2 Recognition of prior learning – for the benefit of all

Prior learning comprises an individual's overall knowledge, skills and competences. This applies whether they are acquired within the formal education system, through onthe-job training or through an in-house employee training course. Other learning settings include liberal adult education activities, such as a stay at a folk high school, through which participants gain many personal and social skills, an evening class computer course, and participation in civil society activities, e.g. as a volunteer for a charity.

Our education system currently provides the opportunity to get credit transfer for previously completed education in accordance with the credit transfer provisions of all educational programmes. This is a significant contribution towards securing flexible and coherent pathways through the education system that allows the individual to build on previous education. However, credit transfer for formal education forms only part of an individual's overall competence.

Recognition of prior learning is about focusing on individuals' overall skills and competences – and not just those for which they may have certificates. This makes new demands on the education system and presupposes that relevant methods are developed to ensure a reliable assessment of an individual's prior learning, including the competences gained at work, through participation in liberal adult education and civil society activities, etc. Another precondition of enhanced recognition of prior learning is that the individual, companies, the social partners and the stakeholders within liberal adult education and civil society take on a co-responsibility for rendering competences visible and documenting them.

Better interplay between the different learning arenas will provide excellent prospects for the individual, companies and society in general:

• It is motivating for the individual when the focus is on what the individual is capable of.
• It will make the individuals' competences more visible and contribute towards giving everybody – and perhaps particularly those with a practical turn of mind – the chance to utilise their potential to a much greater extent.
• It can provide better opportunities for the unemployed and refugees/immigrants to get started in the education system and qualify to join the labour market.
• It will support a more targeted demand for and provision of education.
• Financial resources are utilised better when unnecessary education is avoided and when students move more quickly through the education system.
• It will contribute to increasing the overall level of educational attainment within our society.

Recognition of prior learning within the education system will create a new and better basis for a competence boost and for increased mobility on the Danish labour market.

This page is included in the publication "Recognition of Prior Learning within the education system" as chapter 2 of 6
© The Ministry of Education 2005