1. RPL in The Netherlands VET – Business Cooperation 24/25 April, Copenhagen Patrick Leushuis Ministry of Education, Culture and Science

2. 2 RPL in The Netherlands RPL = market activity Providers: educational institutes and specialized organizations Formal and non-formal standards (learning outcomes) Use of RPL: o career development, internal and external mobility o exemptions, flexible learning pathways Certificate of Experience

3. Building the RPL-infrastructure Subsidies for regional partnerships learning & working (2006-2010): Businesses, education & training institutes, local and regional government organisations RPL and workbased learning Subsidies for higher education institutes (2007-2011): RPL Flexible, tailor made learning paths incl. WBL Organizational development Subsidies for learning & working offices (2010-2012): Physical & virtual ‘front offices’ + active approach of employers In 44 regions in the Netherlands After 2012: career guidance offices? 3

4. Promotion of RPL Booklets, flyers, posters etc. Portal and websites o Animation clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BZWyh52RCk&feature=rel ated http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BZWyh52RCk&feature=rel ated o Videos – RPL testimonials etc.: video.ervaringscertificaat.nl National campaigns: TV, radio, internet o TV add: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCf4udF_EuAwww.youtube.com/watch?v=zCf4udF_EuA Social partners (employers organisations and unions): case studies on good RPL practices => RPL in collective labour agreements 4

5. Quality Assurance RPL quality code Accreditation National RPL register National expertise centre RPL o Information on RPL and quality code o Good practices o RPL academy: training RPL-professionals o RPL toolbox: handbooks, guidelines, competence profiles etc. 5

6. Financial support for RPL participants and employers Sector funds: full or partial funding for RPL Fiscal incentives: tax deductability costs of RPL employers individuals 6

7. Facts and figures (1) Results of subsidized projects: 2005-2007: 80.000 participants WBL / RPL 2008-2010: 125.000 participants WBL / RPL 44 learning & working offices: provision of information on: education and training RPL financial arrangements active approach of employers in the region 7

8. Facts and figures (2) Development in numbers of RPL-participants: 2007 - 9.900 2008 - 12.500 2009 - 15.700 2010 - 22.000 2011 - 17.700 Mainly in formal standards at EQF- levels 2, 3 and 4 Increasing share of RPL-participants in procedures using non-formal standards 8

9. Experiences and Challenges RPL is mostly used as an instrument to obtain exemptions: diploma orientation rather than career / labour market orientation Problems in transfer of RPL-results Market ‘shake out’, quite a number of RPL-providers stopped: High costs of accreditation Lower numbers of RPL-participants than necessary Alternative: intake assessments and ‘regular’ exemption procedures Challenges: reinforce the use of RPL for career development / direct use labour market: establishing suitable standards Quality control of ‘alternative’ instruments 9

10. Lessons learned in HEI’s National program ‘lifelong learning in higher education’ Seven Universities of Applied Sciences (2009 – end 2011) Key success factors: o organizational development: structure and culture o strategic partnerships with Businesses and local and regional goverment organizations o integrated approach:  lifelong learning (RPL, training and education)  research and innovation  industrial placement, projects, guest lectures etc. 10