The recognition of prior learning (RPL) provides individuals with an opportunity to validate their skills and competences, which were not formally recognised. ILO views the better recognition of individual skills to be beneficial for both workers’ employability and enterprises’ competitiveness. The member states acknowledged that learning takes place not only in formal educational or training institutions but also in the workplace and in non-formal activities. However, they also noted that not all learning is formally recognised, and that those workers who acquired skills on the job or through other activities often disadvantaged in gaining access to formal education and training, or in securing employment which adequately reflects their skills and previous experience. Workers with few, or no, formal qualifications are most vulnerable in securing decent employment. By allowing these workers formal recognition of their skills, RPL is seen as a means of creating a level playing field in order for them to gain opportunities for further learning and to improve career prospects. For enterprises, a better recognition of workers’ skills is a way to overcome skills shortages and match skills demand with supply. This contributes to enterprises’ investment in and planning of human resources. The RPL initiative is strongly supported by developing countries where many people can not access formal schooling.
In summary, RPL is important because it:
- facilitates an individual’s job entry and expands career development opportunities, thus enhancing employability and labour mobility and improving prospects for gaining decent employment;
- motivates and guides individuals to return to the formal education and training system by accreditating their work experience or other prior/non-formal learning. By doing so, individuals do not have to repeat training for skills which they already have;
- assists enterprises in identifying and tapping individual’s skills, which have been unrecognised and, thus, under-utilised;
- helps enterprises with the planning of HRD investments and activities;
- helps employment services in the placement (or further training) of job-seekers by better identifying and recognising their skills and competences.
As increased competition and uncertainty in employment characterises the current world of work, the potential for RPL to address the current HRD challenges such as lifelong learning, employability and competitiveness is appealing and this has contributed to strong support at the policy level. Implementation of RPL has been attempted, notably, in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom and the Nordic countries. More countries are at the preparatory stages of implementation, or have expressed their interest in introducing it (e.g. the Philippines, Slovenia, Namibia, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago). However, their progress varies and, in many cases, is slow, despite general agreement on the importance of RPL. There are a number of issues in implementation, including appropriate assessment methodologies and mechanisms for quality assurance and accessibility, financing and the role of social partners, which still need to be resolved if RPL is to achieve its full potential.
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