Study supporting the evaluation of the council recommendation of 20 December 2012 on the validation of non-formal and informal learning

The aim of this study is to support the Commission in evaluating the actions taken in the Member States in response to the 2012 Council Recommendation on the validation of non-formal and informal learning (VNFIL). It focuses on whether the objectives of the Recommendation have been achieved in terms of enabling individuals:  to identify and document their skills and competences acquired through nonformal or informal learning;  and to obtain either full or part qualifications compliant with recognised national and European standards for the benefit of their professional and social development. The study finds that Member States have made good progress in developing VNFIL arrangements since 2012 even if service provision often remains asymmetrical or fragmented across different levels of education and training as well as different occupational sectors. The contribution of the Recommendation to the progress made is best visible in those Member States where VNFIL arrangements were mostly inexistent prior to 2012, but less apparent in the remaining Member States. Nevertheless, the Recommendation is deemed to have given some strategic direction to policy discussions on VNFIL across the Member States. This study concludes with possibilities to consider for enhancing the influence of EU interventions on Member States’ VNFIL policies and processes.