Temat: RECOGNITION AND VALIDATION OF THE INFORMAL AND NON-FORMAL...

The rapidly changing labor market, an ageing population, the intensified global competition and the current crises have made it necessary to use all the available knowledge, skills and competencies, irrespective of where and how they have been acquired.

The focus on the recognition of such competences can be seen as closely linked to the efforts to create more flexible qualification systems, making it possible for a European citizen to take advantage of the lifelong learning and training. Skills development is considered nowadays one of the most important instruments to ensure the future of the knowledge society and to lead it towards a constant improvement. It is a big challenge to measure these non-formally and informally acquired skills and to present the results to the scientific community.

The starting point of the project approach is the KODE© system, acronym of "Kompetenz-Diagnostik-und-Entwicklung" (competence, diagnosis and development) developed and invented in 1997 by Erpenbeck/Heyse and which has been under development since then. The system is based on 64 fields of competencies (included in the Atlas) and it is mainly used in Germany and other European countries in the field of human resources development within private companies or local authorities. The main objective of the project is the concept of adapting the KODE© system to the 8 levels of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and to transfer the contents inside the National Qualification Frameworks (NQF) of Germany, Italy and Poland.

As of today, the latest drafts of the instruments, questionnaires and the informational materials for the final user are in the validating process. They will be used to measure, evaluate and certify the skills acquired in non-formal and informal contexts. Therefore, the impact of the project will be twofold. On the one hand, it aims to train and update all the professionals who will implement the KODE© tools such as trainers and job consultants, but also private companies offering career guidance and training services. On the other hand, it will also and above all have a strong impact on people who intend to move within the European labor market or even at a global level, and who require the recognition of competences obtained outside formal contexts.

http://www.kode-project.eu/index.php/pl/prasamedia/88-...