VALIDATION OF ACQUIRED LEARNING (VAE)

What is VAE?

Validation des acquis de l'expérience/Validation of Acquired Experience (VAE) is a procedure for the recognition-in the context of vocational training, tertiary training (higher/university) and continuing education-of the specific skills and general culture possessed by the person concerned.

Who is VAE intended for?

VAE procedures are intended for adults who, at the time of filing and/or at the time of commencement of studies, are at least 25 years of age, have at least 3 years of full-time professional experience consistent with the degree to which they aspire, and provided that the degrees held allow access to university education.

What are the general fundamentals of VAE?

VAE is promoted by UNESCO through the Lignes directrices pour la reconnaissance, la validation et l'accréditation des acquis de l'apprentissage non formel et informel (2012). For the European area, VAE is supported by the Council of the European Union through the Recommendation on the validation of nonformal and informal learning (December 20, 2012 - 2012/C 398/01) and implemented by the European Guidelines for validating nonformal and informal learning (European Guidelines for validating nonformal and informal learning, 2016) developed by CEDEFOP (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training) in view of the establishment of the European Education Area (EEA: cf. the Communication of the European Commission on Making a European Education Area a reality by 2025, September 30, 2020 - COM/2020/625).

What is the legal basis of VAE in Switzerland?

There is no centralized system for VAE in Switzerland. Therefore, the applicable regulations vary depending on the scope of application and jurisdiction/territory.

What are the areas of application of EVA in Switzerland?

The areas of application of VAE are three/four: 1. Vocational training1.

1. Vocational training

1.a. basic

1.b. higher

2. Continuing education (continuous/non-formal)

3. Tertiary training (university)

As far as vocational training is concerned, in Switzerland VAE is framed in the so-called "other qualification procedures" and allows, for the areas provided for by federal and cantonal legislation,the acquisition of a formal title. For basic vocational training, the qualifications awarded are the Federal Certificate of Proficiency (FTA) or the Federal Certificate of Practical Training (CFP); for higher vocational training, they are the Federal Certificate of Proficiency (FPA), the Higher Professional Examination (EPS) diplomas or those awarded by the Higher Specialized Schools (HSS). In these areas, the VAE is regulated by the Loi fédérale sur la formation professionnelle (LFPr, Dec. 13, 2002 - status: April 1, 2022), arts. 9, 17, 33-35; and the Ordonnance sur la formation professionnelle (OFPr, Nov. 19, 2003 - status: April 1, 2022), arts. 4, 31 and 32, as well as by the Ordonnance du Département fédéral de l'économie, de la formation et de la recherche (DEFR) concernant les conditions minimales de reconnaissance des filières de formation et des études postdiplômes des écoles supérieures (OCM ES, Sept. 11, 2017 - status: April 1, 2023), Art. 10. On the other hand, with regard to the area of lifelong learning-the structured training provided outside formal training, known as "nonformal training"-the VAE refers to the Loi fédérale sur la formation continue (LFCo, June 20, 2014-state January 1, 2017), Articles 5-9 and 13-16; and, for financial aspects, from the Ordonnance sur la formation continue (OFCo, February 24, 2016-state January 1, 2017). For tertiary education there are, finally, validation and admission on file (VAE), which allow for the accrual, in the form of equivalence, of a part of the ECTS credits related to a given curriculum allowing, for the purpose of obtaining an academic degree, a partial dispensation from the examinations or complementary activities provided with the consequent shortening of the duration of the educational pathway. In this case, the procedures depend substantially on the individual universities and-where existing and applicable-refer to cantonal legislation; exceptions are the Higher Schools of Education, which are the exclusive responsibility of the cantons and subject to intercantonal laws. The Republic and Canton of Geneva, in the state, through the Loi sur la formation professionnelle (LFP, June 15, 2007 - status: January 1, 2023) and the associated Règlement d'application de la Loi sur la formation professionnelle (RFP, March 17, 2008 - status: January 1, 2023), has provided for the regulation of basic and higher vocational training, including procedures for the recognition and validation of prior learning and related attestations. In the French-speaking part of Switzerland, only a few universities apply the VAE system.

What is the application scope of VAE at UniCampus HETG?

The VAE procedures followed by UniCampus HETG refer to the field of academic (tertiary) education and involve the preparation of an individual dossier of the candidate. In case of approval , it will be followed by matriculation and the drafting of the individual education plan.

What are the rules followed by UniCampus HETG?

The VAE procedures followed by UniCampus HETG comply with both the Guidelines issued by UNESCO and those prepared by the European Agency CEDEFOP. In addition, UniCampus HETG adopts the Directives des commissions de reconnaissance de la Conférence suisse des directeurs cantonaux de l'instruction publique (CDIP) pour la validation des acquis de formation formels et de niveau haute école (2019).

How does VAE recognition take place in Italy?

For Italy, the recognition of formal, nonformal and informal learning described by Law 92/2012, is done through the National System of Certification of Competencies referred to in Legislative Decree 13/2013, according to the modalities provided by the DD. interm. 12.03.2015 and 5.01.2021, based on the National Framework of Regional Qualifications established by Interm. D. 30.06.2018 and made operational through Interm. D. 05.01.2021. Full implementation is still in progress.