This presentation was given at the AVA expert conference on validation, held in Vienna on the 13th of October 2015.

1. Tijs Pijls, Vienna, 13th October
Validation
in the Netherlands

2. 1. What is the Kenniscentrum EVC? (Role and responsibility)
2. Why is APL important from the Dutch perspective?
3. How does APL work in the Netherlands?
4. APL and learning outcomes
5. Who are the main stakeholders and how do they collaborate?
6. What have been the challenges so far and what are the
possible future challenges?
7. What have been the success factors so far and again for the
future?
8. Connection APL – EQF - ECVET
Outline

3. • Knowledge management and dissemination on Recognition of
Prior Learning in the Netherlands.
• Further development of APL in the Netherlands and in all the
matters concerning the quality standards for RPL in the
Netherlands.
• Part of Partnership for Life Long Learning
• Funded by the Ministry of Education
Knowledge Center for APL

4. • Life Long Learning last years less prominent on the agenda.
Recently new dynamic;
• Employers and especially employees are responsible for Life
Long Learning. Faciltate them with p.e. APL
• Workers spend 35% of their time to activities which they
learn.
• Informal learning at work is for most workers by far the most
important source of new knowledge and skills.
• APL is primarily intended to asses existing knowledge and
skills and to consider how this can be supplemented with
(formal) education, for example, come on a VET level.
• APL as a prelude to flexible, customized training for adults
Why is APL important from the
Dutch perspective?

5. • 1,5 million people a year participate in post-initial learning
(15,5% of population);
• 80% of adult learning takes place in the private sector;
• NL has a developed system of recognition of non formal and
informal learning (APL).
Addult learning in NL
Characteristics private sector
• Turnover € 3,4 billion in 2014;
• 1.300.000 participants/students
• 16.000 providers;
• 80% zzp’er (freelancers), 20%
mediumsized and large companies;
• Mostly company education and training.
Certificates private sector
• 50% no branche or professional certificates
(mostly company education and training);
• 30% branche or professional certificates;
• 15% by the government regulated VET/HE
certificates.

6. ‘ The belief and trust that people can also gain
knowledge, skills and competences by other means
than through school and that this is as worthy as
learning through formal education’
The essence of APL

7. 1. Information and advice
2. Intake/identification: Career counselling, personal
aim, choice of standard
3. Recognise/documentation: Collect work experience
and other informal learning in a portfolio, prove it!
4. Validate/assessement: Portfolio, assessment,
compare the outcomes to standard
5. Accreditation/certification: Result of the RPL
procedure is written in a rapport called ‘certificate of
experience’
APL – How does it work

8. Qualification
standards/learning outcomes
Education standards (defined by education and
industry): qualification standards derived from
occupational profiles. Based on initial skills
acquired when a student leaves college.
Written in learning outcomes.
Industry/sector standards (defined by the
industry). Based on professional skills
(acquired through (non)formal education and
learning on the job. Written in learning
outcomes (sometimes)

9. Focus on Learning Outcomes
NLQF
Learning
Outcomes
Formal Learning

10. Certificate of experience: and
then what?
Certificate of experience (‘Ervaringscertificaat’)
Education:
- Diploma
- Exemptions
- Tailormade program
Labour market:
- Meeting demands of a job
- Show experience to potential
employer
- Starting point for development

11. • Minister of education: responsible for quality assurance
• Social partners: responible for quantity and stimulation of APL
• Convenantpartners meeting (ministry Education, Social Affairs,
Economic Affairs, Social Partners): 4x per year
• Knowlegde Centra APL: secretary of the meeting
Stakeholders

12. Quality Assurance System RPL providers
Goverment, ministry of education
DUO (Executive
organization of
the ministry)
RPL providers Evaluating
organizations
RPL QUALITY
CODE
External quality control
Advice on
accepting in
national
register
National
Register of
accredited RPL
procedures/
providers

13. • RPL = labour market instrument
• 2014 aprox. 70 registered providers
• 2011 - 2014:17.700 realised RPL procedures per year
• RPL is included in over 90 collective labour agreements
(CAO’s)
• Sector funds for professional education often provide
compensation for a procedure with a registered provider.
• Problems with transition from ‘ervaringscertficaat’ to system
for education and training (acceptation, exemption and tailor
made programmes)
Impact of validation

14. • RPL started in the 90ties without national regulations: bottom
up approach
• 2000: Dutch Knowledge Centre on APL (Lisbon agreements
on knowledge & innovation)
• 2002: Social Partners asked for structure and quality
• 2004: A first model for quality assurance was presented
• 2005: Dutch Cabinet & Social Partners decided on a covenant
for quality assurance
• 2006: All national stakeholders signed the covenant
• ‘A quality code for RPL’
Succesfactors APL (1)

15. • 2007: Government subsidises RPL initiatives, tax advantages
• 2010: Government 3 years responsible for quality APL
• 2010/2011: Qualityplan RPL + National Register
• 2012: New covenant Dutch Cabinet & Social partners: APL + LLL
• 2013: Reflection current situation, transition to new system
• 2014: broader scope on validation
• 2015: Implementation new system: private system,
• 2015: Connection APL, NLQF, ECVET
Succesfactors APL (2)

16. Connecting: NLQF – ECVET - Validation
NLQF
Qualification
ECVET
• Validation
• Examination
• Tailor made prog
ECVET
ECVET
ECVET