European Centre for Valuation of Prior Learning

Managing European Diversity in Lifelong Learning

The publication 'Managing European Diversity in Lifelong Learning' is the result of the last European project of the European Centre for Valuation of Prior Learning. The underlying principle of lifelong learning is that initial education is no longer enough for a lifetime social-economic career. It is more important to develop your competencies (skills, knowledge, attitude & ambitions) throughout life by realizing that ‘your glass is already half full’, and by understanding that everyone always learns in every possible learning environment: formal (school) and non-formal or informal environments (working place, at home).

More than 200 case studies were analysed in 11 European countries representing the main European learning cultures: Czech Republic, Cyprus, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

My unfinished story of VPL

In this booklet, a general process model in 10 steps is proposed for the use of VPL by individuals, in spite of their characteristics or objectives. It is the intention to initiate a discussion and develop a consciousness at the level of the individual. It is crucial to understand that this model indicates a way to adapt the VPL-process to the goals and needs of the individual, in spite of the area (private life, voluntary work, paid work, education) where the competences have been developed or will be applied and irrespectively the way the learning and the recognition takes place (formal, non-formal and informal).