Recognition of Prior Learning

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Recognition of Prior Learning

• European Experiences, Perspective and Models

Speaker Donal Kerr Manager, Certification
Standards FÁS - Training Employment
Authority IRELAND
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Ireland in Europe
IRELAND
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Member of the following bodies, in the area of
Vocational Qualifications

• National Qualifications Authority of Ireland
• Further Education Training Awards Council
  (Ireland)
• Operations Quality Committee, City Guilds of
  London Institute
• Chairperson European Vocational Training
  Associations Certification Committee

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Introduction

• Increased focus on standards and on qualification
  frameworks over last decade has lead to greater
  interest in Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
• European Training and Awarding bodies have
  participated in EU funded projects using common
  RPL Model
• Could a common model apply?
• Positive results so far

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FÁS Perspectives on RPL

• RPL is a process that enables people of all ages,
  backgrounds and attitudes to gain recognition for
  experience, skills and knowledge they already
  possess

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FÁS Perspectives on RPL

• RPL puts a value on learning through open and
  transparent assessment. The process
• Identifying what the person knows
• Matching their knowledge/skills to specific
  occupational/qualification standards
• Assessing person against those standards
• Crediting person for skills, knowledge
  experience
• Recording future training needs

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FÁS Perspectives on RPL

• The process can then be used for
• award or credit
• access to education and training at the
  appropriate point
• diagnoses of gaps and the need for specific
  education/training

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FÁS Perspectives on RPL

• FÁSs Certification Framework is designed to
  accommodate RPL as its focus is
• Certification of skills not courses
• Modular - full/part credits
• Competence based - skill/vocational focus
• Industry based, criterion referenced
  standards - provide links to labour market

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FÁS Perspectives on RPL

• RPL in FÁS stems from a policy of widening access
  to certification
• Refer to RPL as Taking Credit
• Same certificate irrespective of where skills
  achieved
• RPL used to gain exemptions/credits or to access
  education training

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FÁS Activities in RPLConstruction Sector

• Provided RPL for construction sector
• In partnership with employer bodies and unions
• Offer certification in 4 areas
• (1) Plant operator -Tower Crane Drivers,
  Telescopic Mobile Handlers, Digger/Loader (2)
  Roofers (3) Scaffolders (Basic Advanced) (4)
  Construction Operators - Pipe Drain laying,
  paving kerbing, steel fixing concreting
• Standards inserted into Irish Building
  Regulations
• Health Safety now require qualifications

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FÁS Activities in RPL ESB Accreditation

• Major project to accredit Linespersons of
  Electricity Supply Board to craft Electrician
  status (1997-2003)
• 60 received National Craft Certificate to date -
  60-80 more in 2002 (out of 300-400 in total)
• Combines accreditation of prior experience
  distance learning and formal training

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FÁS RPL Projects in South Africa Bloemfontein

• Pilot RPL project for Construction Sector
  (June-Dec 1995)
• FÁS BITB - Irish Govt. funding
• Bricklaying and Carpentry trades selected
• 315 people screened from unemployed and
  construction sector - 202 selected registered
• 161 awarded skill certificates
• 19 awarded full craft qualification

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RPL in South Africa

• Certification model with 2 levels
• completion of full trade test Artisan status
  full trade certificate from BITB/Dept. of
  Labour
• employable skill certification awarded to those
  who completed one of more skill test
• Certified training programmes for RPL Advisors
  and Assessors - endorsed by BITD
• motivated and certified RPL practitioners

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RPL in South Africa

• Pilot successful in meeting objectives
• Pilot foundation for expansion of RPL nationally
• Steering Committee under chair of NTB
• key in assuring quality and credibility
• Joint Certification Agreement between FÁS and
  BITB (Dec 1995)

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RPL for Construction Education Training
Authority

• EU funded project to develop an efficient,
  sustainable nation-wide system for RPL for
  building trades ( 2001-2003)
• Linked to National Qualification Framework (NQF)
• Objective increase employment opportunities
  productivity in building and construction sector

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Key Result Areas for Project

• RPL locations in 9 provinces
• Training registering of approved RPL
  practitioners
• Development of RPL guidelines procedures
• RPL based certification for 6000 candidates
• NQF based unit standards developed
• NQF based training materials developed
• Recognition of RPL certification for employment
  and remuneration
• RPL database

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Sustainability Outcomes

• Registered Qualified Advisor, Assessor
  Verifier/Moderator practitioners
• RPL system, policy documents adopted by Dept of
  Labour, CETA, SAQA
• Funding for RPL legislated for by Dept of Labour
• RPL/CETA database linked to others
• RPL qualified persons obtaining employment/
  progressing learning
• Trade Unions, Employers, Employees participating
  in RPL process

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European Projects CEDEFOP

• CEDEFOP (European Centre for the Development of
  Vocational Training) project Identification,
  Validation Accreditation of Prior Informal
  Learning
• Ireland, Scotland, Germany, France
• Formed basis for model on RPL for Europe-wide
  study

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European Projects Agora

• Participant in CEDEFOP Agora on
  Identification, Assessment Recognition of
  non-formal learning
• Representative of trade unions, employers,
  government bodies
• Papers available on www.trainingvillage.gr -
  final report soon

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European Projects CEDEFOP/ Norwegian Conference
May 2000

• Competence reform and non-formal learning
• Examined methodologies for assessment and
  recognition of non formal learning
• Q of acceptance legitimacy of RPL in different
  political/institutional frameworks
• Impact of labour relations
• Summary paper Making Learning Visible by Jen
  Bjornvold available from CEDEFOP

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European Projects EVTA

• European Vocational Training Association
• Chairman of Certification Committee
• Project Development of a Common Model for the
  Recognition and/or certification of acquired
  skills
• Agreed model virtually identical to model used in
  FÁS-Ireland and FÁS International-South Africa

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European Projects EVTA Project Report

• 3 principles of methodology
• individual approach of candidates
• application of RPL procedures in context of
  national qualification systems
• an approach wide enough to cover different
  sectors of activities professions

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European Projects EVTA Project Report

• Experimentation in 3 areas
• electricity
• automobile
• catering

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European Projects EVTA Project Report

• Model carried out in 3 stages
• advising assessing candidates
• drawing up portfolio and /or organisation tests
  to gauge skill
• assessment, accreditation and /or certification

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European Projects EVTA Project Report

• Project progressed as follows
• training of teams of counsellors and evaluators
• experimental phase
• national and transnational evaluation
• revision of model
• final report
• Expert Group established to progress RPL

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European Projects Multi-Apel

• Multi-sector, Multi-method Multi-country
  project on accreditation of prior experience
  learning in several sectors and countries
• Instruments and procedures developed for Care and
  Electrotechnology Sector
• Conclusion is possible to use same RPL model
  despite differences
• This Model provides good overview of methods and
  procedures of RPL

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International Projects OECD

• Organisation for Economic Co-operation
  Development initiated the project The Role of
  National Qualifications Systems in Promoting
  Lifelong Learning
• Recognition of prior informal learning will be
  key element in this as will the qualifications
  impact on the process of learning, teaching and
  training

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Comments on an RPL System in South Africa

• Credit awarded for achievement of learning
  outcomes, not experience alone
• A learning outcome is what a learner should
  know/be able to do as a result of being involved
  in a learning process
• Learning should imply a conceptual and practical
  grasp of knowledge or competence
• Learning should be applicable outside the
  environment in which it was learned

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RPL in South Africa

• Need to equate informally achieved learning
  outcomes with those listed for objectives on an
  approved course
• Evaluation of these may lead to credits,
  exemptions or lead to certification
• Learning not experience being evaluated
• To facilitate RPL existing syllabi need to be
  amended to re-state learning in terms of learning
  outcomes

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Criteria for RPL

• Criteria used of paramount importance
• as they ensure adequacy consistency of
  standards maintained across South Africa
• Decisions on assessment methods required
• Need procedures and instruments in place to
  identify and accredit learning

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Criteria for RPL A system must

• Be transparent to potential applicants,
  employers, education training providers
• Be transparent, equitable accessible across
  occupations education training institutions
• Be credible to academia, applicants, employers,
  public education and training providers
• Have assessors, advisors and administrators that
  are qualified in theory and procedures of RPL
• Have certified practical training for assessors
  advisors - this is essential

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An RPL system must

• Give consistent reproducible results regardless
  of applicant, assessor or education/training
  institution
• Be monitored to conform to national standards
• Be administered with clear, simple structures
• Have user-friendly documentation record keeping
  procedures
• Be cost effective

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Key Role of RPL Advisor

• The Advisor is critical to RPL process
• Provide candidates with an understanding of RPL
  process and assist on the construction of their
  claim
• Their role is to
• assist candidates to identify qualification most
  suited to their needs
• assist candidates to understand learning
  outcomes identify areas where claims might be
  made

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Key Role of RPL Advisor

• assist candidates to understand the assessment
  procedures
• assist candidates to reflect on the identity of
  learning outcomes associated with their
  experience
• advise on gathering evidence, the authentication
  required format of claims
• help candidates draw up an action plan for
  further development

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Role of Assessor

• The Assessor is a crucial role
• Need nationally agreed procedures
• detail must suit South African conditions
• RPL Policy
• occupational standards
• qualification system
• education training structures

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An RPL Focus

• Requires change in attitude of many staff as it
  challenges dominant input of third level
  education by
• emphasising outcomes and evidences which depend
  on the applicant
• rather than inputs which are controlled by
  lecturer/trainer
• RPL is candidate centred
• Delivery systems should reflect this

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Quality Assurance

• RPL system - simple easily understood
• Only meaningful if underpinned by quality
  standards and processes
• Quality Assurance key in ensuring credibility of
  RPL process and resulting qualifications
• FÁS plays lead role in external quality assurance
  links with assessment/learning providers to
  ensure required standards are maintained

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Conclusion

• Belief the learning is/should be confined to
  formal education or training no longer tenable
• Belief that learning confined to early years of
  life is outdated
• Must give recognition/currency to skills learned
  outside formal education
• Must provide second chance to those without
  qualifications

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Conclusion

• Demand for new qualifications growing rapidly
• Life Long Learning and informally acquired skills
  require certification to be of value
• FÁS experience has shown the Recognition of Prior
  Learning, with right conditions, can work across
  all occupations