Developments in the validation of
learning in the EU
Glasgow, 17 May 2012
Mike Coles
EU policies and instruments
• Copenhagen process for VET, Bologna process for
higher education
• Agreements on the centrality of lifelong learning
policies and actions (access, permeability,
progression, recognition)
• The Europass as a means of sharing information
about achievements
• The EQF as a lifelong learning qualifications
framework and the Bologna HE framework
• The European credit transfer system for VET
• EQAVET as a means of boosting quality (EQARF
and ESG)
• Guidelines on Guidance and Counselling
Lifelong learning
• Concerned with permeability of different education and
training systems, vertical or horizontal progression.
• Enhanced participation, stimulating demand and ensuring
provision is adapted to the needs of individuals and other
users of qualifications.
• Lifelong learning will impact on how learning is delivered
and raise the demand for recognition of learning
throughout life, and for more flexible validation and
certification systems.
How do we make education and training, our institutional structures
and our qualifications more conducive to more, better quality and
more equitable lifelong learning?
European Principles for validation of
learning
The European Inventory
The European Guidelines for validation
The new Recommendation
Principles for the validation of learning
through experience
1. The process of making visible the full range of knowledge, skills and
experiences held by an individual should be carried out so that it remains
voluntary and the results of validation remain the property of the
individual.
2. Stakeholders should establish systems and approaches that include
appropriate quality assurance mechanisms and provision of guidance,
counseling and information about these systems.
3. The roots of trust in the process of validation depends on fairness,
transparency and quality assurance and the choice of robust methodologies.
4. Credibility and legitimacy are based on participation of relevant
stakeholders, avoidance of conflict of interest and clear professional
standards of those carrying out the validation.
The Inventories
• Now we have 4 series
• All sectors covered including companies and
volunteering organisations
• Clear positive trends since 2002 but structural
barriers identified
• Packed with detailed examples, instruments
and evaluative comments
http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/aboutcedefop/projects/validation-of-non-formal-and-informallearning/european-inventory.aspx
Expectations of validation of experience (1)
• support mobility in education/training and the labour
market
• promote ‘efficiency’ within education and training
(ensuring that individuals are able to access tailored
learning opportunities)
• promote equality of opportunity for individuals to
achieve recognition for their skills and competences,
regardless of where these were acquired
• support disadvantaged groups such as immigrants
and refugees, the unemployed, older workers
Expectations of validation of experience (2)
• support lifelong learning by making it more
likely that lifelong recognition of learning is
possible
• achieve coherence with other (EU) countries
• address sectoral needs in relation to skills
shortages in order to comply with regulations
regarding professional qualifications
• support the response to demographic change
• combat a qualifications deficit
The basic structure of
validation processes
Orientation: everything that happens to support the
learner in advance, during and after the assessment
process
Assessment: the process of presenting evidence and
the judgement of its quality and sufficiency
Audit: a post validation process to check the
effectiveness and efficiency of the validation process
Checklists: for conditions, practical stages, knowledge
requirements of professionals, expected outcomes
Success factors
• Partnership-working and consultation
• Sufficient financial and human resources
• Training and guidance for staff involved to support
policy and legislation
• Use of clear reference points such as standards and
qualification levels
• Developing methodologies which are competencebased
• Quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation to
ensure fairness and build confidence
• Learning from others and sharing experiences
Barriers to Success
• High levels of trust in the traditions and culture of
validation of formal learning, hostility towards non
traditional qualifications
• Perceptions of lengthy and complex procedures for
validation of non formal and informal learning
• Poor access to information about validation
procedures
• Low personal expectations from potential candidates
for validation, especially low-skilled males
• Employers fear of greater contractual / salary
demands
• Some private sector bodies consider validation to be
a public sector responsibility, private sector
unwillingness to share experiences
The Recommendation
What is a Recommendation? Why this tool?
Validation is generally making a limited impact on lifelong learning
practices in the EU. Feedback from countries points to a number of
challenges.

Validation arrangements are not sufficiently known or accessible to
individual users

Coordination of validation initiatives taken at national, regional, local and
sectoral levels is generally lacking

Validation arrangements are not properly integrated into regular
qualifications systems making it difficult for the outcomes of the validation
process to be used for accumulation and transfer purposes

Validation arrangements do not interact sufficiently with other instruments
and services; notably guidance, credit transfer etc.

The outcomes of validation are not trusted as equal in quality to those of
formal education and training institutions

Validation is not generally seen and treated as an integrated part of human
resource development practices in enterprises
Final messages
• The link to the formal qualifications system is fundamental
(mutual trust, mutual benefit, higher currency)
• Standards are a key component of high quality, high trust
processes
• Sustainability is the key challenge
• If qualifications systems are to respond to the challenge of
lifelong learning and economic challenges the validation of
learning acquired outside the formal system needs to be taken
seriously and developed systematically.
These factors are all evident in the contrasting systems that are
described next.
Thanks
mike.coles@virgin.net