of
experience and good practice allowing the least developed countries in
validation to benefit from the experiences in the most developed countries; 3)
in cooperation with the Member States, ensure that the European programmes for
education, training, and youth and the European Structural Funds support the follow-up
of this Recommendation and 4) assess and evaluate, in cooperation with the
Member States and after consulting stakeholders, the follow-up of the proposed
actions. 
Legal basis
Articles 165 and 166 of
the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union foresee the Union to
contribute to the development of quality education and to implement a
vocational training policy by encouraging co-operation between Member States,
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.
The current initiative recommends common lines of action to be
implemented at 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 at the two levels is
complementary and the prerogatives of Member States are safeguarded.
2012/0234 (NLE)
Proposal for a
COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION
on the validation of non-formal and
informal learning
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the
Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Articles 165 and 166 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the
European Commission,
Whereas:
(1)       Validation of learning outcomes
(knowledge, skills and competences) acquired through non-formal and informal
learning, including through open educational resources, is essential for citizens'
access to the labour- market and to lifelong-learning. 
(2)       At a time when the European
Union is confronted with a serious economic crisis causing a surge in
unemployment, validation of all relevant knowledge, skills and competences, no
matter how they have been acquired, is more relevant than ever for the
functioning of the labour market and for enhancing competitiveness and economic
growth. .
(3)       Employer organisations, individual
employers, trade unions, chambers of industry, commerce and skilled crafts, national
entities involved in the process of recognition of professional qualifications,
employment services, youth organisations, youth workers, education and training
providers as well as civil society organisations are key stakeholders in the
supply of non-formal and informal learning opportunities and in any validation
processes thereafter. 
(4)       The Europe 2020 Strategy for
smart, sustainable and inclusive growth 2010[7]
calls for the development of skills and competences for achieving economic
growth and employment; the Flagship initiatives thereof[8] emphasise the need for more
flexible learning pathways that can facilitate transitions between the phases
of work and learning and that should also allow for the validation of
non-formal and informal learning.
(5)       The Council Conclusions of
12 May 2009 on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and
training (ET 2020)[9]
noted that lifelong-learning should be designed to cover learning in all
contexts whether formal, non-formal or informal.
(6)       The 'EU Strategy for Youth
– Investing and Empowering; a renewed open method of coordination to address
youth challenges and opportunities' of 2009[10]
calls for better recognition of skills acquired through non-formal education
for young people; it stressed the need for full use to be made of the range of
tools established at EU level for the validation of skills and the recognition
of qualifications. It was endorsed by the Council Resolution of 27 November
2009 on a renewed framework for European cooperation in the youth field
(2010-2018)[11].
(7)       In the Bruges Communiqué
of December 2010[12],
the European Ministers for Vocational Education and Training, the European
Social Partners and the European Commission declared that participating
countries should start to develop, no later than 2015, national procedures for
the recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning, supported
as appropriate by National Qualifications Frameworks.
(8)       The Council Conclusions on
the modernisation of higher education of 28 and 29 November 2011 called upon
Member States to develop clear routes into higher education from vocational and
other types of education, as well as mechanisms for recognising prior learning
and experience gained outside formal education and training, especially by
tackling challenges related to the implementation and use of national
qualification frameworks linked to the European Qualification Framework[13].
(9)       The Council Resolution of 20
December 2011 on a renewed European agenda for adult learning defined as one of
its priority areas for the period 2012-14 the putting in place of fully
functional systems for validating non-formal and informal learning and
promoting their use by adults of all ages and at all qualification levels, as
well as by enterprises and other organisations[14].

(10)     The Commission underlined
in the Single Market Act[15]
that increased mobility of skilled labour will make the European economy become
more competitive and in the Employment package of 17th April 2012[16] the need to improve the
cooperation between the world of work and the world of training.
(11)     The Council Resolution on
the promotion of enhanced European cooperation in vocational education and
training of 12 November 2002[17]
and the Copenhagen Declaration of 30 November 2002[18] requested the development of a
set of common principles regarding the validation of non-formal and informal
learning.
(12)     The Council Conclusions of 18
May 2004 adopted common European principles on the validation of non-formal and
informal learning[19].
(13)     A European Inventory on the
validation of non-formal and informal learning containing up-to-date
information on current validation practices in European countries has been
regularly published since 2004[20]
and European Guidelines for validating non-formal and informal learning were
published in 2009[21].

(14)     The Recommendation of the
European Parliament and the Council on the establishment of the European
Qualifications Framework for lifelong-learning of 23 April 2008[22] stated that all qualifications
should be attainable through formal, non-formal and informal learning; it also invited
Member States to relate their national qualifications levels to the European
Qualifications Framework and where appropriate, to develop National Qualifications
Frameworks which promote the validation of non-formal and informal learning.
(15)     The Decision of the
European Parliament and the Council of 15 December 2004[23] established Europass, a
European portfolio which citizens can use to better communicate, record and
present their competences and qualifications throughout Europe.
(16)     The European Credit
Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) established under the Bologna process awards
credits for formal learning based on learning outcomes and student workload,
and also facilitates the award by higher-education institutions of credits
based on learning outcomes for non-formal and informal learning experiences. 
(17)     The Recommendation of the
European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009 established a European
Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET)[24], to be used for the transfer,
recognition and accumulation of individuals′ learning outcomes achieved in
formal and, where appropriate, non-formal and informal contexts.
(18)     Consultations in the form
of an online survey[25],
discussions in relevant policy bodies as well as a variety of peer-learning
activities with the participation of the social partners, showed overwhelming
consensus on the importance of making visible the skills gained through life
and work experience and showed broad support for a European initiative to
enhance validation policy and practice in the EU Member States,
HAS ADOPTED THIS RECOMMENDATION:
1.           Member States should, with
a view to offering to all citizens[26]
the opportunity to prove what they have learned outside school and to use it
for their career and further learning:
(1)         
Ensure, by 2015, that a national system of
validation of non-formal and informal learning[27]
is established providing the opportunity for citizens to 
i)        have their skills, knowledge and
competences acquired through non-formal and informal learning, including via
open educational resources, validated, and 
ii)       obtain a full or partial
qualification on the basis of validated non-formal and informal learning
experiences, with no prejudice to other applicable Union law, in particular
Directive 2005/36/EC[28]
on the recognition of professional qualifications; 
(2)         
Ensure that the national system of validation of
non-formal and informal learning includes the following elements: 
–              
Support to citizens in the identification of their
learning outcomes acquired through non-formal and informal learning;
–              
Assistance to citizens in documenting their
learning outcomes acquired through non-formal and informal learning;
–              
Assessment of an individual's learning outcomes acquired
through non-formal and informal learning;
–              
Certification of the results of the assessment
of learning outcomes acquired through non-formal and informal learning in the
form of a qualification, as credits leading to a qualification or as otherwise
appropriate.
It should be ensured that every citizen can take
advantage of any of the aforementioned opportunities separately or in
combination, according to their needs.
(3)         
Ensure that national systems of validation of
non-formal and informal learning, while taking into consideration national,
regional and/or local as well as sectoral needs, respect the following
principles:
–              
The validation system is a coherent and integral
part of the national qualifications framework developed in line with the
European Qualifications Framework;
–              
Information on validation opportunities is
widely available to individuals and organisations;
–              
Disadvantaged groups, including those citizens
most likely to be subject to unemployment or insecure forms of employment, are
specifically targeted by the validation system as it can increase their
participation in lifelong learning and their access to the labour market;
–              
Individuals, in situations of unemployment or
insecure forms of employment, are provided with the opportunity to undergo an
audit of their skills and competences within three months of an identified need;

–              
Access to validation is affordable for citizens
who wish to undertake a validation procedure;
–              
Appropriate guidance and counselling is
available and affordable for individuals who wish to undertake a validation
procedure; 
–              
Transparent quality assurance measures are in
place that support reliable, valid and credible assessment methodologies and
tools; 
–              
Development of the professional competence of
staff involved in the validation process across all relevant sectors is ensured;
–              
The qualifications obtained by means of the validation
of non-formal and informal learning experiences respect agreed standards that
are the same or equivalent to the standards of qualifications obtained through formal
education programmes;
–              
The use of the current and future tools of the Europass
framework to facilitate the documentation of learning outcomes is promoted;
–              
Synergies exists between validation arrangements
and credit systems applicable in the formal education and training system, e.g.
ECTS and ECVET;        
(4)         
Ensure the involvement of relevant stakeholders
such as employers, trade unions, chambers of industry, commerce and skilled
crafts, national entities involved in the process of recognition of professional
qualifications, employment services, youth organisations, youth workers,
education and training providers as well as civil society organisations, in the
development and implementation of the components and mechanisms referred to in
points 2 and 3, together with providing 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 activities, using
relevant tools (in particular the tools developed under the Europass framework);

–              
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, if appropriate,
award exemptions and/or credits for relevant learning outcomes acquired in
non-formal and informal settings;
(5)         
Ensure coordination between education, training,
employment and youth implementation services as well as between relevant
policies.
2.           Member States and the
Commission should take the following measures:
(1)         
Ensure the follow up of this Recommendation by
the EQF Advisory Group[29]
and ensure the involvement in subsequent EQF Advisory Group activities, of relevant
youth organisations and representatives of the voluntary sector;
(2)         
Report on the progress made following the
adoption of this Recommendation in the next Joint Report by the Commission and
the Council published under the Education and Training 2020 Strategy in 2015
and in the subsequent Joint Reports; 
(3)         
Support the implementation of this
Recommendation by using the expertise of Union Agencies, in particular Cedefop,
through reporting on the establishment of the national system of validation of
non-formal and informal learning in the annual report on the development of National
Qualification Frameworks and through supporting the Commission in regularly
updating the European Inventory on validation of non-formal and informal
learning.
3.           The Commission should:
(1)         
Support Member States and stakeholders by: 
–              
Facilitating effective peer-learning and
exchange of experiences and good practices;
–              
Regularly updating the European Guidelines for
validating non-formal and informal learning summarised in Annex II;
(2)         
Further develop instruments under the Europass
Framework which facilitate the transparency and recognition across the Union of
validated learning outcomes acquired through non-formal and informal learning
experiences; 
(3)         
Ensure that in cooperation with the Member
States, the Lifelong-Learning and Youth in Action Programmes, the future
European programme for education, training, youth and sports and the European
Structural Funds support the implementation of this Recommendation;
(4)         
Assess and evaluate, in cooperation with the
Member States and after consulting the stakeholders concerned, the action taken
in response to this Recommendation, and report to the Council by 31 July 2017on
the experience gained and implications for the future, including if necessary
the possible review and revision of this Recommendation. 
Done at Brussels, 
                                                                       For
the Council
                                                                       The
President
ANNEX I 
DEFINITIONS
For the purposes of this recommendation,
the following definitions shall apply:
(a)                   
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.
(b)                   
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. 
(c)                   
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). 
(d)                   
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. 
(e)                   
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. 
(f)                     
A national qualification framework is a
coherent and comprehensive description of qualification levels based on
learning outcomes. 
(g)                   
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.
ANNEX II:
 Summary of the guidelines for validating non-formal and informal learning
Effective practice: the European
Perspective
The practice of validating informal and non-formal
learning should be compatible with the main elements in the 2004 European
principles for the validation of non-formal and informal learning, the European
principles for quality assurance of education and training, and the
recommendation for a European quality assurance reference framework for VET. 
European cooperation in validation should
be further developed, in particular by regularly updating and improving these
guidelines and the European inventory on validation of non-formal and informal
learning. 
European level tools and frameworks
(European qualifications framework, Europass, European credit systems, etc.)
could be used to promote validation and to improve comparability and
transparency of the outcomes of validation processes and so build trust across
national boundaries.
Effective practice: the national
perspective
Validation of non-formal and informal
learning should be seen as an integral part of the national qualifications
system.
The formative approach to assessment is
important as it draws attention to the ‘identification’ of knowledge, skills
and wider competences, a crucial part lifelong learning.
Summative validation needs to have a
clearly defined and unambiguous link to the standards used in the national
qualifications system (or framework).
The entitlement to validation could be
considered in cases where non-formal and informal learning is seen as a normal
route to a qualification, parallel to formal education and training.
The development of national qualifications
frameworks could be used as an opportunity to integrate validation systematically
into qualifications systems.
The introduction of validation as an
integral part of a national qualifications framework could be linked to the
need to improve access to, progression within and transfer of qualifications.
The sustainability and coherence of
national systems of validation should be supported by regular cost-benefit
analysis.
Effective practice: the organisational
perspective
Formal education, enterprises, adult
education providers and voluntary organisations are key stakeholders in providing
opportunities to validate non-formal and informal learning.
Validating non-formal and informal learning
poses challenges to formal education in terms of the range of learning that can
be validated and how this process can be integrated into the formal curriculum
and its assessment.
There are major advantages for enterprises
in setting up systems to document the knowledge, skills and competences of
employees. Enterprises need to balance their legitimate interests as employers
with the legitimate interests of individual employees.
The adult education sector is a major
contributor to non-formal and informal learning and its further development
should be supported by systematic development of formative and summative
validation.
The third (or voluntary) sector offers a
wide range of personalised learning opportunities that are highly valued in
other settings. Validation should be used to make visible and value the
outcomes of this learning, as well as assist their transfer to other settings.
The functions of the different bodies
involved in validation require coordination through an institutional framework.
The institutional route to validation and
certification should not lead to certificates that are seen as of different
status on the basis of the route taken to achieve them.
Effective practice: the individual
The centre of the validation process is the
individual. The activities of other agencies involved in validation should be
considered in the light of their impact on the individual.
Everyone should have access to validation
and the emphasis on motivation to engage in the process is particularly
important.
The multiple stage process of validation
offers individuals many opportunities for deciding about the future direction
of their validation. Decision-making should be supported by information, advice
and guidance.
Effective practice: validation process
structure
The three processes of orientation,
assessment and external audit can be used to evaluate existing validation
procedures and support the development of new validation procedures.
Effective practice: the methods
Methods of validating non-formal and
informal learning are essentially the same tools that are used in assessing
formal learning.
When used for validation, tools have to be
adopted, combined and applied in a way which reflects the individual
specificity and non-standardised character of non-formal and informal learning.
Tools for assessment of learning need to be
fit-for-purpose.
Effective practice: validation
practitioners
Effective operation of validation processes
depends fundamentally on professional input by counsellors, assessors and
validation process administrators. The preparation and continuous training of
these people is critically important.
Networking that enables experience sharing
and the full functioning of a community of practice should be a part of a
development programme for practitioners.
Interaction between practitioners in a
single validation process is likely to lead to more efficient and effective
practices that support individuals seeking validation. 
[1]               This includes EU citizens and all third country
nationals legally resident in the European Union. 
[2]               COM(2010) 682 final. 
[3]               COM(2010) 477 final.
[4]               COM(2011) 206 final.
[5]               COM (2012) 173 final.
[6]               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.
[7]               COM(2010) 2020 final.
[8]               Youth on the Move, COM(2010) 477 final, The Agenda
for new Skills and Jobs, COM(2010) 682 final.
[9]               OJ C 119, 28.5.2009, p.2.
[10]             COM(2009) 200 final.
[11]             OJ C 311, 19.12.2009, p.1.
[12]             http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc/vocational/bruges_en.pdf.
[13]             OJ C 372, of 20.12.2011, p.36.
[14]             OJ C 372, of 20.12.2011, p.1.
[15]             COM(2011) 206 final.
[16]             COM (2012) 173 final.
[17]             OJ C 13, 18.1.2003
[18]             Declaration of the European Ministers of Vocational
Education and Training, and the European Commission, convened in Copenhagen on
29 and 30 November 2002, on enhanced European cooperation in vocational
education and training, http://ec.europa.eu/education/pdf/doc125_en.pdf.
[19]             http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc/informal/validation2004_en.pdf.
[20]             http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/about-cedefop/projects/validation-of-non-formal-and-informal-learning/index.aspx.
[21]             Cedefop, 2009, http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/4054_en.pdf.
[22]             OJ C 111, 6.5.2008, p.1.
[23]             OJ L 390, 31.12.2004, p.6.
[24]             OJ C 155, 8.7.2009, p. 11.
[25]             http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/consult/vnfil/report_en.pdf.
[26]             EU citizens as well as third country national legally
resident in the Union. 
[27]             Terms as defined in Annex I.
[28]             OJ L 255, 30.9.2005, p.22.
[29]             Set up by the Recommendation of the European Parliament
and of the Council of 23 April 2008 on the establishment of the European
Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning, OJ C 111/1, of 6.5.2012, p.1.