Page 90 - Guiding-at-risk-youth-through-learning-to-work-Lessons-from-across-Europe

Guiding at-risk youth through learning to work
Lessons from across Europe

self-awareness and self-esteem; it also enables them to create an evidencebase
of their skills and competences to support applications for education or
employment opportunities. Legal and regulatory changes enabling young people
to have their informal and non-formal learning recognised to gain access to
secondary and further education, can also be seen as second chance measures.
Although the majority of validation initiatives are aimed at adults, there are
also a number of initiatives across Europe available to young people. Some of
these provide a second chance for early school leavers and others with limited
formal education, enabling them to gain access to education and training when
they do not meet qualification eligibility criteria. Such approaches are relevant for
young people who have gained experience in the workplace or through a hobby
and even young people who have undertaken relevant studies at non-formal
training institutions. Validation provides an opportunity to recognise and evidence

Recognition, validation and certification of competences (RVCC),
Portugal
The Portuguese national system of Recognition, validation and certification of competences
(RVCC), established in 2000 with support from the European Social Fund, aims to improve the
qualification levels of young people and adults aged 18 and above. The system was introduced
to help reduce the high number of Portuguese people who had not completed lower secondary
education (in excess of three million in 2000) (ESF, 2004). RVCC is delivered by a national
network of new opportunities centres, of which there are now over 450 (New opportunities
website, http://www.novasoportunidades.gov.pt/, 2009).

There are two types of RVCC, for educational and professional RVCC routes:
• the educational route offers eligible individuals the chance to access basic or lower
secondary level qualifications. Staff at the new opportunities centres support the individual to
undergo the RVCC process, which involves three stages: recognition, validation and
certification of competences. Although the individual must carry out their own reflection and
self-assessment of their competences to prepare their portfolio, the staff provide guidance
and support throughout the process from the point of engagement to the point of certification,
including professional assessment of the portfolio, before it is finally assessed by the
certification jury;
• the professional route enables individuals to access professional qualifications through
validation of competences obtained either through work experience or in other environments.
It is based on the same three stages as the educational route and individuals again receive
support to complete the process from the new opportunities centre staff.
Both routes enable individuals to proceed to further education and training opportunities.

Today, RVCC is celebrated as a major success: almost 90 000 people eligible for the scheme
gained a recognised certificate between 2000 and 2006 (ESF country profile, Portugal). A 2003
survey of individuals who had undergone the RVCC process between 2001 and 2002 found that
most felt that it had helped to improve their self-esteem and selfknowledge. Two thirds were
considering undertaking further study and 13 % had already returned to formal education.
Further, 15 % of the RVCC beneficiaries employed on fixedterm contracts had been awarded
permanent contracts six months after receiving their certificate (European Social Fund, 2004).

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