Recognition of prior learning in youth work in the European Union: causes for its limited use and modeling the outcomes

Within the European Union (EU), two main problems were identified related to the recognition of non-formal learning. These are: (1) the limited opportunities for recognition and underuse of these practices and (2) the lack of compatibility and coherence between Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) approaches in the member states of the EU (European Commission, 2012b). This paper addresses these problems in youth work and presents a solution in the form of a model that characterizes the various types of learning outcomes. Three main problems were found causing the limited use of RPL: the lack of a common language, the limited (financial) resources available and limited quality of RPL. The model developed in this project incorporated the key players in the RPL process. By looking at existing models, the actors in the RPL process were identified. From these actors, the assessor and evaluator were used in the new model. Variations in the presentation of these actors led to a model describing four types of recognition.