Czech Business Today

Recently, CEDEFOP published the European Inventory on validation of non-formal and informal learning, which covered 33 European countries. It showed that a better design and implementation of effective tools to validate non-formal and informal learning is needed so they can better contribute to tackling current bottlenecks within the EU labour market. 

New tools and policies are being designed. The EESC strongly believes that emphasis should be placed on identifying, recording, assessing and hence valorizing the outcomes of non-formal and informal learning and doing so in the most comparable way possible that is comprehensible to all parties involved, particularly employers and educational institutions. This validation could provide opportunities in particular to certain disadvantaged groups (such as women, migrants, young people, and older workers). However, it should not create false hopes that they would quickly find a place in the labour market. This requires economic and social policy aimed more at investment, creating quality jobs, and reducing poverty and the risk of social exclusion. 

These policies must also guide and support the strengthening of education, vocational training and retraining systems. Member States should provide opportunities for people of different age and qualification levels to get the outcomes of non-formal and informal learning validated. The EESC calls for support for all stakeholders, particularly social partners and other civil society organizations, to make them aware of the benefits of validation and enable them to participate actively in setting national qualifications frameworks and determining professional qualifications. A good national legislative framework is a prerequisite for ensuring the equal value of certificates achieved through formal and non-formal or informal learning. This places significant demands on the quality of validation processes, which should be financially supported by, for example, the European Social Fund. Also, the collective bargaining and social dialogue between unions and employers could play an important role in the process of validating non-formal education and lifelong learning and it should be used as an instrument to work on validating non-formal learning as an important contribution to the debate on employability and instruments to support it. 

Given the high rate of youth unemployment, opportunities for interaction between public and private employment agencies, volunteer organizations (particularly of young people) and employers should be supported. This can serve as a means of promoting the visibility – and raising awareness of the importance and value – of non-formal education and informal learning in voluntary organizations, as well as strengthening mutual trust.

Marie Zvolská
EESC Member – Group I, co-rapporteur on the opinion