The Norwegian approach to validation of nonformal and informal learning benefits for individuals, en

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The Norwegian approach to validation of
non-formal and informal learningbenefits for
individuals, enterprises and society
6th ERDI Expert Seminar 12th May
2006 Torild.nilsen.mohn_at_vox.no
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• Background
• Agreements
• Upper secondary education
• Higher education
• Working life
• 3 sector
• Vox as a national actor
• Challenges

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Tekst
The Competence Reform in Norway
Background
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The Competence Reform (1999-2003)

• Main strategy for lifelong learning for adults in
  Norway- both a workplace and an educational
  reform
• Main goal to provide individuals, enterprises
  and society with the competence needed
• Targeted at all adults, both employed and
  unemployed
• Aimed at broad, differentiated opportunities for
  competence development

Background
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Some results

• Adults have been given a statutory right to
  primary and secondary education based on non-
  formal and informal learning
• The educational providers are obliged to design
  the education offered in accordance with the
  needs of adults
• Individual employees have gained the right to
  obtain study leave of absence for further
  education

Background
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Some results

• Grants and scholarship for adults are provided on
  equal terms with younger students
• The Competence Building Programme (learning at
  work)
• A system for validation of non-formal and
  informal learning is being established

Background
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A national system for documentation of non-formal
and informal learning

• The Parliament asks the Government
• to establish a system that gives adults
• the right to document their non-formal and
  informal learning
• without having to undergo traditional forms of
  testing
• (Jan 1999)

Background
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The Validation Project - Shared ownership and
responsibility
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The Validation Project -A bottom up approach

• Experiential method
• Establishment of networks with representatives
  from the local projects and the central
  co-ordination office
• Continuous information to all actors
• Training of counsellors and assessors

Background
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Benefits

• In general personal development
• In relation to the education system shortening
  of courses and individualisation of study
  programmes and issuing of certificates
• In relation to working life career development,
  issuing of certificates and the grading of wages
  and salaries
• In relation to third sector description of
  competence

Background
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A question of..

• Attitudes to learning
• Building bridges between different learning
  arenas
• Establishing systems
• Laws and regulations

Background
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Validation

• Validation The process of assessing and
  recognising a wide range of skills and
  competences which people develop through their
  lives and in different contexts, for example
  through education, work and leisure activities.
• Validation in relation to formal education and
  training
• B. Validation in relation to the labour market
  (enterprises, branches and sectors)
• C. Validation in relation to voluntary and civil
  society activities

Background
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. Tailored training
Agreements
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Shared principles

• Voluntary
• Perceived by the individual as beneficial
• Documentary proof owned by individual
• Description of actual experiences
• Easy in use
• Transparent
• In line with European developments
• Purpose Career development, job-seeking and / or
  admission in the educational system

Agreements
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Upper secondary education

• Education Act (2002)
• Adults born prior to 1978 have statutory right to
  be accepted for upper secondary education on the
  basis of assessed non-formal and informal
  learning.
• The education must be adapted to the individuals
  need and life situation

Upper secondary education
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• Janna
• Now I am a professional!
• Her history
• Education nursery nurse
• Dutch by birth
• Working as a national costume maker, self made
• Needed a craft certificate
• Couldn't leave home because of family situation

2. Brosjyre
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• She contacted a skill centre who offered
• Guidance
• Help to build a portfolio
• Assessment
• Documentation
• Her prior learning and practical experience
  became visible

2. Brosjyre
Different assessment methods Dialogue based
method, Assessment of portfolio, vocational
testing In respect to the requirements stipulated
in the national curricula
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Entrance to higher education based on VPL
(admission)

• The institutions may grant applicants who are 25
  years of age or older admission to specific
  courses on the basis of their informal and
  non-formal learning adequate for the course
  concerned.
• Applications are assessed by the individual
  college or university. The institutions of higher
  education are free to decide what constitutes the
  necessary qualifications for admittance, and the
  admittance procedures are decided locally.

Higher education
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Exemption from study modules, tests and exams
based on VPL

• Documentation of informal and non-formal learning
  may also provide a basis for exemption.

Higher education
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Facts and figures

• 2001, 2002 about 7 000 students were annually
  admitted on the basis of VPL
• 2005 about 5 000 students were admitted
• VPL students are mostly women (70) who apply for
  professional studies at a regional college. 40
  per cent of applicants are considered qualified
  for study. 40 per cent want to be qualified for
  work in the social and health sector.
• Students with VPL background from upper secondary
  school face difficulties in higher education
  because of their lack of grades
• Only 123 people applied for exemption in higher
  education during 2001-2004.

Higher education
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Working Life

• Working environment act
• legal right to receive a written reference from
  the employers (employees name, date of birth, the
  content of the job and the length of employment)
• All employees who have worked for at least 3
  years have the right to 3 years of full or part
  time study leave to participate in organised
  education and training leading to documented
  competence.

Working life
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Benefits of documentation - employee opinion
Mapping of competence
External labour market
Very important Important
New job in the company
Tailored training
Individual wages
Source Fafos evalueringsrapport
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EMPLOYER
2. Brosjyre
EMPLOYEE
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Jakob, manager in butchery business We saw a
string of demands! Five years ago hygienic
demands from the public authorities, price- and
quality demands from the customers, profit
demands from the owners A need for change in the
approach to the production procedure and quality
assurance the whole company has to feel a common
responsibility
2. Brosjyre
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• Started an internal process
• Description of the production and the procedures
• Mapping of human resources
• Mapping of competence needs
• Making of development and training plans

2. Brosjyre
Today mapping of HR every 6th week (employees
responsible), better cooperation between
management and employees, better working
mobility, documentation of skills and training
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Status working life

• The main agreement between the social partners
  have competence development on the agenda
• Documentation of competence is considered useful
  but not implemented
• Small companies struggles to implement competence
  development

Working life
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Competence from voluntary work
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The current situation for organisations

• Tool available
• Competence mapping is possible and available
  not compulsory.
• Will be used if the organisations choose to do so
  and if they have the capacity.
• The use varies instead of being a natural part
  of learning activities it is sporadic.

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Why limited use?

• 1 Need for more information and training, local
  level especially.
• 2 Small number of employees.
• 3 Limited financial resources.
• 4 Mapping of competencies just indirectly their
  mandate.

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Vox as national actor

• National surveys what is the situation?
• National network supporting the system of
  validation in upper secondary education
• Training the trainers
• Information campaigns
• National projects

Vox as a national actor
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National survey

• 2003 21 181 adults with statutory right in
  secondary education
• 2003 10 549 is accepted for upper secondary
  education on the basis of assessed non-formal and
  informal learning. 80 of them in vocational
  education.

Vox as a national actor
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Upper secondary educationTraining the assessors

• A national tour 2004/2005
• Production of study material
• Two days meetings
• Why, what, how
• Guidance training
• 788 participants
• ResultKnowledge of the status in this area,
• and basis for further development

Vox as a national actor
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Working lifeInformation campaign

• Sogn og Fjordane as a starting point
• Campaign material
• Good examples
• Meetings

Vox as a national actor
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Projects 2006

• Validation of unemployed, cooperation between
  employment offices and education centres
• Documentation and validation in public sector
  (elderly people, no formal education)
• Validation effects in higher education
• Common practise in upper secondary education
• Various projects related to documentation in
  working life

Vox as a national actor
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Challenges

• More targeted information
• From regional arrangements to a national system
• To get life long learning into the educational
  budget (awareness at local policy level)

Challenges
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Challenges

• To bring LLL back on the local political agenda
• Change attitude to the meaning of the term
  learning
• Better transparency between learning arenas

Challenges