Quality issues in Validation in the Nordic countries and competence development of employees/staff involved in RPL Antra Carlsen Nordic Network for Adult Learning (NVL)

Nordic Network for Adult Learning

Networks – bring prioritized policy areas in focus NVL (11 thematic sub-networks) as a link between policy and practice, forum for dialogue and a development arena: Flexibility in education (3 networks); Workplace as a learning arena (2 networks) Validation; Guidance Counseling ( networks) Innovation in education (4 networks)

Why - formal learning – tip of the iceberg of learning Sustainable development – everyone’s competences are imortant Motivation for further studies Mobility in the labour market (social, health services) Inclusion of special target groups / employability Self-confidence leading to new tasks, more responsibilities at work Civic participation

Nordic challenges Recognition and validation of prior learning mostly used for entering education; less for shortening and module exemption Used more in vocational education; less in further professional education and university level education Insufficient public awareness, resistance and suspicion in relation to the educational system - not fully used potential of RPL Lack of professional staff Lack of economic stimulus for ed. institutions

Professionalization – fair treatment, trust Which practitioners are involved? Which national strategies for recruitment and training of practitioners exist? Which structures support professional development?

Denmark About 15 years experience: 1995 (labour market educations); 2000 (basic, primary level AE); 2007 (further education, college / univ. level) Phase 1 – mapping, identification of competences. The competence lies within the non-formal adult education sector (folkbildning) Phase 2 – documentation Phase 3 – recognition is being done by the formal education sector

Finland Assessor training programme with a strong focus on system, less on the process New nitiative since 2011, a training program for APL; developed within an EU Social Fund project “Development of competencies in eastern Finland”; level 5 in the EQF, 6 ECTS credits Four compulsory modules: APL concept and EQF, quality of APL, APL in a national context, and one module according to the participants own choice

Norway RPL carried out by specialists, no formal requirements for special education University College Akershus: a course within prior learning assessment at 30 ECTS credits (a part-time study over two terms) and is open to all Region of Nordland: competence development of employees through a network Special budget for meetings, courses and conferences; 1 – 2 yearly meetings

Sweden Most of the staff working with APL are study and vocational guidance counselors Professionals working with the industry-specific validations APL would be implemented at its best if the subject became part of the teacher training programmes Competence development of the current active staff for better awareness on formal and informal learning

Iceland Education and Training Service Centre (ETSC) is the developer of a national strategy for validation in Iceland ETSC is responsible for the quality assurance of the validation process as well as the training of assessors Advisable for the counsellor and assessor to receive training in operational procedures for validation; course (15 lessons) helps to meet increasing demand for validation

Iceland: two internet-based studies Responses: “Great to get this opportunity to get started, something you have dreamt about for so long.” “Obviously a lot of things have changed since I was in school. For example I didn’t know what a great work counselors do.” “I would never have gone back to school if there hadn’t been a group for me to join. It gave me a lot of strength to know that I wasn’t alone.”

Did the validation process meet your expectations?

How was the counseling during validation?

Nordic Quality model

Next steps Efforts made for developing validation in practice, further development could be expected also when it comes to research Results are still small in scope and rather scattered: improve formal educational level and employability, mobility and flexibility in private sector, e.g. banking, finance, and industry; in the public sector, e.g. among paramedics and mail staff Need to know more about the effects at personal, social and economic levels

Networks as a resource meeting and learning place initiate development work suggest new policy initiatives