The paper deals about courses for assessment of prior learning for adults who want to enroll into basic (vocational) adult education (grundlæggende voksenuddannelse, GVU) GVU was estatblished in 2007 as part of the alternative educational system for adults. This system is specifically tailored to adults with labour market experience and the lowest level GVU for adults with work experince but few educational qualifications who want to obtain formal vocational qualifications. Admission requirements are a minimum age of 25 and at least two years of relevant work experience. Participants are offered an assessment of prior learning,.On this background, individual education and training plans are drawn up to supplement these competences to provide a complete, formal vocational qualification. Unlike the training in the ordinary dualIVET programmes, GVU does not include workplace-based training (Østerlund 2012). 

The pupose of the alternative educational system including GVU is to encourage the adults for training by providing transfer credit for the adults' work experience and informal learning in the workplace.  GVU can contribute to the efforts of reducing the number of unskilled workers which reflects a central European target and  which is also related to challenges of an increasing ageing workforce (Cedefop, 2012).

In Denmark there is a political focus on opportunities related to credit transfer and a number of studies of assessment of prior learning have been accomplished e.g. (Nistrup & Lund, 2010) One of the main challenges in make a fair assessment and in particular transfer of the assessment into credits? How much credit can the adult students obtain for work experience and informal learning when their VET qualification should equalize the ordinary VET qualifications? More generally the issue deals about how adults prior learning can not only be recognized but also included into the adults' competence development (Andersson 2006)

This issue is currently being researched in a project , "From unskilled to skilled worker in record time" (i.e. GVU level) within a number of industries and trades e.g. social- and health care worker, chef and sales assistant.

This paper focuses on the assessment course preparatory to drawing up the individual education and training plan. The assessment course takes 1-2 weeks and takes place in the VET colleges. As part of the overall issue mentioned above the research question is:

How does the way of assessing the adult students' competences influence on the students' perceptions of their competences?

The theoretical framwork combines the theory of "Legitimate peripheral participation" (Lave & Wenger 1989) with the theory of "Developing from novice to expert " (Dreyfus & Dreyfus 1986).

The theory of legitimate peripheral participation is used to analyze the socializing process of the adult student during the assessment course as the students are introduced into the college community of practice.

The theory of Developing from novice to expert is used to analyse the challenges for the adult students who are experts within their unskilled jobs to formulate their intuitive and context dependent performance of their job tasks.

Andersson P. & Harris J. (2006) Re-theorising the Recognition of Prior Learning. National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE). Cedefop (2012) Working and Ageing. The benefits of investing in and ageing workforce. Dreyfus H.L. & Dreyfus S.E. (1986) Mind over Machine. The Power of Human Intuition and Expertise in the Era of the Computer. Basis Blackwell. Lave, J. & Wenger E. (1989) Situated Learning. Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press Nistrup, U. & Lund A.(2010) Anerkendelse af realkompetencer - udbredelse, barrierer og gældende praksis. Østerlund R. (2012) Education and Training in Denmark.Oesterlund Education Consult