Validation of acquired experiences
| Name in national Language | Validation des acquis de l'experience, VAE |
| Phase | Anticipation |
| Country | France |
| Type |
Recognition of informal/non-formal training |
| Coverage/Eligibility | All those who have worked for at least three years in one or several positions directly related to the desired qualification are eligible for this support. This is regardless of their present or previous professional status (public or private sector worker, freelancer, craftsman, tradesperson, job-seeker, voluntary worker), age and nationality. |
| Main Characteristics | Every eligible person has a legal right to have the knowledge and resources they acquired at work to be recognised by means of a national diploma. Following the passing of this legislation in 2002, a file of all accessible degrees delivered by the national education system was created. This included a list of all skills and competences needed to be granted each qualification. Since then, any individual who is willing to validate their skills and competencies must produce evidence of having at least three years of work experience in the area concerned. Each candidate can access support from an expert in the field in making their application. Generally, the expert spends between 10 to 20 hours in this role. Experience is validated by an independent panel. |
| Involvement Of |
National government
Regional/local government
Employers' or employees' organisations
Public employment services
Other |
| Funding |
no specific funding required |
| Effectiveness | Use of DIF has increased over time; in 2006, 60,000 requests were judged admissible and 26,000 people received a certificate. This comprised a 16% increase on 2005. More recent data are only available at regional level. The data presented here was the information information available at national level. |
| Strengths | For workers, the DIF increases career mobility and opportunities. It also improves workers' employability and mobility, feeling of recognition and satisfaction. The companies concerned benefit from increased motivation and loyalty among their workers. |
| Weaknesses | The procedure can be quite complicated and can take a long time to implement. Moreover, the system may provide qualifications that are not needed by local employers, thereby failing to meet the needs of the local labour market. |
| Example | No information available. |
| Url | http://www.vae.gouv.fr/ |
| Source | Triomphe, C.E., Teissier, C., Goryacheva, A. National background paper Italy. Anticipating and managing restructuring in enterprises: 27 national seminars. ARENA Report. Brussels, European Commission, 2009; Glassner, V. Government and trade union responses to the economic crisis in the financial sector. ETUI working paper 2009; OECD. The Role of National Qualification Systems in Promoting Lifelong Learning. An OECD Activity. Report from Thematic Group 2: Standards and quality assurance in qualifications with special reference to the recognition of non-formal and informal learning, 2004; Bruggeman, F., de Lavergne, F., European Restructuring Toolbox. European Commission. 2010; http://www.vae.gouv.fr/. |
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