Validating Non-formal and Informal Learning

Learning outside schools, universities and vocational training establishments  – both non-formal and informal learning – needs to be made visible, appropriately valued in society, and granted recognition and parity with formal learning outcomes. Two important milestones in this process are the 2009 European guidelines on validating non-formal and informal learning and the European Council Recommendation on the validation of non-formal and informal learning of 20 December 2012. In addition, the European Inventory on the validation of non-formal and informal learning charts progress in individual countries.
On 9 and 10 April, a seminar was organised by the European Commission, together with the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) and in association with the Irish Presidency of the European Union with the aim of gathering inputs to support the first review of the 2009 European guidelines which is planned for Spring 2014. The themes addressed in the form of workshops at the seminar provided invaluable inputs for implementing UNESCO’s own Guidelines on the Recognition, Validation and Accreditation (RVA) of the Outcomes from Non-formal and Informal Learning (UIL, 2012). UIL will continue its cooperation with CEDEFOP in future,  particularly in regard to UIL’s forthcoming online RVA Observatory on recognition practices world-wide. PowerPoint presentations from the workshops:
Workshop one – Access and Use of Validation.
Workshop two – Professionalism of Practitioners.
Workshop three – Assessment and Methods.
Workshop four – Quality Assurance.
Plenary recommendations (pdf).