Validating skills: the recognition that young people deserve

Engaging in youth and voluntary work can offer huge benefits to young people, not least of all the development of important life skills. In spite of the existing evidence of such impact, adequate recognition and validation of competences gained through non-formal education is still lacking. On the 9th of July, the European Youth Forum and the European Civil Society Platform on Lifelong Learning (EUCIS-LLL) held a joint policy debate to discuss how EU and national policy can make progress in this area.

The policy debate, ‘Validation of learning outcomes: opportunities and threats for non-formal education’, brought together participants from national and international organisations as well as representatives from the European Commission and the EESC. Presented at the debate were key ongoing projects by civil society organisations on the validation of competences gained in the youth and voluntary sector, as well the outcomes of EUCIS-LLL’s recent survey on the recognition of non-formal learning by employers. The discussion of tools and initiatives being implemented on a national level also allowed for the exchange of best practices and recommendations.

Non-formal education describes learning that takes place outside of traditional settings such as school or university, and encompasses activities such as volunteering or participation in youth organisations. The policy debate concluded that greater efforts are required to advance the national implementation of the 2012 Council Recommendation on the validation of non-formal and informal learning. Most Member States are still a long way from having validation arrangements, and the space for the voluntary sector in it is limited or non-existent. The interventions highlighted that a factor for success in this process will be the cooperation between youth organisations and other civil society organisations in adult education and volunteering, joining forces for effective advocacy work at national level.

Read a full report from EUCIS-LLL here