The validation of acquired experiential informal and non-formal learning gives the opportunity, especially to those who have no qualifications in connection with their undertaken prior activities to obtain a level of formal qualifications corresponding to their skills and competences. France can be considered as a leading country in this area as the validation of experiential learning under its present acronym VAE (Validation des acquis de l’expérience) has now been in place for 19 years. It is an integrated system which has been developed from a national perspective, strongly articulated to lifelong learning, training and employment policies. It is connected to the national qualification framework (NQF) and its directory RNCP (the National Repertory of Vocational Qualifications) allowing VAE candidates to have access to the same qualifications accessible through the formal VET schooling. As it is practised at present, it allows any individual who accumulated (regularly and irregularly) a prior experiential learning for at least one year in any type of activity in a field related to that of the targetted qualification, to apply for an exemption in its required exam-units without going through any initial or continuing school-based formal learning and training. The accreditation of the required units for the targetted qualification can be either partial or complete leading to an immediate formal qualification award (Beaupère, Kogut-Kubiak, Quintero & Urasdettan, 2020; Bere & Silvestru, 2019; Dif, Héraud, & Nkeng, 2009; Hawley-Woodall, 2019; Mathou, 2019). Its introduction and development in scope and contents has been a gradual process. At first, only practitioners in the engineering field could have their prior experiential learning validated, leading to the award of the engineer's grade (1934 Act of July the 3^rd). In the mid-eighties, the 1985 Decree extended it to include, at the university level, the supervisors, technicians and management executives. Then its generalisation via the 1992 Act to all categories of working individuals was extended and enriched by the Social Modernisation Act (17 January 2002) to include, in addition to wok-based learning, other types of experiential learning acquired through charity work, social and cultural activities. The “VAE” functioning mechanism has been recently simplified and reinforced mainly via the 2016 Act (8^th August) on “work, modernisation of social dialogue and securing professional career pathways” and the “VET Reform Act n° 2018-771 of the 5^th September 2018 concerning the freedom to choose one's professional future” and through their VAE related implementation decrees.

This paper is an investigation into the development, reforms, performance and role of the validation of acquired experiential learning in VET and the whole educational training system in France.

The adopted investigation methodology in this research is mainly based on recent scientific desk research, including documentation and performance evaluation reports and studies conducted and published by the stakeholders involved in the VAE. It is also based on the analysis of the VAE related data obtained mainly through the following basic sources: (1) - The annual inquiries n°62 and n°67 conducted by DEPP (the Directorate for the Evaluation, Forecasting and Performance) of the Ministry of Education; (2)- The annual compilation of aggregated data from various ministries involved in the VAE process by DARES (the Directorate for the Animation of Research, Studies and Statistics) of the Ministry of Labour. The outcomes of the research investigation are analysed and presented through the following main sections: (a)-background overview of the main historical, legal and institutional developments and reforms of the VAE; (b)-main functioning mechanisms and related supporting policy instruments facilitating accessibility to VAE; (c)-observed role and performance; (d)-conclusions and recommendations for future developments.

The investigation into the development and role of the VAE in the French context, especially since its reform through the Social modernisation Act 2002 under the present acronym “VAE”, allows for underlining the following basic outcome points: First, the VAE candidates' access to the formally awarded qualifications referenced within the NQF repertory has been observed to register an important development, especially since the launch of the implementation of the main reform undertaken within the framework of the 2002 Act, by allowing each year 25,000 VAE candidates on average, to benefit from a full validation with an immediate access to certification. Secondly, the VAE has also been observed to contribute throughout its development especially during this period to contribute to the promotion of professionalisation and bridging the link between the formal learning tracks and experiential informal and non-formal world-wide learning namely through the following roles: (a)- widening the scope of diploma delivery modes within a common ground unique formal qualification and certification framework; (b)-establishing, therefore, a new dynamic and more coherent relationship between occupational activity and formal modes of certification; (c)-contributing to a competence-based learning outcome curricular modularisation in VET and higher education; (d)-facilitating the creation of a real self-initiated and directed matching between vocational education and training, employment requirements and the individual's needs for vocational identity and career development; (e)-development of a learning path-fluidity and complementarity within and between different components of the educational and training system as a whole and work related experiential learning; (f)-reinforcing the quality assurance and the formative dimensions via VAE working in practice and the effective implementation of the procedural requirements embedded in the assessment and the validation process undertaken by the VAE jury. Thirdly, the VAE” has also been observed to constitute for the firm, a new external indicator for human resource performance evaluation and development.

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