RECOGNITION OF ACQUIRED COMPETENCIES IN THE SOCIO-CULTURAL WORK IN FLANDERS

Where can you acquire competencies?

ALWAYS AND EVERYWHERE!

Both through:

-educational settings

-as a result of commitment

Main points regarding to RAC in the socio-cultural work

1. The SCW is not only aimed at education

2. RAC is not an aim on itself

⇒ the specific character of learning may not change

3. RAC cannot lead to a formalisation of the learning

4. The vision from the SCW regarding tot RAC must connect on the vision of other sectors regarding this theme.

RAC in the SCW is rather an additional story than a separate story: it approaches to the specific character of the sector.

SUMMATIVE TRACKLabour & Training

FORMATIVE TRACKParticipation & Development

RAC-procedurepossible by using self-evaluation

RAC-procedurepossibly by using standards

–- social participation - access to the labour market–- career development - mobility on the labour market–- personal development - access to trainingby getting insight in the own learning biography - shortened training courses

Competency certificatesFunction certificatesLearning certificates

Other documents

Acquisition of competencies

Socio-Cultural Work

PORTFOLIO(e.g. the learning booklet)

The learning booklet

Portfolio for experiences gained in non-formal and informal learning contexts

- Each activity is registrated seperately

- The organizer or responsible person of the activity does the registration

Content of the learning booklet

1. Introduction What is a learning booklet, what is the use,…

2. Learning certificates

3. Competence certificates

Kwalification certificates

4. Function certificates

5. Others Documents, reports,

everything that shows results

(scenario, pictures,…),…

WATCH OUT!!!

- That you don’t create thresholds by distributing certificates

- That competences are not used to judge the value of the training.

- Certificates must use the same format because of the visibility and credibility of these certificates.

- The certificates must use a uniform formulation.

The learning certificate

Organizer

Training

Name of the participant

Objectives of the training

Trainer(s)

Duration

Signature responsible person

Het competence certificate

Same as the learning certificate, except for:- The competences that are written down on the

certificate are proven (through public or autonomous standards)

- The level of the acquired competences is added

The purpose is not to stimulate the SCW to distribute as much competence certificates as possible. Only where the situation lends himself.

It cannot be an obligation for the participant to participate to the proof.

The function certificate

- The proof of the fact that someone carried out a task as a volunteer during a certain period.

- Besides recognition also a way of appreciation (cfr. medal for prowess)

- Only a presumption that certain competences are acquired

- Also less obvious competences can be taken into consideration (~ key competences)

- Certificate shows: functions and or tasks (with the period) and the competences that are acquired because of these functions or tasks

- Obliges organisations to think about tasks and functions

The concept

- A portfolio in which experiences of non-formal and informal learning can be gathered:

A. learning certificates

B. competence certificates

C. function certificates

D. other proofs (pictures, reports,…)

- . The users can decide themselves at any moment what goes or not into the learning booklet.

- To use as a collection-portfolio or to use in function of a certain goal

- Arrangement according to the nature of the certificate (because it doesn’t mind where you learned something)

- If it is wishfull you can work with self-evaluations

- There should be a possibility to fill in the learning booklet in other languages so that it becomes internationally usable.

- 2 posibilities for organizers to fill it in: deliver the certificates spontaneously or fill in the format whenever a participant asks for it

- Flexible in use: add structures yourself,…

- Extra opportunities for target groups

Motives for the use of the learning booklet

- Learners: become conscious of their competences + extra chances for target groups

- Organisations: become conscious of competences

- Sector: few barriers, concrete, respects the identity of the SCW, flexible in use, raises the visibility of the sector

- Interesting source of investigation, attention for the value of the non-formal and informal learning

Conditions for succes

- All providers with non-formal and informal education as their core-business must be able to include their activities in it.

- Identifiability sectoren

- Unequivocal terminology

- Good monitoring of the users

- The monitoring of those who issue the certificates

- Growing period

- Clear deals regarding criteria, standards and certificates

Challenges

- All sectors involved and agreed

- Accessible and usable for everybody

- Only individual can decide use

- Compatibility with other systems (Europass, other portfolios)

- Must be used without deterring people

- Balance between over structured and non structured

- Visible and recognizable in short time

- The sectors labour and education have to believe in it

The concept is ready… And now?