People are acquiring knowledge anytime, everywhere and in different context: education, work and leisure activities. It is becoming more common to learn outside the formal education in informal way. This new learning processes require the learning outcomes to be recognized so identified and then validated. Validating is seen as the crucial element influencing on the improving the lifelong and lifewide learning. That is why EU is putting such huge value on making the learning visible and value. The process of validating is interdependent requires involvement of different kind of stakeholders than in traditional certification. To strengthen the comparability and transparency of the European validation process, its framework and methodology  at the national, regional and local level EU the principles for validating the informal and non-formal learning were created. The guidelines aim to support the countries, regions and sectors in conducting successful validation by providing practical set of instruments.

Full version of publication: http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/publications/5059.aspx