Validation of non formal

and informal learning :

the French Model
Michel Feutrie
Universit de Lille 1

Three historical steps

1985 : validation for access to universities

1992 : validation for credits or units

2002 : validation for a qualification

1985 : Validation for access

A decree authorising access to all levels of

higher education on the basis of prior
learning and/or personal and professional
experience
In 2005, universities examined 15468
application forms and gave a positive answer
to 12254
These arrangements are still alive and can be
part of the VAE process

1992 : Validation for credits

A law in 1992 and decrees signed by four ministries :

Education (1993), Higher Education (1993) Agriculture
(1993) and Youth and Sports (1999)
Allowing vocational training institutions or universities to
award credits on the basis of professional experience
At least a five years work experience was required
It was not possible for the jury to award a full diploma,
candidates had to participate in at least one module or
unit
This law is replaced by the 2002 law

2002 : Validation for a

qualification
A law and two decrees :
- A general one for all learning ans training
organisations
- A specific one for HE institutions

The 4 pillars
of the 2002 French
framework

1 A new right for individuals

-

They can claim for validation of their

experience, if they have been in paid, unpaid
or voluntary employment or activity for at
least 3 years
Learning and training organisations have to
give them an answer

2 A new road towards

qualifications
Learning and training organisations are allowed
to award a full qualification (degree,
diploma, certificate) on the basis of individual
experience,
By this way VAE is opening up a new road
towards qualifications by comparison with
schooling, apprenticeship, or further
education, which no longer calls for learning
or training

Learning and training are no longer the only

road leading to a qualification
What is essential now is what you assess?
Which competences does the validation
process guarantee?

3 A global approach of
experience
The whole experience of an individual, and not
only professional/work experience, should be
taken into account.

4 All qualifications are

concerned
:
-

state diplomas
- qualifications awarded by accredited organisations
- professional certificates/diplomas awarded by
professional organisations
These qualifications must be registered in a national
list (Rpertoire National des certifications
professionnelles) established by a new State
Commission (Commission Nationale de la
Certification Professionnelle)

Process and
arrangements

A 4 or 5 steps process

Reception, general information on VAE and orientation towards

the learning and training organisation offering the most
appropriate qualification regarding the candidates project
Verification of coherence with formal requirements and of the
opportunity of the demand
Preparation of the dossier or production of the evidences
required by the institution in charge of validation
Interview by a jury and decision
If the jury awards part of a qualification, propositions concerning
complements must be provided by the jury to the candidate

A system emerging

Arrangements concerning information and

orientation have been set up in order to cover the
whole territory (creation of Points relais conseil
in each big town
Concerted approach between ministries
Financing: by Regions, ministries or companies
Commissions dealing with this issue at State or
regional level or national (social partners) or
sectorial level (companies)
Evaluation process, reports,

Main results

2005 Results for ministries

75000 dossiers received

58000 dossiers accepted
43000 dossiers examined by jurys
22000 qualifications fully awarded

An opportunity for
individuals

A recognition, a valorisation for themselves, their

family, their company,
Acquisition of an official recognition, of something
which is socially and professionally identified
A help to become more conscious of what they have
learnt, to become aware of their potential
A help to direct their personal and professional route
Results in terms of remuneration, promotion,
advancement, re-employment,

An opportunity for companies

3 logics involved in VAE
process
VAE : a tool for the management of

competences
VAE : a tool for an external staff evaluation in
order to organise professional routes (internal
or external)
VAE : a tool for thinking learning and training
policies on another way

Management of competences

Organise internal and external mobility : from designing

professional routes to organisation of social plans
Bring up teams or groups to professional standards
Make more coherent levels of qualification in teams
Increase the recognition of experienced employees or those
without qualification, or considered as low qualified
Focus on key occupations
.

New way of evaluation

Validation can be considered as an external

way of staff evaluation, which can be
considered as complementary and
independent comparatively with usual means
of evaluation in the company
Links with the professional interview or
competences appraisal
Legibility and transportability
Identification of potentials among staff

New approach for training

Individualisation of routes
Reduction of the duration of learning and training
courses
New formative approaches, far away from traditional
courses
Necessity of a shared approach between the
individual, his/her company or organisation and the
learning or training institution

Five effects

Inversion of the logic of evaluation

An individual centred approach
A developmental logic
Re-write our descriptive documents
A global approach and a process thought as
continuous

Which perspectives ?

The current results demonstrates a real

improvement from ministries, social partners, a large
part of learning and training institutions, a real
interest from population, but
What about the future of this framework ?
What about the acceptation by companies, by
recruiters of the results of validation?
What about resistant learning and training
institutions ?
Which support coming from other European
countries ?

My view is that :
We will move progressively from an individual to a
collective demand, depending of the inclusion of this
procedure in human resources policies in
companies
We will move from a one shot approach, to a
recurrent approach as the first step of each training
or learning period on a lifelong return between work
and training

To conclude

VAE gave us the opportunity to develop a full size

experience on validation of non formal and informal
learning
This obliged institutions, organisations, companies and
also individuals to think differently
It is time now to work on information gathered through
analysis, surveys, reports,
Confrontation with European colleagues is necessary,
their questions, doubts, critics are very useful if we
want to think about new developments