“To make the process effective, quality assurance should be aligned with the actual needs of the individual,” says Ernesto Villalba from Cedefop. Photo: Cedefop.
Villalba: Validation that empowers – putting learners at the centre
Author: Ernesto VillalbaPublished:
“To make the process effective, quality assurance should be aligned with the actual needs of the individual,” says Ernesto Villalba from Cedefop. Photo: Cedefop.
”If validation processes are too complex or inaccessible, they fail their purpose,” writes Ernesto Villalba from the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Education and Training (Cedefop). He calls for stronger support throughout identification and documentation.
Vast amount of adults’ knowledge and skills learned in non-formal and informal settings remain uncertified, making it hard for individuals to show what they know and move forward in their careers. Validation offers a way to recognise these skills and make them count, shortening training periods and opening flexible pathways for lifelong learning.
To make validation arrangement effective and making sure that they are fully exploited, it is crucial that the learners themselves are considered in all elements of a validation arrangement. Validation must empower individuals to use their full potential and open doors to learning and work. If validation processes are too complex or inaccessible, they fail their purpose.
The guidelines do not promote a single ‘correct solution’ but rather identify alternatives and their implications through posing a series of reflective questions that cover every aspect of validation. These questions serve as a framework for stakeholders when designing, implementing or refining validation systems.
The guidelines do not promote a single solution but rather offer alternatives.
Key questions address diverse issues related to: the objectives of validation, the context in which it is implemented, the connection to other policies and services, the different stakeholders involved, how it should be financed, how to assure quality and professionalism, what reference points, standards and learning outcomes are used and how are they connected to existing qualifications frameworks, what methods are used and how to find balance of reliability, scalability, cost and validity.
HOWEVER, THE CENTRAL question remains: Is the individual considered and put at the centre in all elements of a validation arrangement?
All the elements referred above must serve the individual to make their skills and competences visible and valuable. Is the validation system objective of a formative nature, focusing on personal development and growth or is it about getting a specific certification that give access to the individual to a specific job? If there are diverse arrangements, with different objectives, are they interconnected, so that the individual can transfer learning outcomes from one system to another?
Is the individual placed at the centre of the validation process?
Professionals in the validation arrangements need to be trained and prepared to handle and manage individual’s expectations. They need to support and assist individuals in the identification, documentation, preparation for assessment and understand certification of learning outcomes.
Career guidance and counselling before, during and after the validation process plays a major role. Validation systems and practices need to be aligned with lifelong guidance systems as well as other services and policies, such as active labour market, youth or migration policies (Cedefop, 2019). Validation processes should be able to include specific vulnerable groups, such as migrants and early school leavers.
To make the process effective, emphasis on quality assurance should be optimised to match the actual needs of the individual. Also, solutions should be found to guarantee the portability of the certificate, indicating clearly the learning outcomes achieved, their transparency, connection to national qualification frameworks. Validation services must adjust bureaucracy and complex methodological choices to the specificities of each learners, making sure they can show their full potential.
SINCE THE2012 EU Council recommendation on validation, all EU countries have established some form of validation – yet progress has been uneven. Many systems remain fragmented, lack coverage for all qualifications and are poorly interconnected. Awareness and participation are still limited, and resources and real access to validation opportunities is often missing (see Cedefop & European Commission, 2024 and Cedefop, 2025).
In other words, the systems must be improved to address the diverse range and needs of individuals who are unaware or have difficulties in navigating a complex interplay of fragmented arrangements.
IN CONCLUSION, designing, implementing or refining validation systems and practices requires a complex array of interconnected building blocks. Collectively, these can strengthen the role of validation at national and European levels, creating a coherent, effective approach.
All these building blocks must have the individual at the centre, though, as a fundamental pillar.
Disclaimer: This article was prepared by Ernesto Villalba from Cedefop and does not necessarily reflect the official views of Cedefop.
References:
Council of the European Union (2012). Council recommendation of 20 December 2012 on the validation of non-formal and informal learning, Official Journal of the European Union C 398 22.12.2012: 1-5.
Cedefop (2023). European guidelines for validating non-formal and informal learning. Luxembourg: Publications Office. Cedefop reference series; No 124. http://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2801/389827
Cedefop, & European Commission (2024). European inventory on validation of non-formal and informal learning 2023 update: Overview report. Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2801/64271
Ernesto Villalba has worked at the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Education and Training (Cedefop) since 2011. He is responsible for Cedefop’s work on validation of non-formal and informal learning. Villalba has served on various committees and working groups of the European Commission, ILO, OECD and UNESCO. Together with the European Commission, he has worked on the monitoring, implementation and evaluation of the 2012 Council Recommendation on validation as well as in the European Inventory and European Guidelines updates.
Before joining Cedefop, he worked at the Centre for Research on Lifelong Learning (CRELL) at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, contributing to the Education and Training Monitoring (formerly, progress report towards Lisbon objectives) and carrying out research in the area of transversal skills and their measurement.
Villalba holds a PhD in International and Comparative Education from Stockholm University.
Ernesto Villalbahas worked at the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Education and Training (Cedefop) since 2011. He is responsible for Cedefop’s work on validation of non-formal and informal learning. Villalba has served on various committees and working groups of the European Commission, ILO, OECD and UNESCO. Together with the European Commission, he has worked on the monitoring, implementation and evaluation of the 2012 Council Recommendation on validation as well as in the European Inventory and European Guidelines updates.Show all articles by Ernesto Villalba
