Andragoški center Slovenije

Andragoški

Prekoči do vsebine

27. 7. 2018

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Validation

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We develop knowledge throughout our lives, in various ways and under different circumstances. The validation of the non-formal and informal knowledge of adults is important because it allows us to rate all of our knowledge realistically and become aware of its importance. We develop the following in this area:

  • procedures, tools and professional materials and
  • we provide for the systemic incorporation of the field into adult education.

We also work professionally:

  • on the coordination of key providers of the National Vocational Qualifications system (NPK);
  • on the training of the members of committees for the validation of NPK;
  • on the establishment of ties with key stakeholders and the entities tasked with the development of this field at home and abroad.

In the Slovenian education system, adult learning is validated and recognised for two purposes: for participation in formal education and the acquisition of national vocational qualifications (NPK). We also support a third purpose with our development projects at the SIAE: documentation and validation of adults’ knowledge and experience in order to ensure greater flexibility on the labour market, personal growth and the development of key competences. When developing and implementing the procedure for the validation of adults’ non-formal and informal learning, we follow international professional recommendations. Both the EU (2012) and the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop, 2015) define four key phases of the validation process: identification, documentation, assessment and certification. We develop professional materials and tools for the first three phases. The result of the validation process is a portfolio in physical and electronic format, an opinion of an adult education professional on the individual’s competences, and a plan for further education, employment and career development. We have outlined these activities most comprehensively in the manual entitled Determination, Validation and Recognition of Adults’ Non-formal and Informal Learning.

According to Article 52 of the Adult Education Act (AEA-1), which was adopted in 2018, guidance in adult education is the subject of the public service in this field in Slovenia. Identification and documentation of knowledge and skills is one of three areas of guidance, the other two being enrolment in education and continuation of education and organised self-directed learning. Guidance on identification and documentation refers to the professional support provided by counsellors to adults on identification and documentation of their previously acquired knowledge and skills, which are the first two phases in the comprehensive process of validating their previously acquired knowledge and skills. The active role of the adult in gathering certificates and other documentation is emphasised as well as the active role of the counsellor in guiding the adult through the process and presenting the possibilities of using the results of this process in continuation of education and career development. The professional basis for the implementation of guidance activities in adult education is substantiated in The Guidelines for Implementing Adult Education Guidance as a Public Service (adopted by the Expert Council for Adult Education in June 2020).

The quality of the work in this area is ensured through the training of professionals who carry out procedures for adult learning validation and through the development of approaches for the monitoring and evaluation of processes, results and effects of the validation.

Would you like to learn more about the validation of (your own) knowledge? Visit the web portal Validation and Recognition of Non-formal Learning.

Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.

Chinese proverb

© 2024 Slovenian Institute for Adult Education. All rights reserved.

Author: Creatim

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