EPANIL second meeting 23./24. June 2005 in Arras, France

1. Implementation of identification and validation of non-formal and informal learningA critical issue in a strongly structured VET-system EPANIL second meeting 23./24. June 2005 in Arras, France Gerald Heidegger, Irina Michel, Wiebke Petersen biat/University of Flensburg

2. Societal preconditions in a „corporatistic“ structure of VET and CVT • VET and CVT are mostly governed by employers and trade unions not by the state • VET and CVT- structure is connected with a strongly structured system of labour relations • As a result VET and CVT- certificates have an impact on the legal labour rights of the employees

3. Societal preconditions in a „corporatistic“ structure of VET and CVT • Any accreditation of non-formal and informal learning has to be treated according to the laws and agreements in labour relations • Results: Most of the European Principles are partly secured through the following regulations →

4. Societal preconditions in a „corporatistic“ structure of VET and CVT Examples regarding those principles: • Individual entitlements (particularly right to appeal) • Validation: integral part of human resource development based on social dialog • Confidence and trust: guidance is not required • Impartiality: required but not always secured, also with respect to training of assessors • Credibility and Legitimacy: unions are included, however often not on operational level

5. Relevance of non-formal and informal learning in a „corporatistic“ structure – Germany as an example • Rising awareness of the individual’s responsibility and self-organization capabilities in continuing education • Non-formal and informal learning as part of lifelong learning are gaining more attention in this context • Strong legal framework for lifelong learning in formal contexts • BUT: initiatives for validation of non-formal and informal learning within continuing education are without formalized legal framework • Legal framework becomes important when certificates are used in connection with an actual employment

6. Relevance of non-formal learning in the (dual) apprenticeship system The dual system consists of two learning environments: • Worked based learningin the company offering → formal learning options, e.g. cooking according to the instructions of the „Meister“ → non-formal learning options, e.g. observing and participating in the daily work process • School-based learning →mainly formal learning options

7. Relevance of non-formal learning in the (dual) apprenticeship system Final exam: only testing of some specific abilities, skills and knowledge, activity is „equated“ with competence Expectation: background and competence of the trainee is much broader than shown in the final examination → Input oriented idea of VET!!! → Therefore non-formal and informal learning is no alternative to an apprenticeship in the dual system!!! Consequence: separate accreditation of non-formal and informal learning relevant only in CVT

8. Relevance of non-formal and informal learning for CVT and lifelong learning • Most CVT courses are similar to the IVET-principles: non-formal learning is included in the formal learning („Meister“ in the crafts and industry) • Accreditation is only complementary to the formally accredited occupational certificates • Most important case of identification of non-formal and informal learning: „profiling“ schemes

9. Relevance of non-formal and informal learning for CVT and lifelong learning – Germany as an example • „Profiling“ schemes on behalf of the labour office Assessment of competences and skills for the re-integration into the labour market focusing on: • Former occupational experience • Content related knowledge • Curriculum vitae • Mother Tongue • Foreign language(s) • IT-skills • Personal and key-competences →no formal system of accreditation →the fact that the profiling-sheet is owned by the labour office is contradictory to European Principles

10. Recognition of non-formal and informal learning in a strongly structured VET and CVT-system? ● „Weiterbildungspass“/ “ProfilPASS“- initiative → Model of a national pass certifying informal learning → Model project of the „Federal and States Commitee on Planning Education and Promoting Research“ („Bund-Länder Kommission für Bildungsplanung und Forschungsförderung“) → Financed and commissioned by the „German Federal and States Ministries of Education“ („Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung- BMBF“)

11. Strongly structured system: model of a portfolio for lifelong learning – methods and instruments First recording system measuring informal learning: • Open recording system →operates with a concrete context in which the performed activity is described referring to suggested competences including e.g. ability to work independently or in a team →person can complete the list of suggested competencies on his/her own → the duration is registered → Outcomes are certified by a third person or organization

12. Strongly structured system: model of a portfolio for lifelong learning – methods and instruments Second recording systems measuring informal learning: • Closed recording system → gives a complete list of competencies → person can not add additional recordings → performed activity is described and registered within a concrete context and by a third person or organization

13. Model of a portfolio for lifelong learning - conclusions for a strongly structured system • Assessment stage: • Describing learning efficiencies and competencies • Mostly consisting of self-evaluation of the portfolio/ “pass“owner along a given list of competencies • Not involving external institutions that scientifically measure recorded competences →Little checkable procedures: missing assessment of how far the experience has been a learning experience

14. Strongly structured system: model of a portfolio for lifelong learning –contents • First and main step: → documentation of formal, non-formal and informal learning • Contents: → School leaving certificates (formal) →Formally accredited occupational certificates → Formally accredited certificates of further Education →Formally accredited certificates of continuing education (particularly including non-formal learning) → Work certificates issued by the employers (comprehending mostly non-formally acquired competencies)

15. Strongly structured system: model of a portfolio for lifelong learning- examples • Reports of one‘s own documentation about the processes of non-formal and informal learning • Reports about voluntary work (related to citizenship): portfolio „Nachweismappe Ehrenamt“ • Portfolio about processes of non-formal and informal learning („Kompetenzbilanz“)

16. Model of a portfolio for lifelong learning - „Kompetenzhandbuch“ as an example – part one • Originally devised by the metal workers union (IG Metall) for the IT occupations ( for these a close interrelation between formal education and informal learning is widely spread: „nerds“) • Aim: „to collect, identify, discover and make visible personal and occupational competences • Three steps: →portfolio →standardized questionnaire →action planning

17. Model of a portfolio for lifelong learning - „Kompetenzhandbuch“ as an example – part two • First step: → portfolio for the analysis for the individual profile of competences (strengths and weaknesses) as mentioned • Second step: standardized questionnaire for the analysis of personal „potentials“ including: →Contentedness with the present occupational situation → Fields of interest → Key competencies → Self-confidence →Possible fields of future work • Third step:→ action planning → Aims of personal development → Endeavours for realising these objectives

18. Model project for identification and evaluation of informal learning: „Kompetenzbilanz“ • Not to be mixed up with „bilan de compétence“ – only related to informal learning • The following show the characteristics describing the operational steps →

19. Model project for identification and evaluation of informal learning: „Kompetenzbilanz“ • Biographical learning environments • Important learning experiences (mind-map) • Learning experiences drawn from family related learning situations (mind map) • Coping strategies, field of activity and necessary competences • Daily schedule (table showing learning experiences) • Relation of learning in the family to learning during work • Table of personal profile of competencies • Self- and external evaluation (friends, supervisor, counsellor) • Checklist for using the competence profile

20. Model project for identification and evaluation of formal, non-formal and informal learning: „ProfilPASS“ • Documentation of competencies gained in the following learning environments: • Overview of one‘s life and looking back at what is important today • Fields of activity: → hobbies → household → family → school → vocational education → work → voluntary work → special life circumstances

21. Model project for identification and evaluation of formal, non-formal and informal learning: „ProfilPASS“ • Documentation of competencies gained in the following learning environments: • Balance: get an overview of abilities and competences • Goals and next steps: wishes and personal goals, preferred leisure time and work activities, interests to be liked to pursued • Collecting of reports: follows recommendations for the „Europass“

22. Societal conditions for implementing a Portfolio of lifelong learning in a strongly structured system Feasibility study regarding such a portfolio („Weiterbildungspass“) concludes: • Goals of the pass initiatives move between individual, societal and corporate demands and are often motivated merely economically • Passes operate incompletely and with little systematic procedures: additional recordings can not be included or external institutions that measure the competencies are not involved (compared to CEP) →first results of evaluation

23. Societal conditions for implementing a Portfolio of lifelong learning in a strongly structured system • Particularly demand of the unions: not only outcomes should be documented but also processes of learning which show the ability and openness for learning • Counselling is substantial – some work agreements already contain this requirement laws guiding labour relations and have to be recognised when the portfolios are used by the employers • Employees fear to be occupied– employers want as much transparency as possible • Employers want the documentation and the evaluation to be as comprehensive as possible but are not prepared to provide the necessary resources

24. CONCLUSIONS General fundamental contradiction: All groups wish the recognition of the portfolio but the legal conditions only allow this to a certain degree! • Various initiatives show the relevance of the topic in the national arena and willingness on national scale to implement non-formal and informal learning into the legal framework of continuing education • Too early to compare the efficiency and effectiveness of many initiatives • Non-formal and informal learning moves between individual, corporate and societal demands • Mostly input oriented identification of non-formal and informal learning in Germany