Whoever we are, wherever we live across Europe, we are presented with opportunities to learn every day of our life. Beyond the classroom, we can acquire valuable knowledge, skills and competences -, through training courses, online learning, and in our daily lives whether at work, at home or during leisure time. The results of this learning, unfortunately, are often ignored and undervalued.

Validation of non-formal and informal learning is about making visible and giving value to this diverse and often unique learning. One major purpose of validation is to make it possible for individuals to take advantage of the outcomes of their learning experiences and use them to gain access to employment and/or education opportunities.

Despite the increasing political commitment, notably through the adoption of the 2012 Council Recommendation on validation of non-formal and informal learning, The 2014 European Inventory on validation of non-formal and informal learning shows that there is still a long way to go to reach this objective. Further effort is needed to make validation an established, well-functioning and recognised feature of countries’ employment and educational systems.

Cedefop has been working systematically on the issue of validation of non-formal and informal learning since the late 1990s and sees this conference as an opportunity to reflect on the long-term developments in this area – focussing both on what has been achieved and what remains to be done.

The conference is organised in close cooperation with the European Commission and will explicitly address the challenges involved for EU Member States in meeting the 2018 deadline set by the 2012 Council Recommendation for establishing national validation arrangements. 
Conference participation is free. Participants will have to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses.

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The draft programme is featured below and attached...