Tijs Pijls, Vienna, 13th October

Validationin the Netherlands

1. What is the Kenniscentrum EVC? (Role and responsibility) 2. Why is APL important from the Dutch perspective? 3. How does APL work in the Netherlands?4. APL and learning outcomes5. Who are the main stakeholders and how do they collaborate? 6. What have been the challenges so far and what are the

possible future challenges? 7. What have been the success factors so far and again for the

future?8. Connection APL – EQF - ECVET

Outline

• Knowledge management and dissemination on Recognition of Prior Learning in the Netherlands.

• Further development of APL in the Netherlands and in all the matters concerning the quality standards for RPL in the Netherlands.

• Part of Partnership for Life Long Learning

• Funded by the Ministry of Education

Knowledge Center for APL

• Life Long Learning last years less prominent on the agenda. Recently new dynamic;

• Employers and especially employees are responsible for Life Long Learning. Faciltate them with p.e. APL

• Workers spend 35% of their time to activities which they learn.• Informal learning at work is for most workers by far the most

important source of new knowledge and skills.• APL is primarily intended to asses existing knowledge and

skills and to consider how this can be supplemented with (formal) education, for example, come on a VET level.

• APL as a prelude to flexible, customized training for adults

Why is APL important from the Dutch perspective?

• 1,5 million people a year participate in post-initial learning (15,5% of population);

• 80% of adult learning takes place in the private sector; • NL has a developed system of recognition of non formal and

informal learning (APL).

Addult learning in NL

Characteristics private sector• Turnover € 3,4 billion in 2014;• 1.300.000 participants/students• 16.000 providers;• 80% zzp’er (freelancers), 20% mediumsized

and large companies;• Mostly company education and training.

Certificates private sector• 50% no branche or professional certificates

(mostly company education and training);• 30% branche or professional certificates;• 15% by the government regulated VET/HE

certificates.

‘ The belief and trust that people can also gainknowledge, skills and competences by other means

than through school and that this is as worthy aslearning through formal education’

The essence of APL

1. Information and advice

2. Intake/identification: Career counselling, personal aim, choice of standard

3. Recognise/documentation: Collect work experience and other informal learning in a portfolio, prove it!

4. Validate/assessement: Portfolio, assessment, compare the outcomes to standard

5. Accreditation/certification: Result of the RPL procedure is written in a rapport called ‘certificate of experience’

APL – How does it work

Qualification standards/learning outcomes

Education standards (defined by education and industry): qualification standards derived from occupational profiles. Based on initial skills acquired when a student leaves college. Written in learning outcomes.

Industry/sector standards (defined by the industry). Based on professional skills (acquired through (non)formal education and learning on the job. Written in learning outcomes (sometimes)

Focus on Learning Outcomes

NLQF

LearningOutcomes

Non-Formal Learning

Formal Learning

Info

rmal

Lea

rnin

g

Certificate of experience: and then what?

Certificate of experience (‘Ervaringscertificaat’)

Education:- Diploma - Exemptions- Tailormade program

Labour market:- Meeting demands of a job- Show experience to potential

employer- Starting point for development

• Minister of education: responsible for quality assurance

• Social partners: responible for quantity and stimulation of APL

• Convenantpartners meeting (ministry Education, Social Affairs, Economic Affairs, Social Partners): 4x per year

• Knowlegde Centra APL: secretary of the meeting

Stakeholders

Quality Assurance System RPL providers

Goverment, ministry of education

DUO (Executive organization of the ministry)

RPL providers Evaluating organizations

RPL QUALITY

CODE

External quality control

Advice on accepting in national register

National Register of accredited RPL procedures/providers

• RPL = labour market instrument• 2014 aprox. 70 registered providers• 2011 - 2014:17.700 realised RPL procedures per year• RPL is included in over 90 collective labour agreements

(CAO’s) • Sector funds for professional education often provide

compensation for a procedure with a registered provider.• Problems with transition from ‘ervaringscertficaat’ to system

for education and training (acceptation, exemption and tailor made programmes)

Impact of validation

• RPL started in the 90ties without national regulations: bottom up approach

• 2000: Dutch Knowledge Centre on APL (Lisbon agreements on knowledge & innovation)

• 2002: Social Partners asked for structure and quality• 2004: A first model for quality assurance was presented• 2005: Dutch Cabinet & Social Partners decided on a covenant

for quality assurance• 2006: All national stakeholders signed the covenant • ‘A quality code for RPL’

Succesfactors APL (1)

• 2007: Government subsidises RPL initiatives, tax advantages• 2010: Government 3 years responsible for quality APL• 2010/2011: Qualityplan RPL + National Register• 2012: New covenant Dutch Cabinet & Social partners: APL + LLL• 2013: Reflection current situation, transition to new system• 2014: broader scope on validation• 2015: Implementation new system: private system,• 2015: Connection APL, NLQF, ECVET

Succesfactors APL (2)

Connecting: NLQF – ECVET - Validation

NLQFQualificatio

nECVET

• Validation • Examination• Tailor made prog

ECVETECVETECVET