Search results

Globalisation, technological change and the knowledge-based economy all emphasise the need to improve the skills and competences of individuals. In Europe, lifelong learning is seen as the way to enable economic competitiveness, employability, and personal development. Validation of non-formal and informal learning is gradually becoming a key aspect of lifelong learning policies. This article addresses the European efforts to put in place systems for the validation of non-formal and informal learning . The focus is on the essential purpose of mechanisms to enhance the transparency of vocational qualifications amongst European Union (EU) Member countries, i.e. to make visible the entire scope of an individual's knowledge and experience, regardless of where the learning originally took place. The article defines learning and validation, examines the stages of development of validation policies in Member States, discusses areas of convergence, considers links to formal learning, looks at the methodologies used in documenting evidence, and suggests that without a comprehensive national validation system, lifelong learning remains theoretical. It concludes by asking whether the fundamental principles concerning the quality of validation could constitute the foundation for a lifelong learning strategy at the European level.