Academic credentials are often automatically included in job requirements because they are seen as minimum standards for skills and knowledge.
But current practice in Europe is placing increasing emphasis on recognizing learning in the workplace because that is where the rubber hits the road in terms of effectiveness.
John Konrad has been tracking these issues for several years as a vocational instructor and an internationally recognized researcher.
Everybody needs the right people with the right skills.
So how can RPL be applied to help workplaces do the match?
For some employers, recognizing prior learning is part of their approach to managing people and skills.
It can be as simple as looking at a Mom returning to the workforce and seeing her extensive community involvement as relevant to leadership capabilities.
Or it can be identifying the technical and non-technical skills of employees for developing project teams and then making sure the skills and knowledge gained from those projects are noted for future assignments.
Larger employers put in place entire systems based on recognizing prior learning, and we’ll discuss that next time.
