The European Commission, together with the Lifelong Learning Platform, the European Volunteer Centre, and Cedefop is organising a Peer Learning Activity (PLA). The focus of the PLA will be “the role of non-governmental stakeholders in implementing the 2012 Recommendation on validation of non-formal and informal learning“. Important partners of the event are YFJ, EURASHE, EUA, ESU, and ETUC.

This PLA aims at exchanging experiences and advancing member states’ understanding on how to successfully involve non-state actors in the design, development, implementation and awareness-raising of validation strategies. The final aim would be to prepare recommendations give advice for ways forward on the ongoing process to implement the recommendation.

The PLA will take place at the Escola Comercio Lisboa, in Lisbon (Portugal), on 21-22 September 2017, and will see the participation of partners from all sectors of society.

The idea of a peer learning activities stems from the last 2016 meeting for the LLL-P Validation Task Force, when members acknowledged that today the high fragmentation of the validation tools is perhaps the most pressing issue, as well as the involvement of different stakeholders and the horizontal cooperation between them. Hence, the idea of holding a PLA with members of the EQF Advisory Group and important partners.

How will this work? The PLA is organised with an informal setting, but will have a very concrete and formal outcome. The two days will see both an informal peer learning activity with panel discussions and smaller break-out  sessions/workshops. Contributions from institutions, academics, civil society representatives will shape the learning activity and will give insightful information around the implementation of the recommandation. 

Why? The main focus of the PLA is to reach a better understanding about how the different stakeholders can work together in implementing coordinated, well-functioning and effective validation arrangements in the context of NQFs developments, following the 2012 Council Recommendations on validation of non-formal and informal learning. All parties involved are expecting to deliver suggestions, ideas and ways forward, that all participants can ultimately use in their ongoing process to implement the roadmap and the recommendation.