31.08.2015

A validation success story from Romania

It looks like Romania might be on the right track to achieve widespread validation of non-formal and informal learning. AVA survey results will be available in October – will other countries follow in Romania’s footsteps?

Action Plan for Validation and non-formal Adult Education (AVA) project contributes to reducing the fragmentation of validation systems on different levels, namely policy and practice, by analysing tools and methodologies in different European countries and proposing solutions from the civil society perspective.

Mariana Matache from Asociatia EUROED, the Romanian partner organisation of the project, reports optimistic developments across-the-board.

“Since a Government Ordinance came into effect in 2004, almost 160 validation centres have been accredited, opening doors for 150 professions. There are no official statistics, but the number of certificates granted so far has certainly reached several thousand,” tells Ms Matache.

Discovering personal stories behind the numbers

EUROED decided to conduct their own mini-research on the impact of the evaluation systems through a series of interviews.

The beneficiaries pointed out that, in spite of their initial reservations, they found the exams to be relatively easy, as they were well-prepared thanks to the skills gained through non-formal learning.

They also expressed their surprise at the fact that they did not have to meet any costs and admitted that getting an official certificate not only increased their chances on the labour market, but also boosted their self-esteem.

AVA survey results available soon

During the AVA jour fixe participants will discover the results of the AVA survey, one of the outcomes of the project. The event is organised at the University of Vienna, Austria, on the 13th of October 2015.

The survey was launched last spring by the project consortium, its aim being to gain more insight into how adult education providers and civil society representatives perceive current validation systems in the EU. The participants will also include higher education representatives and students as well as validation experts form the partner countries.

Text: Aleksandra KozyraPhotos: Aleksandra Kozyra

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