Germany

This country update was produced by Daniel Unterweger, as part of the 2023 update to the European Inventory on validation, a project managed by ICF (lead consultants: Manuel Souto-Otero, Michael Richardson, Ilona Murphy, Valentina Musso and Flora Dussine) in association with 3s (lead consultants: Karin Luomi-Messerer, Monika Auzinger, Julia Fellinger, Mariya Dzhengozova and Daniel Unterweger) under the supervision of a Steering Committee formed by the European Commission (Koen Nomden, Aline Juerges and Klara Engels-Perenyi), Cedefop (Ernesto Villalba-Garcia), and the ETF (Maria Rosenstock).

The report has benefitted from feedback from national-level quality assurance (QA) contacts with expertise in validation.

Work was carried out under DG EMPL Implementing Framework Contract EAC-01-2019 - Request for Services VT/2021/059

Disclaimer:

The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the position or opinion of the European Commission, Cedefop, the ETF, ICF, the EQF AG members or the other QA contacts. Neither the European Commission nor any person/organisation acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use which might be made of any information contained in this publication. The publication has neither been edited nor proof-read by Cedefop’s editing service.

Please cite this publication as: Unterweger, D. (2024). European inventory on validation of non-formal and informal learning 2023 update: Germany. European Commission and Cedefop. https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/country-reports/european-inventory-validation-non-formal-and-informal-learning-2023-update-Germany

In Germany, approaches for the validation of non-formal and informal learning (VNFIL) exist in all education sectors, ranging from vocational education to higher education (HE), but no overarching national system of validation exists. Reflecting on the complex German skill formation system and its allocation of responsibilities to different levels of government as well as to social partners, a variety of tailored approaches are in place. These include external students’ examinations, recognition of foreign formal competences (when no formal proof of prior learning can be provided), projects-level frameworks such as ValiKom, and validation approaches within HE - each with separate methods, main stakeholders, and support arrangements. Despite this variety of approaches, in sum, their overall importance in terms of take-up is quite limited. Foreseen changes presented in past strategic policy documents in the context of migration and/or low-qualified individuals aimed to implement project-level frameworks for validation of non-formal and informal learning on a permanent basis. However, the respective policy processes are still ongoing, and overall participation numbers in validation stagnate. In the labour market and the third sector, a variety of competence portfolios are in use (e.g. ProfilPASS), but none of these tools are connected to a validation process that leads to formal qualifications, partial qualification or credits. All this contributes to the fact that validation is usually still considered an exceptional route to qualifications within the German skill formation system.

In Germany, no common overall understanding, legal or standardised framework for the validation of non-formal and informal learning (VNFIL) exists. Rather, the understanding of validation arrangements varies according to educational sector. In general, validation can be associated and is further developed within the following approaches in Germany. There exists the possibility for external students’ examinations in general and vocational education, the recognition of foreign formal qualifications (when no formal proof of prior learning can be provided), and finally the validation of non-formal and informal competences within project-based frameworks (ValiKom and the now largely discontinued MYSKILLS approach). Within HE, individuals can gain access to HE via validation without standard HE entrance qualifications, and can gain credits for competences acquired outside Higher Education. Finally, there exist a variety of project-level approaches of competence portfolios within the labour market and in the third sector, none of which however are part of a validation process that leads to a qualification, equivalence certificate or credits for formal programmes. Echoing the findings of the previous report, it can be said that despite its complexity, VNFIL is taking place in all education sectors, which have different, but tailor-made approaches to validation in place.

While this set-up might appear complex in international comparison, it inevitably results from the allocation of responsibilities within the German skill formation system, and any reform to create a national system would require significant challenges and fundamental changes to the systems governance structure. As a result, approaches to outreach, guidance, the training of validation practitioners, monitoring and evaluation arrangements, target groups, methodologies and ICT tools used as well as quality assurance principles vary according to the respective approach. Furthermore, it can be stated that the overall importance of validation as reflected by the participation numbers in the respective schemes remains limited within the German adult learning system.

Since the previous update of the Inventory in 2018, validation arrangements have been further developed - but only slowly. Initially, attention to validation during the previous decade has been comparatively high due to a strong increase of incoming refugees, whose integration into the labour market had become a political priority. Given the high importance of formal qualifications in the German labour market, validating non-formal and informal learning as well as foreign formal competences had been considered as one opportunity to facilitate refugees’ job chances. However, policy change in the past couple of years has ultimately been rather limited. Progress can mostly be identified on the project-level, with the renewal or launch of successor projects (e.g. the prolongation of Valikom to 2024, or the launch of NetQA as a successor to the Prototyping projects). Still, no significant change has been made on a system-level. While such further development of validation approaches on the project-level can be welcomed, they only attract a limited number of participants. Current plans envision a potential implementation of validation arrangements of non-formal and informal learning via a full-scale and permanent roll-out of the ValiKom approach as proposed in the National Skills Strategy (BMAS and BMBF, 2019) until the end of the project period in 2024. The new government programme mentions the recognition of informal, non-formal or foreign formal competences (SPD; Bündnis 90/Die Grünen and FDP, 2021), but without specific reforms or actions mentioned or already carried out. The following report describes Germany’s main approaches to VNFIL as well as recent progress achieved.

Current policy context, strategic policy documents & the role of individual learning accounts

Since the last update of the Inventory in 2018, no major new policy actions on VNFIL have been implemented in Germany. The new government programme states that “the recognition of informal, non-formal or foreign competences will become easier and faster”, but without specific reforms or actions are mentioned (SPD; Bündnis 90/Die Grünen and FDP, 2021). However, validation has been acknowledged in several strategic documents and certain progress has been achieved on the project level. The 2019 National Skills Strategy includes references towards validation arrangements, and pledges to make the competences of low-qualified people who have gained relevant experience during their working life more visible (BMAS and BMBF, 2019). In the strategy, support for standardised arrangements for assessment, ‘valuing’ and certification of competences acquired by means of VNFIL was voiced by the strategy partners. Such procedures are to be tested within the current Valikom-Transfer project (see further below), with a foreseen subsequent national roll-out on a permanent basis - which has been reemphasised in the strategies’ renewal in 2022, but not yet implemented (BMAS and BMBF, 2022). Furthermore, the MYSKILLS programme of the PES and the Bertelsmann foundation is mentioned as a further means to strengthen validation arrangements in Germany (see further below, now largely discontinued). Apart from these isolated references, no specific national strategic policy document dedicated towards validation exists in Germany.

In general, the aforementioned policy documents refer to validation either in the context of migration (and consequently competences formally, informally or non-formally acquired abroad) and/or low-qualified individuals and therefore employment policies (e.g. the National Skills Strategy and the current governmental programme). To understand the political dynamics in the field of validation, interrelations between validation and the broader adult learning and skill formation system need to be highlighted. Explicit statements are given in the National Skills Strategy emphasising that validation procedures should not replace established training procedures within Germany’s skill formation system. This should be seen in relation to certain scepticism to a further development of validation among the central actors in the governance of the German skill formation system, in particular the social partners, who emphasise that no alternative route to standardised qualifications predominantly earned within the dual apprenticeship system should be created.

Currently, no instruments that fully aligns with the EU Council Recommendation on Individual Learning Accounts (June 2022) exist in Germany. However, certain funding instruments targeted at individuals fulfil certain functions of an ILA. For example, the Upgrading Training Assistance (Aufstiegs-Bafög), providing financial assistance for direct and subsistence costs for formal CVET courses exists since the 1990s. Validation is not directly integrated, but for accessing formal CVET, IVET degrees based upon external examinations (without undergoing dual training) can be used (see further below for more information). Furthermore, for external student examinations in VET, support for direct costs of the procedure, training in the preparatory courses, as well as subsistence costs is available via the PES programme ‘Zukunftsstarter’. Validation opportunities as the Externenprüfung and the competence portfolio ProfilPASS are also supported by the Bildungsgutschein (education voucher) of the PES. Also a specific validation grant exists, for example for recognition of foreign formal competences (in case no formal proof can be provided) (bibb, 2022c). The BIBB also provides a “special fund” for supporting qualification analyses for individuals that are not eligible to other funding schemes (bibb, 2022e). The Bildungsprämie (education premium) of the Federal Government has however been discontinued in 2022.

Legal and institutional basis for validation

As mentioned in the previous status update, due to Germany’s federal structure, the responsibility for legislation and administration in education is divided between the Länder and the federal government. Due to these varying competences for education, a common legal framework and a standardised system for the VNFIL at national level and across education sectors does not exist in Germany. Rather, validation in Germany varies according to education institution, local, regional, sectoral and national approaches and initiatives which also reflects the allocation of responsibilities within the complex German educational system. In general, the following main instruments and frameworks for VNFIL exist:

• The vocational training act of 1969, with the possibility to conduct external students’ examinations providing a legal basis for the validation of non-formal and informal learning by giving access to the regular (final) examination within the formal VET system without prior formal training - albeit in practice, preparatory courses are often necessary. External student examinations are also available in general education, decisions of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder (KMK) determine the overall framework and the federal states having formal legal responsibility.
• The Professional Qualifications Assessment Act (BQFG), introduced in 2012, with the focus on the recognition of formal qualifications abroad. If the formal proof cannot be presented by the applicant, it is possible to carry out a Qualifikationsanalyse (qualification analysis) in order to be able to assess the applicant's competences.
• Several project-based frameworks exist that are not (yet) permanently implemented with a legal basis. For example, the ValiKom and ValiKom-Transfer project have further transferred and further developed the instrument of the qualification analysis (originally tested under the BQFG) to be used for assessing non-formal and informal acquired competences. A foreseen national-wide roll-out of the ValiKom approach has not been implemented yet, but is emphasised in the National Skills strategy (BMAS and BMBF, 2019, 2022). The German Public Employment Service (PES) in cooperation with Bertelsmann Stiftung ran a large-scale ICT-based assessment project for competences gained at work called MYSKILLS, which the PES has however discontinued at the end of 2022 (DIPF, 2023).
• In Higher Education (HE), decisions of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder (KMK) regarding providing credits for competences acquired outside HE and for granting access to HE without standard entrance qualifications are implemented by federal state laws and ultimately, HE institutions. Within this legal framework, validation initiatives primarily take place at university level and programme level in examination boards.

Databases of qualifications obtained through validation & the ‘four stages of validation’ in Germany

No overarching database of qualifications that can be obtained through validation exists in Germany. However, websites of specific validation opportunities usually make reference to the qualifications can be gained through VNFIL, e.g., the MYSKILLS programme and ValiKom. There are also online database for validation of competences acquired at work for providing credits as part of HE (https://www.dabekom.de/ and https://www.anerkennung-und-anrechnung-im-studium.de/ ), for opportunities of gaining access to HE institutions via validation of prior competences (www.studieren-ohne-abitur.de), and for recognition of formal competences acquired abroad (also applicable in case no formal proof can be provided) (www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de) (see also section on outreach).

As mentioned in the last status update, validation in Germany is broadly understood as an overall process that includes four stages (identification, documentation, assessment and certification), as well as one step (valuing) within the validation processes in-between assessment and certification (Annen and Bretschneider, 2014). However, due to the varying responsibilities for validation across education institutions, local, regional, sectoral and national-level actors, the understanding of validation still differs across education sectors and thus leads to the need for further discussion and confidence building in order to develop mutual understanding and trust as a basis for next steps related to validation.

Skills audits

In Germany, the term ‘skills audit’ is not systematically used, and also no overarching rules/legislation exist. Nonetheless, several initiatives with respectively own rules and regulations exist that can be understood as providing some form of “skills audit” (as defined in the 2012 Council Recommendation on Validation of informal and non-formal learning that is aimed at “identifying and analysing the knowledge skills and competences of an individual”).

As mentioned in the last report, under the jurisdiction of the social code (SGB II and SGB III), the Vocational and Career Psychology Service (BPS) of the German National Employment Agency has developed services for competence assessment. This profiling of the German employment service can be seen as a kind of skills audit and includes competences acquired through non-formal or informal learning. It is based on a multistage process in order to identify different competence dimensions (IAB, 2014): K1 - Questionnaire for the self-assessment of performance within professional life; K2 - Test to assess perception; K3 - Assessment of performance orientation; and, K4 - Assessment centre to assess social and communication skills. The results of this assessment are used internally within job-search assistance. A certification for external use, such as for job application, is not yet foreseen (Schöpf, 2015).

Furthermore, the German National Employment Agency, until 2022, offered MYSKILLS tests nationwide for 30 reference VET professions (DIPF, 2023). As highlighted in the previous report, MYSKILLS provided multilingual electronic tests that assess competences in job seekers with several years of experience but no formal proof as well, as in the case of migrants without formal qualification or proof of their competences. MYSKILLS supported job placement officers in getting a better picture of an individual’s competences in the occupational fields of application of the respective profession. Per profession, the tests of about 120 items took about four hours to complete. They were administered at the 156 Vocational and Career Psychology Service centres (BPS) of the federal employment agency on behalf of a job centre or an employment agency.

However, the PES has discontinued the application of the MYSKILLS approach, rather a further development of the ValiKom approach is considered as likely (see also further below) (Patuzzi, 2022). As part of procedures within the ValiKom project, individuals undergo initial self-assessment and initial counselling on choosing a proper vocational qualification to aim for within the validation process, as well as support to document acquired skills and experiences in a standardised CV. These services are provided by the chambers of crafts and the chambers of industry and commerce (Oehme; Tews and Witt, 2017; Schambeck, 2017; Wirtherle; Müller-Werth and Rehbold, 2021).

Certain specific tools funded by public means and developed at the project-level (for example by federal states, regional stakeholders, research institutes and foundations) could also be understood as covering similar functions as a skills audit. A prominent and widely used example is ProfilPASS, which aims at the identification of skills and competences gained throughout life via online and offline self-assessment, optionally with or without counselling, and is available for a variety of target groups (see further below). At the company level, a variety of own approaches are usually applied (Patuzzi, 2022; Pielorz and Werquin, 2019). An example of a widely used service by a private provider is the Kode Kompetenzanalyse, providing skills audits for individuals and companies (Pielorz and Werquin, 2019).

Monitoring and quality assurance

Due to the highly complex provider structure and distribution of responsibilities across different actors, quality assurance concepts vary, as do data collection practices on participation in opportunities for VNFIL. Concerning overarching national-level data, the federal statistical office collects participation in certain validation arrangements. For external final qualification, 23 844 participants have been recorded in 2020 (BIBB, 2022a). The number of participants for the procedure to validate foreign formal competences without formal proof (qualification analysis) accounted for 1275, while in total, 205.359 applications were registered between 2012 and 2020 (including those with formal proof) (BIBB, 2022a). Furthermore, data on students at HE institutions without standard HE entrance qualifications is gathered (66.000 in 2021, accounting for 2.2 percent of total students in Germany), but it is not specified how many of those have acquired access via VNFIL (CHE, 2022). Beyond these figures, participation is mostly tracked on the project-level (e.g. ValiKom) or institutional-level (e.g. the PES - MYSKILLS) (see section on validation trends for more details).

There is no overarching quality assurance for VNFIL. As emphasised in the 2018 report, often programme or project-level quality standards based on the Common European Principles for the identification and validation of non-formal and informal learning are developed and applied (see also the section on quality assurance).

Overview

Validation in Germany is still shaped by a vast variety of local, regional, sectoral and national approaches. The last report’s assessment that a national validation system as intended in the Council’s Recommendation on the validation of non-formal and informal learning (2012) has not yet become apparent in Germany is therefore still valid (Velten and Herdin, 2016), and so is the fact that such a system would require overcoming significant challenges resulting from the complex allocation of competences within the German educational system. Nonetheless, it can be reemphasised that VNFIL is taking place in all education sectors, which have different, but tailor-made approaches to validation in place. Moreover, VNFIL partially supports the transition from one education sector to another, for example from VET to higher education.

Even though no major reforms have been implemented, certain progress has been achieved, mostly on a project-level, albeit usually with a limited number of participants (Laudenbach, 2022). This progress has largely been driven by a strong increase of incoming refugees in the last decade, in the year 2015 in particular, as well as a strong political focus towards integrating low-skilled people into the labour market (Patuzzi, 2022). Given the high importance of formal qualifications in the German labour market, validating prior learning has been considered as one opportunity to facilitate individuals’ job chances (Maier et al., 2021). In the past years, progress has been mostly achieved in the area of vocational education and training, in order to integrate academically weaker and socially disadvantaged groups, in particular adults, into the labour market. Germany’s main approach for VNFIL is presented below (see below for further examples).

External student examinations in VET and general education

The External students’ examination under § 45 (2) of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) and § 37 (2) of the Crafts Code (HwO) targets people with substantial vocational experience (generally 1.5 times as many years of practice as the duration of the regular VET-programme) and legitimises admission to the final examination in a recognised occupation that normally requires formal training in the dual system. Therefore, the External students’ examination, if a successful, leads to the award of a full qualification (there is no difference between this qualification and a regularly acquired qualification) in a recognised apprenticeship trade. While legally not necessary, preparation for these exams often requires coursework in order to succeed.

Similar opportunities for external student examinations exist in the field of general (school-based) education. The decisions of the KMK determine the framework for recognition of lower (Mittlerer Schulabschluss) and upper secondary school-leaving certificates (Abitur, a HE entrance qualification) (2005, ‘Vereinbarung über den Erwerb des Mittleren Schulabschlusses auf dem Wege einer Externenprüfung‘; 1974, Vereinbarung über die Abiturprüfung für Nichtschülerinnen und Nichtschüler entsprechend der Gestaltung der gymnasialen Oberstufe in der Sekundarstufe II), however specific legislation is in the responsibility of the federal states. Preparatory courses can be undertaken, which are for example offered by adult learning providers as the VHS or private providers (remote or in presence).

Recognition of professional qualifications acquired abroad (with and without formal proof)

Being in place since 2012, the Recognition Act (Act to Improve the Determination and Recognition of Professional Qualifications Acquired Abroad) and in particular its first article, the Professional Qualifications Assessment Act (BQFG), is also of major relevance. As described in the last status update, it primarily serves the assurance of skilled labour as well as the integration of migrants in Germany. All persons possessing a qualification acquired in a foreign country have a legal right to have the equivalence of this qualification verified by a competent body (e.g. within three months for the BQFG) based on this law. The Recognition Act includes the training occupations in the dual system, as specified in the BBiG and the Crafts Code, and regulated professions (Articles 3 to 61 of the Recognition Act, e.g. doctors, nurses) and master trades (BMBF, 2012). The BQFG is concerned about around 350 occupations. Certain occupations in the responsibility of the federal states are governed by own separate acts (BIBB, 2022a). It does not lead to the same certificate as the formal learning pathway, but it leads to the same rights of use in regulated professions such as nurses in the healthcare sector (Böse; Schreiber and Lewalder, 2014). Engelmann and Müller-Wacker (2014) claim that a shift of paradigm was started by the Recognition Act by considering professional experience as a central aspect of an individual’s competence profile and vocational qualifications (BQFG §3, Abs. 1). However, experiences on how this is applied in practice, are different. Experts state that, in most cases, professional experience showed by validation candidates is sufficient in order to close gaps within formal education pathways. Engelmann and Müller-Wacker (2014) see a need for more coherence in the validation of non-formal and informal learning through professional experience.

With the Skilled Labour Immigration Act (Fachkräfteeinwanderungsgesetz), implemented in 2020, Germany aimed to facilitate the immigration of skilled labour from abroad. Accordingly, third country nationals that want to join the German labour market need to have their foreign formal competences recognised (BIBB, 2023). Employers can apply for fast-track procedures (about 2 months). Currently, a liberalization of the law is planned, aiming to allow to immigrate in ‘non-regulated trades’ (predominantly occupations of the dual VET system) under certain conditions even without having recognised their foreign formal competences (Bundesregierung, 2022).

The BQFG, as described in the last status update, entails in § 14 other procedures for the determination of equivalence when no proof for prior learning can be provided. This part intends to give access to equivalence assessments for professionals who cannot provide relevant documents on their foreign formal qualifications or their further vocational education and training for reasons beyond their control. It also applies to those who, in addition to their formal qualification, claim to have professional experience for which they do not have formal proof. Consequently, concrete methods for the assessment and certification of competences were legally specified. However, how such “other procedures” should look like is not specified in detail, but has rather been further specified by several pilot projects.

With the Qualifikationsanalyse (qualification analysis), such a procedure was developed, tested, scientifically evaluated, adjusted and expanded in the project Prototyping (2011-2014), and its successor projects Prototyping Transfer (2015-2017) and NetQA (2019-2022).

Validating non-formal and informal learning in VET via the ValiKom approach

While there exists a legal entitlement for the validation of foreign formal qualifications since 2012, no similar law exists for skills acquired via non-formal and informal learning. However, by referring to ‘other procedures’ for the determination of equivalence when no proof for prior learning can be provided, § 14 of the abovementioned act also opens up opportunities for the validation of non-formal and informal learning. These possibilities have subsequently been explored by various pilot projects. As described in the last status report, the project ValiKom (2015-2018) and its successor project ValiKom Transfer (2018-2021, prolonged until 2024) targets persons who acquired relevant skills and competences through the work process but lack a certificate or a comprehensible document demonstrating what they know and are able to do. The result is that progression routes and social participation is hampered. Moreover, employers face a variety of documents job seekers present that they cannot easily understand. Therefore, ValiKom especially supports formally low-skilled adults in their upskilling pathways and seeks to integrate them into the formal education system.

The projects aim to establish a framework with a view to validating occupational skills and competences through standardised procedures, assessment criteria and tools. With its target groups (formally low-skilled people, people without any formal qualification, persons returning to work after a period of absence, persons willing to change their profession) it addressed employees with a diverse career and background. Subsequently, this framework was tested between 2015 and 2018, with 160 participants receiving statements of owning skills equivalent to a qualification or partial equivalence (VALIKOM, 2018). According to interviewees and experts , very positive experiences have been made and a high level of satisfaction with the process has been achieved among the participants (Reutter and Engelmann, 2017). Participants undergo initial self-assessment and an observed exercise by a representative of the local Chamber. Statements of partial or full equivalence (Gleichwertigkeitsfeststellung) are awarded to the participant that certify the equivalence of skills to the skills certified by a relevant examination by the end of a formal dual apprenticeship programme (Schmid, 2020; VALIKOM, 2018), the relevant qualification itself is not awarded to avoid creating an alternative route to standardised qualifications and a weakening of the dual apprenticeship model. Between 2018 and 2021, 1,248 validation procedures were carried out in the ValiKom Transfer initiative (BMBF, 2022).The project was originally initiated by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) and is carried out in cooperation with the Association of German Chambers of Crafts, and the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry to ensure the certification of the non-formal and informal acquired skills and competences, as the local branches of the chambers are responsible for examinations and the award of professional qualifications according to the Vocational Training Act. Eight chambers were initially involved in the pilot project, and the follow-up project ValiKom-Transfer further expanded the number of involved chambers (by 2021: 30) and the number of occupations/qualifications covered.

Based on the project outcomes, a decision was expected to be made for or against the implementation of the ‘validation route’ as a permanent feature of the VET system (Wirtherle; Müller-Werth and Rehbold, 2021). This has been reemphasised in the renewal of the National Skills Strategy in 2022 (BMAS and BMBF, 2022). While no final decision has been made, in case of such a permanent implementation, the statements of equivalence would most likely become officially documents under public law, and might also be used to enable access to certain programmes in continuing education and training as well as Higher Education.

Validation in higher education

Within HE, the decisions of the KMK which determine the framework for recognition by universities remain in place. These relate to granting access to HE for qualified workers without standard HE entrance qualifications (2009, ‘Hochschulzugang für beruflich qualifizierte Bewerber ohne schulische Hochschulzugangsberechtigung‘) and/or providing credits for competences acquired outside HE leading to reductions in study time in HE programmes (up to 50 percent (Cendon, 2022)) (2002, ‘Anrechnung von außerhalb des Hochschulwesens erworbenen Kenntnissen und Fähigkeiten auf ein Hochschulstudium’, extended 2008 and 2010 to further facilitate transitions from vocational to higher education). The decisions of the KMK constitute recommendations to be implemented by the federal states, leading partially to variation in the respective approach and extent of progress. For example, not all federal states recognise access to HE granted to individuals by another federal state, more specifically Bremen and Sachsen-Anhalt. While the overall legal framework is provided by the federal states’ laws, specific higher education initiatives in the context of recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning are implemented primarily by individual higher education institutions as they set examination regulations (Pielorz and Werquin, 2019), again leading to great regional variation in procedures as well as uptake.

Since 2016 the universities have implemented individual databases to handle the applications and standardise the decisions for recognition processes. In this context, either so-called ‘individual’ or ‘global’ (also called ‘blanket’) procedures can be employed, or a combination of both. Individual procedures are case by case approaches developed by individual universities where applicants need to provide proof for each component of the curriculum (e.g. relevant documents, employers’ references) (Pielorz and Werquin, 2019). Global procedures are agreements among institutions (e.g. VET and HE institutions), recognizing the learning outcomes of a curriculum (or parts of it) based upon an initial review conducted by the HE institution. In contrast to the ‘global’ or ‘generalised’ procedure which is focussed on recognizing formal competences, the ‘individual’ procedure takes prior non-formal and informal learning into account (Freitag, 2015). While considerable progress has been achieved in the past decade in harmonization of regulations and standards, in particular across federal states, the current situation is still shaped by highly complex arrangements and might be overwhelming for the individual (Nickel and Thiele, 2022).

Same as for the area of vocational education and training, progress has been achieved on the project-level. The project Aufstieg durch Bildung: offene Hochschulen (Advancement through Education: Open Universities) described in the previous update has ended in 2020. It mainly dealt with recognition as a part of opening the universities for non-traditional students (e.g., without HE entrance qualifications) and developing courses for this new target group. The nexus project (2014-2020) developed guidelines and criteria for recognizing competences within HE and provided counselling for HE institutions in this area (Brümmer et al., 2018). Building on the insights of these projects, the MODUS project has been launched in 2022, focusing on the creation of common, quality-assured standards for validation within the HE sector, an increased use of digital tools and infrastructure as well as AI, as well as guidance for HE institutions in the field of validation (HRK, 2021).

As highlighted in the last report, there are a variety of validation arrangements in the labour market, usually in the form of specific projects (both on national and regional level) and often (but not exclusively) initiated below the legislative level. They are for example directed towards auditing individual competence profiles in order to define a career project or plan a professional reorientation or training. As a collaboration of the Bertelsmann Foundation, the Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education (DIPF), and the Public Employment Service, the MYSKILLS project was implemented at the PES’ 156 Vocational and Career Psychology Service centres (BPS) on the ground, the MYSKILLS programme mentioned above was one of the more prominent projects in the sector.

The Occupational Psychology Service (Berufspsychologischer Serivces) of the PES also developed services for competence assessment, intended to particularly assess soft or transversal skills and attitudes towards employment and training. Outcomes of the test are reviewed by psychologists and used for guidance in the PES (OECD, 2021a).

Furthermore, a recent expert assessment has estimated that more than 50 approaches of competence portfolios have been developed on a project-level by stakeholders as the European Commission, federal states and regional stakeholders as well as foundations for a variety of target groups in the labour market (Pielorz and Werquin, 2019). None of these tools are connected to a “validation process that leads to a qualification, a partial qualification or credits for resuming a course of study in the formal learning system”, consequently they are used mainly for identification and documentation of competences (ib.). Most tools are also being discontinued after the respective end of the funding periods. However, examples of more long-lasting projects exist that have already been mentioned in various earlier reports. For example, the Kompetenzkarten initiative by the Bertelsmann foundation is targeted at migrants and mentioned in the last reports is still active. It consists of a set of paper cards to be used in counselling sessions and freely available for download. Competences are displayed by a combination of pictures and text in 9 different languages. Recent updates have added card-sets in the Ukrainian language. Also, the ProfilPASS initiative for identification of skills and competences gained throughout life (online and offline, with or without counselling) is still active, recent additions are versions in simple language and Ukrainian language, versions for self-employed, NEETs and for those in transition to retirement. The download of the materials is free of charge.

Also, initiatives covering certain sectors or occupations exist. The AIKOM pass, initiated jointly by the social partners in the metal and electrical industry in Baden-Württemberg, maps competences required in the sector while simultaneously documenting general competences (e.g. voluntary work), and is regarded as an important link in further developing validation in Germany (see Patuzzi, 2022). Another sectoral example is the validation of competences of teachers in adult and continuing education. The project GRETA financed by the BMBF mentioned in the last status update started in 2014 and has been prolonged until the end of 2022. It aims at the further professionalization and recognition of teachers' competences and the development of a method and tools for of non-formally and informally acquired educators' competences in the field of adult and continuing education. Teachers working in adult and continuing education have diverse educational backgrounds and professional experience and that is why the definition of their competences is complicated. Various products have been developed and provided free of charge within the projects lifespan, some of which are now planned to be offered on a paid basis (DIE, 2021). This for example includes the Portfolio Plus online tool mentioned in the last report where teachers can enter their informally and non-formally acquired competences, which are then evaluated by an expert and discussed in a face-to-face meeting.

As highlighted in the previous report, in the context of collective labour agreements between the so-called Sozialpartner (Unions and employers’ associations), a number of branches validated competences acquired through informal learning using qualifications in the formal education system as reference. Examples are the metal and electrical industry, as well as the building industry. However, this is not based on an actual assessment, but on the performance rating of employers with regard to individual employees’ competences. There is usually no documentation of this classification (Schöpf, 2015).

Also, on a federal-state and regional level, a variety of initiatives exist of which only a selection can be presented here. For example, the Qualipass- Bildungspass Baden Württemberg (Education pass Baden Württemberg), the Bergsträßer Kompetenznachweis, or the “Hin zum Handwerk” (Towards the crafts) project in Hamburg. In Bavaria, Check.work - an initiative of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs, and the federal-state level PES - aims to identify and document the competences of refugees. At the company level, a variety of own approaches are applied, but used rather selectively, e.g., procedures and instruments for identification and documentation as part of the recruitment process and for personnel development (Patuzzi, 2022; Pielorz and Werquin, 2019). An example of a widely used service by a private provider is the Kode Kompetenzanalyse, providing skills audits for individuals and companies (Pielorz and Werquin, 2019).

Several different certificates and validation opportunities, mostly project-based, exist in the third sector in order to document voluntary engagement, in particular regarding competences of young individuals, as mentioned in the last reports. These include the Kompetenznachweis Kultur (Certificate of Competence Culture) and Nachweis International (Certificate International). The Kompetenznachweis Kultur, as presented in earlier reports, is awarded to young people aged between 12 and 27 and covers areas of competence in the context of artistic and cultural youth work, such as activities in art or music schools, theatre and dance workshops, media centres or museums. The Certificate of Competence International is based on the Certificate of Competence Culture and documents the participation, engagement and competences acquired in international youth work projects. The website of the tool has been modernised in 2021 and adapted to smartphones. Both issuing organisations agreed on common education standards for their coaches and are based on the same quality assurance mechanisms. Also, the Youthpass, a European recognition tool for non-formal and informal learning in youth work, is relevant in Germany. In 2017, 11,641 certificates were awarded in Germany (127,651 across Europe) (YouthWiki, 2021).

Furthermore, the Qualipass/ Qualipass - Education pass Baden Württemberg (Bildungspass Baden Württemberg), the Certificate of Competence Hessen (Komptenznachweis Hessen), the AIKOM pass, ProfilPASS and the Competence Cards (Kompetenzkarten) mentioned in the previous section can be used for validation of competences acquired during voluntary engagement.

Also some Erasmus+ funded projects with German partners existed that aimed at facilitating the validation of non-formal and informal competences acquired in voluntary work, for example the Valcovol project (2016-2018) and the DesTeVa project (Gerholz, 2017), the latter of which developed an online tool for the validation of informal competences in voluntary work.

As emphasised in the last report, all those certificates have a coaching/training system and/or an approval system in place for documentation of competences acquired through non-formal and informal learning. In addition to the above-listed system, a number of other certificates exist that are purely based on a self-assessment approach or limited to a certificate of participation. However, it has to be emphasised that such tools are not part of a validation process that leads to a qualification, a partial qualification or credits for resuming a course of study in the formal learning system, consequently they only cover the stages of identification and documentation of competences (Pielorz and Werquin, 2019). Only isolated opportunities for recognising competences gained in the third sector as part of formal education programmes exist, mostly implemented by individual educational institutions (e.g. in some cases, youth work or volunteering activities might be considered as equivalent to certain modules in HE study programmes, practical periods or internships) (YouthWiki, 2021).

Validation and the German Qualifications Framework

The German Qualifications Framework (DQR), as emphasised in the previous report, aligns with the learning outcomes approach through underlining the importance of what a learner knows, understands and can do rather than the place and duration of learning. It is therefore considered to provide an important impetus to the topic of validation. Based on descriptors for learning outcomes, the DQR is generally open for the alignment of learning outcomes of all education sectors and has the potential to facilitate the permeability of the education system, as well as the validation of non-formal and informal learning. Following the referencing of formal qualifications to the DQR, the referencing of qualifications acquired through non-formal learning is currently under discussion. Even though working groups have addressed referencing of qualifications acquired through non-formal learning multiple times and developed recommendations, progress in Germany has been limited. The findings of a pilot project on developing a procedure and criteria for referencing non-formal qualifications to the DQR (mentioned in the last report) are currently analysed by the DQR expert working group (Deutscher Bundestag, 2021).

In general, pathways for gaining a qualification on the NQF via validation of non-formal and informal learning are quite limited. Within the VET sector, external students’ examinations can be used to gain a VET degree without prior formal training, but usually necessitate coursework to succeed (see above). Validation of formal competences gained abroad via the BQFG does not lead to the same certificate as the formal learning pathway, but only leads to the same rights of use in regulated professions such as nurses in the healthcare sector (BIBB, 2022a). Certificates issued as part of the ValiKom process do not constitute formal VET degrees but only constitute statements of partial or full equivalence (Gleichwertigkeitsfeststellung) that certify the equivalence of skills to the skills certified by a relevant examination by the end of a formal dual apprenticeship programme (Schmid, 2020; VALIKOM, 2018). In HE, access to HE without standard entrance qualifications can be granted based on competences acquired outside HE, ultimately enabling access to standard HE degrees. In HE, validation is also linked to credit credits arrangements. Credits can be gained for competences acquired at work.

Partial qualifications and micro-credentials

Both the BMBF and the PES are currently active in further developing the use of partial qualifications (understood as accumulative qualifications for low-qualified or unskilled that can lead to a full degree) via various pilot projects and initiatives (Patuzzi, 2022). Occupations are structured into 5-8 modules (around 2-6 months each). Partial qualifications for individuals without VET degrees have been developed by the PES as part of a project on optimising qualification opportunities for the low skilled unemployed (Optimierung der Qualifizierungsangebote für gering qualifizierte Arbeitslose) and piloted since 2010. The BMBF also launched a pilot project (Jobstarter Connect) in 2009 that developed modules for partial qualifications that are now used by the PES (BIBB, 2022a). Also projects on partial qualifications run by the chambers of industry and commerce (Take the opportunity!/Chancen Nutzen!) as well as the main employer association BDA exist (ETAPP) (BDA, 2022; BMAS et. al, 2021). No procedures to gain partial qualifications or micro-credentials more generally via validation of non-formal or informal competences are known to the author. Rather, current projects on partial qualifications are seen as an “alternative path” besides validation (Patuzzi, 2022).

The concept of micro-credentials is usually not widely used in Germany. Programmes that could be understood as associated with the award of micro-credentials do not use this term. These include the aforementioned partial qualifications that could be understood as a specific form of micro-credentials, as well as additional qualifications (supplementary to IVET programmes, Zusatzqualifikationen) and short educational programmes at HE institutions or private providers where participants gain a certificate based on attendance or exams (Zertifikatskurse) (Sabbagh, 2022).

As already outlined in the previous updates, formal education programmes and certificates are the major reference for validation processes in Germany. Formal qualifications provide the standard against which non-formal and informal learning outcomes are assessed. Validation aims to state equivalence with a formal qualification or certificate. Referring to recognised standards facilitates the acceptance of validation outcomes. In this sense, the External students’ examination applies the same standards and assessment of learning outcomes as used within formal education and training. The above-described Professional Qualifications Assessment Act (BQFG), with the focus on the recognition of formal qualifications abroad, also refers to the standards of the formal education system (IVET and CVET). The Qualifikationsanalyse within the act also refers to the competences acquired in formal vocational education and training. Therefore, Qualifikationsanalyse leads to an equivalent certificate as from formal education, intending to have the same market value. However, the equivalence assessment does not lead to the same certificate as the formal programme does. Initial feedback received from individual industry representatives indicates that those certificates are perceived as equivalent by some labour market actors due to the trust in the competent bodies issuing them (Reutter and Engelmann, 2017). Similarly, ValiKom refers to the same standards as used within formal vocational education and training with the specification that a ValiKom assessment can also focus on parts of such a standard only. Also this approach does not lead to the same certificate as the formal programme. Within higher education, learning outcomes obtained in non-formal and informal learning settings are usually compared to the standards of the given formal programme. The degrees to which validated competences contribute are standard HE degrees.

The main reference points for validation, more specifically formal education programmes and certificates, are governed by different stakeholders according to educational sector, as described in the next section. The focus on formal education programmes as the main reference point of validation initiatives has not changed in recent years in Germany, which can be related to the high importance of formal qualifications in the German labour market (Maier et al., 2021).

Responsibility for the different approaches varies across educational sectors. Responsible organisation, as described in previous updates, are summarised below.

In the case of the External students’ examination in the context of Vocational Education and Training, all the different aspects from designing the procedure/approach to evaluation and review are the responsibility of the competent body. ‘Competent authorities’ are mainly the (regionally organised) Chambers of Crafts and Trades, Chambers of Industry and Commerce and Chambers of Agriculture or public offices of agriculture etc. - the responsibility depends on the recognised occupation requiring occupational training. The Vocational Training Act (§ 71) designates the respective competent bodies. This is also the case in the project initiative ValiKom described above.

The field of recognition of foreign professional qualifications encompasses several different areas of responsibility: information, promotion and raising awareness are the duty of public authorities. The competent body in charge of the equivalence assessment depends on the profession: for each regulated profession, there is a special law and institution to administer it (e.g., in the healthcare sector). In the field of industry and commerce, applications are given to IHK FOSA; in handicrafts there is a decentralised system of main chambers to guarantee an efficient and consistent practice of assessment. Certain chambers develop experience regarding certain countries of origin. Other local chambers can contact them and ask for an evaluation and if possible, confirmation of equivalences (BMBF, 2014, p. 32f). The implementation of the BQFG is monitored by BIBB.

In Higher Education, the KMK (Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder (KMK) and federal state laws provide the legal basis and the coordination of the various validation processes, which are under the responsibility of the universities that are autonomous. Universities are responsible for the aforementioned individual or global procedures concerning ‘access to higher education for qualified workers’. Similarly, for external student examinations in general education, the KMK and federal state laws provide the legal basis.

The different competence passes described in the sections on validation in the labour market and the third sector (e.g., ProfilPASS) are each coordinated by a particular institution (public as well as private). Those have been partially referred to already above.

As highlighted in the previous status report, there is no central institution or a standardised institutional framework for the overall coordination of the different validation approaches and systems. Different stakeholders are involved in different approaches and projects depending on their responsibilities, with all of them applying their own methods for coordination. Within the overall adult learning system, coordination has however increased in recent years with the implementation of the National Skills Strategy and its respective working groups, of which validation is however only a subordinate topic (BMAS et. al, 2021). Usually, validation is integrated with respective internal guidance and outreach activities of the respectively responsible institution. Furthermore, it can be expected that also more broadly available guidance offers at least in part refer to validation opportunities (e.g., the PES, feder-state-level guidance offers). Details are provided in the next section.

As mentioned in the previous report, within all validation processes directed towards formal qualifications (conducted by public stakeholders), the responsible stakeholders that can award these qualifications (in case of external students’ examinations) or respective certificates of equivalence (regarding the recognition of formal competences acquired abroad and the ValiKom approach) use the formal standards as a reference, as described in the section above. The stakeholders (public as well as private) responsible for abovementioned project-based competence portfolios (e.g. ProfilPASS) do not have the competences to provide a “validation process that leads to a qualification, a partial qualification or credits for resuming a course of study in the formal learning system” (Pielorz and Werquin, 2019).

Awareness-raising campaigns and outreach activities are usually delivered by the stakeholders responsible for the respective validation initiatives and projects mentioned above. For many validation opportunities, the involvement of local Chambers contributes towards outreach, which are often main stakeholders in the respective validation processes (e.g., regarding external student examinations in VET, and the validation of formal vocational qualifications acquired abroad). They for example keep contact to the local business and professional communities via newsletters and target participants in the scheme through their employers, which often have incentives for validating the competences of their employees (e.g., increasing performance and labour retention). This also holds for ValiKom, which is provided via its network of local chambers (Wirtherle; Müller-Werth and Rehbold, 2021).

Furthermore, the 156 Vocational and Career Psychology Service centres of the PES also refer their clients to validation opportunities, in particular concerning their main target group (i.e. the unemployed). Until its discontinuation, this also included MYSKILLS that is provided by the PES itself, but can also include services provided by other stakeholders. Stakeholders responsible for the respective validation initiatives usually also target individuals via press releases, social media activity, and networking with target-group specific organizations (e.g. for refugees). In the federal states, often (co-)funded by public means, initiatives and networks targeted at disadvantaged groups (e.g. migrants/refugees) also contribute to outreach and awareness-raising for adult learning, including validation. An example specialised in the field of validation is the IQ network, a project financed by the PES and the ESF that that supports local guidance providers and networks of providers with the goal to build a network of guidance providers for validation in all federal states, including specialised services for certain target groups.

Furthermore, outreach and awareness raising is achieved via several online portals. For the Professional Qualifications Assessment Act (BQFG), as mentioned in the last report, the online platform Anerkennung in Deutschland (Recognition in Germany, www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de) is available and provides information on the respective process of validation of foreign formal competences. The BQ-network provides information on the same topic, however, specifically targeted at employers. Portals also exist for the MYSKILLS programme and ValiKom, for validation of competences acquired at work for providing credits as part of HE (https://www.dabekom.de and https://www.anerkennung-und-anrechnung-im-studium.de ), and for opportunities of gaining access to HE institutions via validation of prior competences (www.studieren-ohne-abitur.de). Also, a number of federal-state level portals for adult learning exist, which at least in part also provide overviews on validation opportunities. Despite this variety of databases, as mentioned in the last report, (Schöpf, 2015) states that information easily accessible via electronic media, such as through search engines and relevant search terms, primarily leads to scientific and education policy-related publications and is not orientated to broader audiences.

Outreach activities related to validation are not explicitly included in the recent National Skills Strategy, however, activities that can be considered as outreach are usually at least to some extent included in the respective design of the strategies’ measures (as in the case of ValiKom and MYSKILLS).

As described in the last report, information, advice and guidance on validation is usually already linked to a concrete validation opportunity (Schöpf, 2015), as they are described above, and provided free-of-charge to interested candidates. Information, advice and guidance regarding the External students’ examination in VET is provided by the competent bodies (e.g. the Chambers) and their counselling personnel. This is similarly implemented via the Chambers in the ValiKom project, and for the recognition of foreign formal competences. Furthermore, in particular the IQ-network provides first-stage advice in Germany for applicants for an equivalence assessment. The PES is also a key provider of guidance concerning validation. This first of all concerned its own provision, more specifically MYSKILLS, which has however been discontinued at the end of 2022. However, the PES also refers to abovementioned measures provided by other stakeholders. Other career guidance providers active on the level of federal states can also be expected to at least in part refer to opportunities for the validation of non-formal and informal learning.

Guidance for validation is usually provided face-to-face and over telephone, as well as over certain online portals (see above). In most cases, within the guidance process, candidates of the respective programmes are also informed about possible alternative (or subsequent) validation and adult learning opportunities, including their process, benefits and drawbacks (e.g., the External students´ examination for candidates of ValiKom or recognition of formal foreign competences). Information and counselling on choosing a proper (accessible and from an individual standpoint favourable) vocational qualification to aim for, based on already acquired skills, is provided. Based on the individual initial situation, applicants are referred to the respectively appropriate institution or stakeholder.

Concerning HE, the first step in the procedure for access to higher education for qualified workers is the provision of counselling by the university (Stamm-Riemer; Loroff and Hartmann, 2011). Guidelines, such as user guides, application forms and information material (ibid. p. 62) are provided.

The practitioners implementing validation practices vary with regard to the specific validation opportunity and respectively responsible stakeholders. Based on the content of the last report, they are presented below.

Competent bodies decide about the admission to the External students’ examination. Under § 45 of the Vocational Training Act resp. § 37 of the Crafts Code, the board of examiners takes the decision in case of doubt. Only in the event of a tie, the chair of the examination board has the crucial vote. A specific profile for the chair of the board does not exist - of course, the chair (like all members of the examination board) has to be competent in the fields of examination and must be suitable to act as an examiner. Competence in the field of examination is given through a formal skilled journeymen certificate, a master craftsman certificate or higher certificate e.g. engineering graduation in the specific field of occupation. For external examinations in general education, members of the examination board must have teaching qualifications for the respective stage of education.

First-stage advice for the Professional Qualifications Assessment Act (BQFG) equivalence assessment of foreign formal competences is delivered by professional counsellors. The equivalence assessment itself is operated by assessors of the competent body which is responsible for defining the specific profile. Regarding the Qualifikationsanalyse, this is done by experts in the vocational field in question who receive the task to assess the required set of competences in a particular field (Böse; Schreiber and Lewalder, 2014). Assessors in the ValiKom project have a similar profile, often the same individuals are assessors in both approaches.

At universities, academic staff decide on validation procedures for access to higher education according to the Lander regulation, study regulations and exam regulations. The specific profile depends on the respective professional background. The majority of lecturers in higher education take their decisions regarding the validation and recognition of students’ learning outcomes informally on the basis of their professional competence. Within the areas ‘health and care’, as well as ‘economics’, decisions are often taken systematically with regard to standardised approaches (Völkli, 2011). The qualification of the academic staff regarding validation and recognition procedures vary between higher educational institutions.

In continuation of the Prototyping and Prototyping Transfer project, the NetQA project launched in 2019 and has the goal to strengthen a sustainable, nation-wide, regionally anchored network for supporting the provision of the qualification analysis procedure used as part of the BQFG framework, in particular in areas which where the process has been slower during the previous two project periods (e.g. occupations connected to the chamber of industry and commerce) (Wiemers and Brandt-Memet, 2019). The project provides expertise and assists its network partners (chambers of crafts, chambers of industry and commerce) by in the implementation of the qualification analysis on the ground. The project also provides training and supporting material for validation practitioners in this field. The expertise and knowledge portal for qualification analysis developed in the Prototyping projects is still available, targeted at those working with qualification analysis at the competent bodies.

As mentioned in the last report, ValiKom also recognised and facilitated the additional competence needs of validation practitioners with regard to the special requirements of such a validation setting. ValiKom-Transfer further expanded the number of involved chambers (by 2021: 30) and the number of occupations/qualifications covered.

There is often no validation-specific training and support offered for university staff involved in validation processes within higher education, which depends on the respective HE institution. However, on the project-level, certain processes can be identified. For example, the nexus project (2014-2020) developed guidelines and criteria for recognizing competences within HE and provided counselling for HE institutions in this area (Brümmer et al., 2018). Building on the insights of these projects, the MODUS project has been launched in 2022, with guidance for HE institutions in the field of validation as one of its main foci (HRK, 2021).

As described in the previous report, all validation practitioners have to be professionals in the relevant domain (see also above). Institutions pay attention to the professional competences by considering initial qualifications of applicants and ensuring further education regarding the appropriate institutional standards. Requirements for experts for the qualification analysis in the framework of the BQFG have been developed by the Prototying project. The experts are required to have a similar or higher vocational qualification in the vocational field in question and three years of professional experience within the profession. Furthermore, the project specifies requirements with regard to intercultural and communication competences and methodological competences. Every Qualifikationsanalyse is assessed by two experts. The second expert needs to prove three years of professional experience within business, administration or education (Westdeutscher Handwerkskammertag, 2014).For ValiKom, an expert assess the process with the same formal qualifications as used as reference in the individual validation process (Oehme; Tews and Witt, 2017)

‘Competent authorities’ (for external student examinations in VET, recognition of formal competences acquired abroad, ValiKom - often the Chambers) and universities fund validation schemes from their available financial budget. In part, public funding is also provided to stakeholders on the project-level (e.g., ValiKom). Due to this often project-based nature of public (co-)funding, sustainability is limited and depends on the existence of successor projects or rollouts of the respective procedures on a permanent basis (see the case of ValiKom below). No systems are in place that collect overarching information on the costs of validation. The volume of public funding used is available for certain validation approaches. For example, between 2018 and 2024, ValiKom will receive approximately EUR 20 million (BMBF, 2022).

For the user, costs of validation vary according to the specific scheme in question. ValiKomis free of charge for participants until October 2024, financed by the BMBF (BIBB, 2022a). A foreseen national roll-out of the procedure on a permanent basis - as reemphasised in the National Skills Strategies’ renewal in 2022 BMAS and BMBF, 2022) - has not yet been implemented, but would most likely introduce fees for the procedure. Until its discontinuation, MYSKILLS was provided free-of-charge to participants, funded by the PES.

Where fees apply, they vary widely according to the respective approach, the range of fees applicable are usually indicated on the respective websites of the programmes. In case of the external student’s examination in VET, costs arise from examination fees, preparatory courses and travel costs. Actual costs of participants, as highlighted in the previous report, varied from EUR 1,871 to EUR 4,461, depending on costs for course fees, admission fees, examination fees, travelling and accommodation (Schreiber et al., 2012) other authors state a range between EUR 500 and EUR 7,000 for preparation and EUR 200 - EUR 450 for examination fees (Schöpf, 2015). In external students examinations in general education, examinations fees vary according to federal state (100 to 400 EUR); and costs of preparatory courses vary according to provider (abitur.com, 2023).

Costs for recognition of foreign formal competences and separate costs for the qualification analysis (if necessary) vary on a case-by-case basis (e.g., according to profession, location, etc.). Costs for the process can range up to 600 EUR, additional costs for qualification analysis usually range from 100 to around 2000 EUR https://www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de/html/de/faq.php (BIBB, 2022d). The manifold competence passes in Germany are usually free of charge, however also fee-based approaches exist. For example, ProfilPASS provides optional, fees for counsellors (EUR 60 to EUR 120 per hour) and for seminars (EUR 250 to EUR 300) (Schöpf, 2015). Costs for access to higher education for qualified workers vary according to HE institution (e.g. around 200 EUR at Universtiy of Heidelberg).

Various public support schemes for some of the fee-based validation opportunities exist. For example, for external student examinations, support for direct costs of the procedure, training in the preparatory courses, as well as subsistence costs is available via the PES programme ‘Zukunftsstarter’. Validation opportunities as the Externenprüfung and ProfilPASS are also supported by the Bildungsgutschein (education voucher) of the PES. Also a specific validation grant exists, for example for recognition of foreign formal competences and qualification analyses (bibb, 2022c). The BIBB also provides a “special fund” for supporting qualification analyses for individuals that are not eligible to other funding schemes (bibb, 2022e). The Bildungsprämie (education grant) of the Federal Government has however been discontinued in 2022. As mentioned in the previous reports, particularly when it comes to migrants and refugees, limited funds are available on a project base for validation procedures below the level of assessment (e.g. as part of the case management in migration counselling for adults or diverse job coaching projects).

Data on beneficiaries is not in all cases readily available. An overview of the number of candidates completing an External students’ examination in VET is provided below for the period from 2010 to 2020. In sum, the total number of external student examinations has remained rather constant throughout the past 10 years, with small decreases already beginning before Covid-19.

Source: BIBB (2022a) and previous editions of the ‘BIBB Datenreport’

The number of participants for recognition of foreign formal competences is collected too, accounting for 205,359 applications for recognition between 2012 and 2020, but in total only 1,275 participants in qualification analyses (if documentation of foreign qualifications was not sufficient) (BIBB, 2022a). Most qualification analyses have been conducted in the occupations of electricians (282) and car mechatronics (252). Also within ValiKom, only a small number of participants can be identified (1.248 validation procedures between 2018 and 2021) (BIBB, 2022a; BMBF, 2022). This shows the still rather low take-up of validation of non-formal and informal competences within the German adult learning system.

The percentage of students without standard HE entrance qualifications has again increased compared to previous years, accounting for 2.24 percent in 2020 (compared to 0.5 in 1997) (Nickel and Thiele, 2022). Students at HE institutions without standard HE entrance qualifications accounted for around 66.000 in 2021, or 2.2 percent of total students in Germany (CHE, 2022). Absolute numbers, ranging from 1997 to 2020, are provided in the figure below.

Figure 9.1. HE students without standard HE entrance qualifications

Image

Source: (Nickel and Thiele, 2022)

Detailed information on the participants of validation is mostly provided at the level of the respective scheme or project, often as part of evaluations.

Concerning external student examinations in VET, a previous study found that participants are on average 37 years old , with a slight majority of female participants (53 percent) (Schreiber et al., 2012). Only a very small majority of participants do not have any school leaving certificate at all (1 percent), all others have at least finished lower secondary education, with 9 percent even having tertiary-level degrees. Around 24 percent of participants can be considered to have a migrant background.

Concerning the recognition of foreign formal competences (including those with formal proof and those without), the vast majority of participants in 2021 aimed at validation of competences acquired in a non-EU country (78 percent) in contrast to competences acquired within the EU (22 percent). Most of the competences were acquired in Bosnia and Herzegovina (3594), the Philippines (2363) and Serbia (2058). Most individuals held a citizenship from Bosnia and Herzegovina (3281), followed by Germany (2436), the Philippines (2370) and Serbia (2325). The majority of individuals applying for the recognition of foreign formal competences were female (54 percent) (BIBB, 2022b).

For ValiKom, the average participant is 40 years old, male (65 percent), employed (72 percent), and has not participated in the German dual VET system before (63 percent) (Müller-Werth et al., 2022). More than half of all participants do not have German citizenship. However, it has to be noted that the procedure can be undertaken only in German language.

First year HE students without standard entrance qualifications were nearly equally balanced between men (50,12 percent) and women in 2020, and were usually older (54.44 percent between 21 and 30 years) than those with standard HE entrance qualifications (58.91 percent 20 and younger) (Nickel and Thiele, 2022). Furthermore, they are more likely to choose degrees in law, economics, and social sciences.

In Germany, the majority of validation initiatives and their respective outreach and awareness-raising measures is aimed at supporting disadvantaged groups, either, either in the context of migration (and consequently competences formally, informally or non-formally acquired abroad) and/or low formally qualified individuals. Given the high importance of formal qualifications in the German labour market, validating prior learning (formally or informally conducted abroad) has been considered as one opportunity to increase job chances (Maier et al., 2021).

The recognition of foreign formal competences naturally targets individuals with migrant background (see previous section for more information on the users). For ValiKom, German citizens and individuals without German citizenship that have already been living in Germany for an extended period of time are a key target group, as the procedure is exclusively undertaken in the German language. However, more than half of all participants do not have German citizenship (Müller-Werth et al., 2022). Furthermore, the TalentPass project (2019-2023) financed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and implemented by BAG UB, the BIBB, as well as local Chambers and offices for the integration of severely disabled individuals aims to pilot approaches for the validation of non-formal and informal competences with individuals with severe disabilities that have already been working in the labour market for an extended period of time (Sasse; Siefken and Bungart, 2021). As part of the TalentPass project, also the ValiKom approach can be applied.

As mentioned in the previous report, the MYSKILLS initiative of the Federal Employment Agency (discontinued in 2022) targeted migrants/ refugees and with increasing importance non-migrant individuals with extensive work experience but no formal qualification in their field of work. External student examinations are in general not specifically targeted at migrants and already exist for decades in Germany. Nonetheless, around 24 percent of participants in VET can be considered to have a migrant background (Schreiber et al., 2012). The scheme Zukunftsstarter (mentioned above) is aimed at supporting young adults aged 25 to 35 in completing a vocational qualification via external student examinations.

Of the numerous competence portfolios that have been developed on a project-level, the more long-lasting projects in part also target specific disadvantaged groups. The Kompetenzkarten initiative mentioned above is available in 9 different languages, with a recent update in Ukrainian language. The ProfilPASS initiative for example has versions in simple language and Ukrainian language, versions for self-employed, NEETs and for those in transition to retirement. The Melba approach is specifically targeted at individuals with disabilities.

In the context of higher education, as highlighted in the previous report, the KMK issued a separate resolution on how to provide access to refugees who cannot provide proof of their prior qualifications. This resolution allows the application of a three-stage procedure inclusive of verification of personal requisites, plausibility of education biography regarding university entrance qualification and proof of university entrance qualification based on a quality secured assessment (KMK, 2015). Foreign HE certificates can also be assessed by the KMK, with statements of comparability with German HE certificates issued, which however are not formally recognised, and which should only provide additional information to potential employers in order to facilitate labour market integration.

The methods for identification, documentation, assessment and certification vary according to the respective approach. The information of the previous reports is still valid and summarised below. For the admission to the External students’ examination in VET, besides “standard evidence”, such as applications and CVs, formal evidence including qualified job references, attestations of employers, working contracts, trade applications and statutory declarations can be used. Alternative evidence includes references from customers, examples of work, information about former practice by the applicant him/herself, documents about a vocational or academic training that has been cut short, module-examinations in higher education and certificates of attendance or further education certificates.

The Professional Qualifications Assessment Act (BQFG) foresees a number of concrete methods for the Qualification Analysis for individuals that cannot show formal proof of their competences acquired abroad. Those are sample work, expert discussions, practical and theoretical exams (BQFG §14, Abs. 2). 88% of competent bodies indicate that they apply sample work and 87%, expert discussions (Böse; Schreiber and Lewalder, 2014). Role plays, case studies, work samples and work trials in companies are also applied as methods for the Qualification Analysis. Similar methods are applied in the project ValiKom. Both approaches claim to apply methods specifically taking into account the different needs of their specific target group in general and in the context of validation of non- and informal learning (Erbe, 2017).

The MYSKILLS tests were based on closed item formats allowing for a statistical analysis of the results. They presented the assessment participants with typical job situations in order to see to what extent they are familiar with such situations and whether they know exactly what to do in these situations. MYSKILLS tests were available nationwide for 30 reference VET professions. Per profession, the tests of about 120 items each took about four hours to complete. Until the end of 2022, they were administered at the 156 Vocational and Career Psychology Service centres (BPS) of the federal employment agency on behalf of a job centre or an employment agency. The self-assessment tool my-professional-experience.org functioned as a quick (3-5 minutes) screening tool for the identification of suitable candidates for the MYSKILLS tests.

For Higher Education, it has to be noted that the respective regulations on providing credits for competences acquired outside Higher Education and for granting access to HE without standard entrance qualifications are mainly used for the validation of formal qualifications gained in vocational education and training, but less for the validation of non-formal and informal learning. Specific methods vary across education institutions (Müskens and Lübben, 2018). For example, the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg uses a “Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition” (PLAR) approach that foresees students to compile “artefacts” (meaning authentic documents) in a portfolio in order to prove non-formal or informal competences (ib.). A service centre supports students in compiling their portfolios.

The above described MYSKILLS initiative implemented by the German Public Employment Services and the accompanying online self-assessment tool, my-professional-experience.org, were two major large-scale ICT-based assessment tools. They relied mainly on videos and pictures, and could be carried out with minimum reference to language (Patuzzi, 2022). Furthermore, another highlighted benefit was that results were automatically send to the PES’ placement specialist.

The ASCOT+ project financed by the Ministry of Education and implemented by the BIBB has the aim to develop and pilot technology-based assessment tools of skills and competences in VET (BMBF, 2023,). Within HE, the MODUS project has been launched in 2022, which focuses on an increased use of digital tools and infrastructure as well as AI in validation (HRK, 2021).

Some of the recent competence passes available in Germany (as mentioned further above) are also ICT-based, for the Portfolio Plus online tool of the GRETA project for teachers competences (DIE, 2021), where teachers can enter their informally and non-formally acquired competences, which are then evaluated by an expert and discussed in a face-to-face meeting.

ICT tools are however widely used for other purposes related to validation. This can be seen particularly at the hand of the high number of digital portals of validation opportunities that exist in Germany, which are however fragmented according to the respective validation approach. For example, as mentioned above, the online platform Anerkennung in Deutschland (Recognition in Germany, www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de) and the BQ-network provide information on the respective process of validation of foreign formal competences; portals also exist for the MYSKILLS programme, ValiKom, for validation of competences acquired at work for providing credits as part of HE (https://www.dabekom.de/ and https://www.anerkennung-und-anrechnung-im-studium.de/ ), and for opportunities of gaining access to HE institutions via validation of prior competences (www.studieren-ohne-abitur.de ). Also guidance for validation is often provided remotely via video-conferencing tools.

There is no overarching national or federal-state level approach for the quality assurance of validation. Rather, quality standards (usually based on the Common European Principles for the identification and validation of non-formal and informal learning) have been developed on the level of different validation measures. These quality assurance approaches are being developed by projects/initiatives themselves and they are partly mooted by relevant stakeholder groups that are involved in the developments such as educational practitioners, policy makers and researchers. These approaches often take into consideration the European Guidelines for validating non-formal and informal learning. The following paragraphs summarise the quality assurance approaches of the most relevant validation measures, summarizing and updating the findings of the previous report.

For the External students’ assessment in VET, there is no explicit quality assurance system. It is the responsibility of the competent body to verify the procedure. The BIBB research project on ‘Recognition of vocational competences using the example of the accreditation for the final examination within the frame of the external students’ examination’ provides a first insight into the verification procedure in VET (Schreiber et al., 2012). Moreover, there are assistance documents to support the procedure. However, more than half of the competent bodies covered within the mentioned research project indicated that they did not use such assistance documents; 40% referred to internal guidelines instead (ibid. p.30).

In the context of the Professional Qualifications Assessment Act (BQFG), the prototyping project developed quality standards for conducting Qualifikationsanalyse (Westdeutscher Handwerkskammertag, 2014). Those quality standards include considerations on process transparency; four-eye principle within observation; requirements on experts; preparation for the expert role; toolbox of instruments; documented observation; openness for alternative solutions; and, support in understanding the task. Data about the practical application of those standards is not known to the author. The project ValiKom refers to the same quality standards as developed within Prototyping. One of the goals of the new NetQA project (2019-2022) is to increase the number of quality assured qualification analyses according to the previously developed guidelines (Wiemers and Brandt-Memet, 2019). Within MYSKILLS for all steps of both instrument development and instrument implementation, a global quality assurance system has been applied.

The individual university is responsible for the quality of the individual procedure for access to higher education for qualified workers. However, the older ANKOM (until 2014) and nexus (2014-2020) projects developed guidelines and criteria for recognizing competences within HE and provided counselling for HE institutions in this area (Brümmer et al., 2018). Building on the insights of these projects, the MODUS project has been launched in 2022, which focuses on the implementation of common, quality-assured standards for validation within the HE sector (HRK, 2021).

Due to the variety of different validation approaches in Germany and distribution of responsibilities across different actors, monitoring of the take up and success of VNFIL practices vary. Concerning overarching national-level data, the federal statistical office collects data on participation in certain validation arrangements, including the external student examination, the recognition of foreign formal competences and on students at HE institutions without standard HE entrance qualifications, current data on some indicators is provided in the section on beneficiaries and users of validation processes. Usually, information provided includes, among other indicators, for example the number of overall and new participants, characteristics concerning gender, age and nationality, and success of the procedure. Beyond these datasets, data is gathered mostly on the project-level (e.g. ValiKom) or institutional-level (e.g. the PES - MYSKILLS).

The implementation of the Professional Qualifications Assessment Act (BQFG) is scientifically accompanied by the BIBB under the coordination of the BMBF. The most recent report show that the procedure facilitates the integration of migrants into the labour market (increasing employment rates and income) and also has positive effects for employers (BIBB, 2020). The External students’ examination in VET has not been evaluated, research activities of the BIBB deliver insights into the procedures and general set-up of the systems (Schreiber et al., 2012).

Most of the current projects in the area of validation are or will be subject to evaluations. A recently published evaluation of ValiKom showed that one of the participants main goals for participating in validation, wage increases, has been reached for only one third of participants one year after the procedure (Müller-Werth et al., 2022). Nonetheless, the procedure has also proven to increase self-confidence of participants in the labour market and their interest in pursuing other adult learning activities.

Overall, visibility and awareness of validation is still low in Germany. Among existing validation opportunities, external student examinations in VET and the recognition of foreign formal competences acquired abroad have highest visibility in the population, as can be inferred from participation numbers. However, participation numbers in external student examinations in VET are stagnating. Furthermore, recognition of foreign formal competences via qualification analyses (if documentation of foreign qualifications was not sufficient) attracted only around 1,275 participants between 2012 and 2020 (BIBB, 2022a). A slightly more optimistic picture can be identified in the sector of HE, where the number of students without standard HE entrances qualifications increases slowly but constantly over the past decades (Nickel and Thiele, 2022).

While the most prominent validation projects have been renewed or successor projects have been launched (e.g., the prolongation of ValiKom to 2024, or the launch of NetQA as a successor to the Prototyping projects), significant change has not yet been achieved on a system-level. Also due to its status as a pilot project, ValiKom only attracted a comparatively low number of participants (595 individuals between 2015-20) (OECD, 2021b). The permanent implementation of the ValiKom framework has not yet been achieved but is foreseen until 2024. Consequently, awareness in the population about validation opportunities is still limited by slow change on the policy level, and validation remains an “exceptional” route to qualifications compared to undergoing ‘standard’ education and training.

Whether the outcomes of validation are de facto recognised by German employers and enjoy trust among the population also depends on the reliability of the institution issuing the certificate (Schambeck, 2017). Many of the current validation arrangements involve main stakeholders of the German skill formation system, often the Chambers as the competent body of the respective occupation. As the chambers are involved in validation and also responsible for examinations as part of the German VET system, trust by participants and the wider society in the validation process is further secured. At the same time, main stakeholders in the German skill formation system are usually keen to emphasise that validation should not replace established training procedures German VET system and partly perceive validation as a weakening of and alternative route to standardised qualifications predominantly earned within the dual apprenticeship system. Such political dynamics contribute to the relatively low pace of expanding validation arrangements in Germany.

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The author has also drawn on multiple sources consulted in relation to a previous Cedefop 2022 study supporting the evaluation of the Council Recommendation on the validation of non-formal and informal learning (2012).