Recognition And Accreditation Of Work Experience And Non-formal Training: State Of The Art

Author(s):

María José Chisvert-Tarazona(presenting / submitting)Miriam Abietar-López Vicent Horcas-López

Conference:

ECER 2014

Network:

02. Vocational Education and Training (VETNET)

Format:

Paper

Session Information

02 SES 07 B, Mapping VET Accreditation

Paper Session

Time:

2014-09-03

17:15-18:45

Room:

B027 Anfiteatro

Chair:

Lars Heinemann

Contribution

In the nineties in the last century, most European countries reformulated their policies about vocational education and undertook the development of National Qualifications Frameworks (NQFs). The goal was to respond to the needs that the Stated and the social agents experienced for transparency and the recognition of the competences. The comparison of those qualification systems showed variations in the “philosophy”, concepts and working methods (Torres & Hernández, 2000). No doubt the contextual factors have been very significant in the formation of NQFs (Cedefop, 2010; Allais, 2010). The dimensions of each country, the diversity of educational systems, the governance mechanisms, the degree of centralization/decentralization, the structure of labour markets and the educational policy are involved in defining its idiosyncrasy.

The management of learning outcomes based on qualifications levels provides a benchmark for the validation and application of NQFs. Countries such as Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway and Portugal pay attention on the role of NQFs in the promotion of validation (Cedefop, 2012).

Nowadays, recommendations of the Council European (2012) propel a greater European cooperation by supporting policies and national practices in the field of validation of non-formal and informal learning.

The recognition of the professional competences is undoubtedly one of the most important actions developed by those systems. This allows the knowledge that legitimizes a professional collective to be susceptible of accreditation. The objective is offering the possibility of certification of what one “knows” in relation to a context of activity, regardless of where that leaning took place (Tejada, 2007). These systems of recognition and accreditation direct their efforts to enable transitions to training systems, transparency in the labour market and the reduction of social exclusion (Souto-Otero, 2012). Their objectives highlight promoting employability of citizenship and mobility, promoting learning throughout life and promoting social cohesion.

In Spain, after the approval of the Law on Qualifications and Vocational Training, a legal framework directed to order a comprehensive system of vocational training, qualifications and accreditation is established. This system articulates a model of qualifications defined from a functional analysis methodology. It is supported with the participation of social agents and it seeks to connect with the Community framework and the specific demands of the productive sectors. The recent procedure for the recognition of professional competences acquired through non-formal education and work experience (Royal Degree 1224/2009), starts out of a normative curricular reference and allows implementing the calls for the accreditation of professional competences.

This presentation is the result of a project financed by the University of Valencia. It aims to deepen about the state of the art in the processes of recognition and accreditation of professional qualifications in Spain, the context of the research, through secondary sources and interviews with experts. We performed an analysis at three levels. The macro analysis allowed reviewing the evolution of the most relevant concepts relating to accreditation of qualifications in the scientific and professional contexts. It allowed, as well, knowing the international socio-political context, basically European, where the NQFs are established, as well as the historical/current models which allow the comparison of the accreditation systems. The meso analysis was conducted to deepen into the pedagogical dimension and the meaning and significance of the evaluation in the accreditation processes, taking special awareness of vulnerable groups. The micro analysis allowed reviewing the implementation process of accreditation in Spain.

Method

The review of references aimed to enrich the reflection from academic texts, from research by international organization as Cedefop (2002, 2010, 2012), CIDEC (2000), OECD (2007) or OIT (2000), from normative legislative documentation relating to accreditation of knowledge in contexts of non-formal and informal learning and from technical texts. European secondary sources and, to a greater extent, Spanish, are collected. The purpose is to provide the accreditation of professional experience, of analytical elements and consistent referents that enable its analysis in the Spanish context. The revised sources of information refer to three types of needs: (1) Contextualization of the analysis in the western socio-political reality and its relation with the accreditation of qualifications; (2) Establishment of historical/current references of the accreditation systems in the immediate context; (3) Selection and review of the theoretical and conceptual keys that function as interpretation axes, and analysis of the available opportunities and the possible risks, mainly in the vulnerable groups. In parallel, 15 experts in the processes of accreditation of competences and/or vocational training of vulnerable groups have been interviewed. This technique of data collection is aimed at knowing perceptions, beliefs and conceptions regarding the accreditation of qualification processes in representative agents in decision-making and/or generating academic or professional discourses about these processes. According to Flick (2004) and Meuser & Nagel (1991), the respondent has less interest as a (complete) person than as his quality as an expert in this field. Three methods have been used to guarantee credibility and transfer of this technique: (1) Validation of the instrument by experts in methodology and/or vocational training; (2) Triangulation, which allows complementing the interview with other used techniques; and (3) Saturation, from the repetition of speeches. The answers provide practical-procedural knowledge about opportunities of accreditation in collective at serious risk of social exclusion. This qualitative method of consulting experts was selected as a central issue in the proceeding. Mainly because it is expected experts to offer conclusive assessments of the object of study and recommendations under an optimum competence.

Expected Outcomes

Among the results, a need is detected, experienced by the States and social agents about transparency of competencies and a trend towards a greater European cooperation that begins to provide support to national policies and practices in the field of validation of non-formal and informal learning. This recognition of the qualification enables a priori access towards the training systems, transparency in the labour market and the reduction of social exclusion. We highlight the necessary agreement between social actors, administration and citizenship on the object, procedure, resources and distribution of this system of accreditation assignments. The interrelation between the accreditation of the professional competence and the productive activity contributes to the development of expertise, an opportunity that should be linked to better working conditions. It is not only about building methodologically ideal solutions, but socially legitimate and viable (Bjørnåvold, 2005). Nevertheless, the current relationships between employment, training and competence transfers the requirement of flexibility to workers (Viveret & Equipo Promocions, 2004), pointing to outcomes rather than educational processes (Young & Allais, 2011). Furthermore, the term competence refers to “know to do” or “to act” in a professional context that requires high involvement. The accreditation of those competences promotes learning throughout life, but it can also promote a perpetual coaching career, with implicit risks of exclusion. The NQFs mostly agree on the general outline of the accreditation process, but they differ in the specific methods of assessment of competence (MEC, 2004). This assessment, usually developed from government agencies, has also become a new form of regulation and control of the learning outcomes. In Spain, the poor dissemination of the accreditation system of qualifications, the insufficient calls, as well as the “distance” between the language of the socio-professional context and the one provided by the NQF, testifies to a week political will towards accreditation.

References

Allais, S. (2010). The implementation and impact of national qualifications frameworks: report of a study in 16 countries. Geneva: ILO. http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@ed_emp/@ifp_skills/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_126589.pdf Bjørnåvold, J. (2005). The learning continuity: European inventory on validatingnon-formal and informal learning. National policies and practices in validating non-formal and informal learning. Cedefop Panorama series; 117. Cedefop (2012). Development of national qualifications frameworks in Europe. October 2011. Luxemburgo: Oficina de Publicaciones de las Comunidades Europeas. - (2010). The development of national qualifications framework in Europe (August 2010). (Working Paper; 8). http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/6108_en.pdf - (2002). Ágora V. Identification, Evaluation and Recognition of Non-formal Learning: Thessaloniki, 15 and 16 March 1999. Luxembourg: office for Official Publications of the European Communities. CIDEC (2000). Competencias profesionales. Enfoques y modelos a debate. Cuadernos de trabajo, 27. Donostia: Eusko Jaurlaritza. Council European (2012). Council recommendations of 20 December 2012 on the validation of non-formal and informal learning (2012/C398/01). http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2012:398:0001:0005:EN:PDF Flick, U. (2004). Introducción a la investigación cualitativa. Morata: Madrid. Ley Orgánica 5/2002, de 19 de junio, de las Cualificaciones y de la Formación Profesional. BOE nº 147 de 20/06/2002. MEC (2004). Evaluación, Reconocimiento y Acreditación de las competencias profesionales (Proyecto ERA experimental). Madrid: Subdirección General de Formación Profesional. Meuser, M. y Nagel, U. (1991). Expertlnneninterviews-vielfach erprobt, wenig bedacht. Ein Beitrag zur qualitativen methodendiskussion. In D. Grarz and K. Kraimer. Qualitativ-emperische sozialforschung, Westdeutscher Verlag: Opladen, 441-468. OECD (2007). Education and Training Policy Qualifications Systems: Bridges to Lifelong Learning. Paris: OECD Publishing. OIT (2000). Boletín Técnico Interamericano de Formación Profesional. Competencias Laborales en la formación profesional. Cinterfor. N° 149 mayo-agosto. Real Decreto 1224/2009, de 17 de julio, de reconocimiento de las competencias profesionales adquiridas por experiencia laboral. BOE 205, 25/08/2009. Souto-Otero, M. (2012). Learning outcomes. Good, irrelevant, bad or none of the above? Journal of Education and Work, 25, 3, 249-258. Tejada, J. (2007). Aprendizajes no formales e informales: reconocimiento y certificación en Europa. Ponencia presentada en el IX Congreso Internacional de Galicia y Norte de Portugal de formación para el trabajo. Santiago de Compostela 25-26/10/2007. Torres, G. y Hernández, F. (2000). Los sistemas de cualificación profesional. Valencia: Germania Serveis Gràfics S.L. Young, M. y Allais, S. (2011).The shift to outcomes based frameworks: key problems from a critical perspective. Austrian Open Acces Journal of Adult Education, 14. Viveret, P. y Equipo Promocions (2004). Reconsiderar la riqueza y el empleo. Barcelona: Icaria.

Author Information

María José Chisvert-Tarazona (presenting / submitting)

University of Valencia, Spain

Miriam Abietar-López

University of Valencia, Spain

Vicent Horcas-López

University of Valencia, Spain

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