- 2017Implementation
- 2018Implementation
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Design
Background
In the French-speaking part of Belgium, workers and jobseekers have the possibility of obtaining official recognition of professional skills and acquired experience.
Three specific systems have been developed:
- the Skills Validation Consortium with a skills validation system;
- the recognition of prior experience and learning (valorisation des acquis de l'expérience, VAE) for higher education common to adult education, university colleges and the universities;
- and the recognition of prior experience and learning specific to the secondary level of adult education.
Those systems aim at:
- facilitating and promoting access to training or education;
- certifying specific skills related to a trade (by obtaining a skills credential, Titre de compétence);
- recognising technical qualifications.
At European level these three systems are considered as validation of non-formal and informal learning.
In recent years, new policies have been implemented French-speaking part of Belgium to frame valorisation and validation arrangements. The Valorisation of Acquired Experience (VAE) enables adults who are planning to return to education to gain access to Adult Education, e.g. by streamlining the learning process and where appropriate, reducing the length of studies. It is a process for assessing and recognising knowledge and skills acquired through experience (professional and personal) and/or training, for access to or completion of studies. The skills validation system enables skills to be recognised through a series of validation tests. When these are passed, they give access to skills qualifications that are a gateway to the world of work. This scheme is aimed at people who have learned a trade 'on the job' or who have skills but no formal qualifications.
Objectives
Official and social recognition of professional competences (ensuring visibility to all skills of both workers and jobseekers older than 18 through certification, access to adult education and higher education, access to job orientation, and access to recruitment).
Description
In Adult Education, since 2017, the procedure for valorisation of acquired skills is framed by the decree of the Government of the French Community of 29 November 2017 (with reference to Article 8 of the decree of 16 April 1991 organising Adult Education). Valorisation aims to give access to courses for which learners do not have official prerequisite, to obtain exemptions from a part of a course or to obtain the certificate of the course in which they master the learning outcomes. The study boards of the institutions are responsible for the procedure using the educational files (dossiers pédadogiques); these are the same for all the institutions and form the common educational reference for each programme. The decree also aims at allowing greater mobility for learners by delivering the certificate of a course gained by valorisation. This certificate is recognised by all the other institutions of adult education. This new decree has been implemented since 2018 and defines the procedures for the valorisation of acquired experience and the main stages for the valorisation procedure; it standardises the way the 150 colleges of adult education institutions valorise students' acquired experience.
In higher education (University colleges, adult education and universities), personalised admissions are foreseen by the legislation of 7 November 2013. For the purpose of admission to higher education studies, a jury may valorise...
In Adult Education, since 2017, the procedure for valorisation of acquired skills is framed by the decree of the Government of the French Community of 29 November 2017 (with reference to Article 8 of the decree of 16 April 1991 organising Adult Education). Valorisation aims to give access to courses for which learners do not have official prerequisite, to obtain exemptions from a part of a course or to obtain the certificate of the course in which they master the learning outcomes. The study boards of the institutions are responsible for the procedure using the educational files (dossiers pédadogiques); these are the same for all the institutions and form the common educational reference for each programme. The decree also aims at allowing greater mobility for learners by delivering the certificate of a course gained by valorisation. This certificate is recognised by all the other institutions of adult education. This new decree has been implemented since 2018 and defines the procedures for the valorisation of acquired experience and the main stages for the valorisation procedure; it standardises the way the 150 colleges of adult education institutions valorise students' acquired experience.
In higher education (University colleges, adult education and universities), personalised admissions are foreseen by the legislation of 7 November 2013. For the purpose of admission to higher education studies, a jury may valorise credits acquired by students in the course (or parts) of higher education studies, which they have already successfully completed (valorisation des acquis de l'expérience, VAE). Students are exempted from the corresponding parts of the study programme. The government may also establish agreements with public training providers with a view to valorising the achievements of such training during the admission process for short-type studies. This process was improved in 2018, making it more transparent (implementation of the 2017 Decree). Finally, the juries in the institutions may also valorise the knowledge and skills acquired through their professional or personal experience (minimum five years of activity). The jury will then judge whether the student's skills and knowledge are sufficient to complete the studies. The French Community finances continuing education courses organised by HEIs, access to which must be guaranteed by the recognition of prior experience and learning.
In 2019, the cooperation agreement on Validation of non-formal and informal learning was concluded between the Walloon Region, the French Community and the French Community Commission. It organises procedures aimed at verifying the knowledge, skills and professional aptitudes of adults to obtain a skills credential recognised by the associated service providers.
On 21 March 2019, vocational training: a new cooperation agreement concluded between the Walloon Region, the French Community and the French Community Commission. The governments have chosen the option of proposing a new text for the sake of readability without questioning the philosophy of the 2003 cooperation agreement, establishing the skills validation system in vocational training. The modernisation of the agreement is also based on the momentum initiated by the European Recommendation of 20 December 2012 on the validation of non-formal and informal learning and supported by ESF resources. The modifications concern points such as: new definition of target audience (removal of the restrictive list, which could exclude certain audiences); stronger legal basis for innovations already initiated or to come; and possibility of transmission of data to public employment services. More information can be found in the 2019 Skills Validation Consortium activity report.
In 2020, the Skills Validation Consortium completed the definition of a new Strategic orientation note (Nostra) framing the priority actions for 2020 to 2024. The four strategic axes for the coming years are:
- improve the reactivity of the offer to meet better the skills needs of various publics (improve regulation, consultation and accessibility of the validation offer in the centres, diversify the methods of evaluating skills);
- strengthen the validation public service (communication strategy, partnerships);
- develop the value of use of qualifications (monitor the use of skills credentials, facilitate lifelong learning paths);
- strengthen the governance of the validation of skills (implement the new 2019 cooperation agreement, staff support).
Each of these four axes includes general objectives that guide the priorities of the Skills Validation Consortium (CVDC). Each general objective is also broken down into operational objectives making it possible to achieve them.
In 2021, the Skills Validation Consortium continued the implementation of the priorities stated in the strategic orientation note (2020-24). Details can be found in the 2021 Skills Validation Consortium activity report.
In 2022, preparatory phase of legal changes: adult education is brainstorming about legal changes to improve the accessibility of the valorisation of prior learning on formal, non-formal and informal basis. Results are expected for the academic year 2023-24.
Bodies responsible
- Skills Validation Consortium (CVDC)
- Ministry of Vocational Training in the Brussels Region
- Ministry of Vocational Training in the Walloon Region
- Ministry of the French Community
Target groups
Learners
- Young people (15-29 years old)
- Adult learners
- Older workers and employees (55 - 64 years old)
- Unemployed and jobseekers
Thematic categories
Transparency and portability of VET skills and qualifications
European principles and tools, such as EQF, ESCO, ECTS, Europass and ECVET, provide a strong basis for transparency and portability of national and sectoral qualifications across Europe, including the issuing of digital diplomas and certificates.
This thematic category looks at how individuals are supported in transferring, accumulating, and validating skills and competences acquired in formal, non-formal and informal settings – including learning on the job – and in having their learning recognised towards a qualification at any point of their lives. This is only possible if qualifications are transparent and comparable and are part of comprehensive national qualifications frameworks. Availability of qualifications smaller than full and acquirable in shorter periods of time is necessary; some countries have recently worked on developing partial qualifications, microcredentials, etc.
This thematic sub-category refers to validation mechanisms allowing individuals to accumulate, transfer, and recognise learning outcomes acquired non-formally and informally, including on-the-job learning, or in another formal system. In case they are not automatically recognised, a learner can have these learning outcomes validated and recognised through a particular process with a view to obtaining a partial or full qualification. This thematic sub-category covers such provisions and mechanisms.
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to ensuring smooth transitions (permeability) of learners within the entire education and training system, horizontally and vertically. It includes measures and policies allowing learners easily or by meeting certain conditions to move from general education programmes to VET and vice versa; to increase qualification levels in their vocation through the possibility of attending vocational programmes at higher levels, including professional degrees in higher education. It also covers opening up learning progression by introducing flexible pathways that are based on the validation and recognition of the outcomes of non-formal and informal learning.
European priorities in VET
VET Recommendation
- Flexibility and progression opportunities at the core of VET