10.6 Recognition and validation of skills acquired through youth work
On this page
On this page
Existing arrangements
The competences of an individual, also those acquired through youth work, can be validated, see more in Youth Wiki/Finland 6.4 Validation of non-formal and informal learning. According to researcher Tomi Kiilakoski in his publication Youth Work Education in Finland, the Youth Barometer - a national representative survey conducted annually - indicates that young people recognise the importance of informal learning, with 97 per cent agreeing in 2017 with the statement that they have learnt a great deal of important knowledge and skills outside school.
Into – The Association for Outreach Youth Work and Workshop Activities has developed a structured model of 'studification’ (opinnollistaminen) for youth workshop providers, which is linked to the recognition of skills acquired through youth work. With this model the workshop service providers are able to strengthen their cooperation with VET providers and to help young people to complete their studies or apprenticeship. Workshop service providers are encouraged to give the ‘certificate of competence’ to the attendees to support their future job-seeking, because in many cases such a certificate may turn out to be the only certificate they end up acquiring.
Skills
As recommended in Youth Work in the Spotlight. Guide to Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)4 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to member States on youth work, the local governments should invest in the recognition of competences gained through youth work and non-formal and informal learning by promoting the recognition of competences developed through participating in and delivering youth work, and by giving increased support to implementing the existing and future European frameworks and agendas on the recognition of non-formal and informal learning.
Previous Youth Work Centre of Expertise Kentauri (2020-2023) improved the identification and recognition of young people’s competence by its Digital Competence Disc (Digitaalinen Osaamiskiekko, funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture), which allows young people to convert the competence they have developed in their free time into ECTS credits and suggests ways to make use of the prior learning in their studies. Kentauri has also developed competence badges (supported by Open Badge Factory), which are standard, verifiable, portable, and shareable digital micro-credentials with embedded information about the skills and achievements of their recipients. Kentauri has seven different badges (support person, team leader, salesperson, communicator, peer supporter, event actor and educator), which support the identification and recognition of young volunteers' non-formal and informal competence in their studies or in relation to their potential employers, see more in Youth Wiki/Finland 2.7 Skills recognition.