With the field trials in Belgium – Flanders, VISKA wants to explore the possibilities of a VPL procedure for low qualified adults. More specific to facilitate the certification of the course of additional general education (AGE). This certificate, in combination with a certificate of professional education, leads to an educational qualification, being a diploma of secondary education.
During the field trials VISKA Flanders works closely together with a total of seven selected adult education centers offering the course ‘additional general education’. We easily reached the number of the proposed number of 150 participants. The candidates who applied for the course of AGE in the seven participating centers in the period May – September ‘18 were an integral part of the target group (n = 250).
The field trials have been completed and analysis is in progress. VISKA Flanders focused on a qualitative VPL procedure (using an adapted version of the quality kit of AHOVOKS) and the use of a uniform definition, based on the European guidelines on VPL of CEDEFOP. A seminar took place with all the 43 centers with a course of AGE to disseminate the importance of a qualitative VPL-procedure. A uniform intake procedure has been developed, in both a digital and a face-to-face way. This gives VISKA Flanders the opportunity to compare both systems.
Data has been collected through surveys, focus groups, interviews and bilateral meetings with the members of the national advisory group and frontline staff of the participating centers.
Preliminary results showed that:
- networking is appropriate and necessary between the official providers of VPL
- a training module on professionalization of VPL for the frontline staff is a priority and is highly recommended
- the biggest challenge to install a qualitative VPL procedure will be resources and that it requires a lot of support
In addition to the field trials, Flanders wants to provide the centers of adult education and the policy developers a profile of the learners who take the course of AGE in centers of adult education.
Therefore a survey was sent out to all centers, based on the research schedule above. It was conducted collectively during the course ‘MACUSA’ (Society, Culture and collaboration) and completed by 940 learners. This gives us a fairly reliable picture of the profile of a participant in the AGE course in Flanders, which can be of great value to the centers.