Validation In Sweden the term ‘validering’ puts focus on the process rather then the object. ‘Validation can be defined as a precise assessment, valuing, documentation and recognition of knowledge and competences that an individual has gained, irrespective of how and where they have been acquired.’

1:st study Research in National evaluation of 8 pilot projects on validation of foreign vocational competence.

2:nd study Research follow up some years later in projects in the major cities; Botkyrka(Stockholm), Göteborg, Malmö. What had happen since then, organisational and for the participants?

Organisation of validation 2002VocationIndividual Integrated with education system Malmö Göteborg Parallel to education system Botkyrka (Stockholm) 2005 Integrated with education system Malmö Göteborg Parallel to education system Botkyrka (Stockholm)

Formative and Summative RPL or validation Formative: To inform and change the continuing learning process Summative: To sum up what has been learnt

Organisation of validation 2002VocationIndividual Integrated with education system Malmö Göteborg Parallel to education system Botkyrka (Stockholm) 2005 Integrated with education system Malmö Göteborg Parallel to education system Botkyrka (Stockholm)

Formal qualifications or ‘useful documentation’? Formal qualifications ‘Useful documentation’ FinlandSweden Denmark, Norway, Iceland

Convergent or divergent assessments Convergent If you know Control Divergent What you know Explore  Ends of a continuum  A strictly convergent or divergent assessment is impossible, or at least difficult

Who is ”validatable”? Right profession Much competence Good language knowledge

New methods- ”not validation” Divergent Alternative to validation or selection to validation ‘Validation Light’ Portfolio

What had happen to the 16 participants? The validation covered ten different vocations. 13 of the 16 participants had entered the labour market in the vocation validated. Two of them had later changed from employee to self-employed. Some still held temporary positions and one had changed to another trade. 3 were still unemployed.

Networks Connection to vocational networks is crucial! Teachers Workplaces

Security Have already entered the labour market but lack official competence. Permanent position Paid more

Learning Vocational competence Vocational vocabulary Informal competence Supplementary training

Self esteem Validation can also have more personal meanings in terms of acknowledgement, self esteem etc. Self esteem- even when a participant don´t get a job. Competence on paper, people belive him.

However, for 3 of the 13 who had entered the labour market the validation meant a ‘degradation’, as the validation was on a lower level than their prior foreign vocational competence.

Validation misses its aim Still it happens that the validation misses its aim – the competence that is validated is not always asked for by the employers.

”Validatable” Is everything and everyone seen as ”validatable”?

Organisation of validation Compare the Swedish validation model with your country! Reflections? Vocation or individual? Integrated or parallel to education system?

Organisation of validation 2002VocationIndividual Integrated with education system Malmö Göteborg Parallel to education system Botkyrka (Stockholm) 2005 Integrated with education system Malmö Göteborg Parallel to education system Botkyrka (Stockholm)

Formative or Summative? Is validation more formative then necessary? Is foreign prior knowledge fully valued or is additional education seen as necessary ‘more then necessary’? On the other hand, how much is a validation worth without supplementary training? Is a summative validation enough or is formative validation needed? Should validation and learning be seperated or (even organisational) integrated?