This report explores policies and practices on validation of non-formal and informal learning in the ETF's partner countries and presents the results of studies carried out in 16 countries in the period 2021-23. Countries increasingly invest in validation schemes (also known as recognition of prior learning) in an effort to give visibility to all…

Purpose: This paper aims to depart from the premise that human capital investments and human capital outcomes are often tacit -- an aspect, which is often neglected in the current literature on entrepreneurial human capital. The idea of this conceptual paper is to shed light on the social process of how human capital investments and human capital…

SELFIE is developed in reference to educational organisations or institutions. According to the foundational publication on SELFIE, Promoting Effective Digital-Age Learning, "the term educational organisation refers primarily to primary, secondary and vocational education and training (VET) schools as well as higher education institutions…

Understanding the role of prior knowledge in human learning is essential for predicting, improving, and explaining competence acquisition. However, the size and breadth of this field make it difficult for researchers to glean a comprehensive overview. Hence, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of 13,507 relevant studies published between 1980 and…

Validation of non-formal and informal learning has been gaining political momentum in Europe within the implementation of lifelong learning policies since the early 2000s. Policy documents claim a variety of education, socio-political and economic benefits from the implementation of validation, making validation a "hero" for lifelong…

The recognition of prior learning (RPL) has been implemented to varying degrees across Canada in secondary schools and post-secondary institutions, through workplace training models, businesses, sector councils and industry groups, apprenticeship, the military, and professional accrediting/regulatory bodies. RPL however remains fragmented and…

This short description contributes to better understanding of vocational education and training (VET) in Germany by providing insight into its main features and highlighting system developments and current challenges. Learning on the job is traditional in German education. Work-based learning (WBL) features in most secondary and tertiary VET…

This report is the result of an explorative study, carried out at a time when interest in apprenticeship for adults was on the rise and research and evidence on the topic was scarce and fragmented. It has explored the topic from a conceptual and theoretical point of view, reviewing relevant existing research. It has also considered a practical…

This publication presents some structural indicators on higher education in 40 European education and training systems. It examines whether there are targets for widening participation of under-represented groups in higher education and whether countries monitor the characteristics of the student body. Moreover, it looks at whether, and to what…

The system of validation and accreditation of professional qualifications in Spain is offered as a certification opportunity, especially for vulnerable groups. The procedure is presented as an evaluative proposal that allows some inequalities associated with training and employment to be addressed. In this article we analyse whether this system…

A national qualifications framework (NQF) is an instrument used to classify a country's qualifications at different levels. Each level is defined by a set of learning outcomes expected at that level. NQFs can be useful tools in education and training reforms and are vital reference points for lifelong learning and comparing qualifications across…