Validation of informal learning with the profession of event-technic 2

The acronym TeBeVAT 2 stands for “(Teil-)zertifizierung im Berufsfeld Veranstaltungstechnik“ – which means “(partial) certification and/or validation of informal learning in the vocational field of event technology”. To understand the research interest of the project, the topic must be regarded in relation to its political background: The European Strategy 2020 aims at sustainable growth, inclusion as well as a transparent and stable labour market within the EU. To tackle current challenges of e.g. demographic change, digitalization, and immigration, a large package of measures to improve the labour market situation has been discussed. The strategy promotes transferability of skills between companies and sectors, also with the aim to facilitate mobility on the European labour market.One approach to achieve these goals is to include citizens without formal education and qualifications into the labour market. The vocational background of these individuals is often marked by informal learning. This is learning resulting from daily activities related to work, family or leisure. It is not organized or structured in terms of objectives, time or learning support (compare Cedefop, 2008). The outcomes of informal learning and the competences that a person acquired thereby, may be validated or certified (also compare Cedefop, 2008). This means that prior learning experiences are accredited by running through a formal process. It brings prospects of enhanced employability to workers that are currently excluded from the job market. New job opportunities are opened up to individuals that did not complete formal education in their field of labour (like career changers). This approach may in addition have an important impact on addressing skill shortages in fast growing industry sectors and supporting economic growth. Therefore, the European Commission issued recommendations for the validation of non-formal and informal learning in 2012. In the countries, national strategies should be developed.The overall goal of the project TebeVAT 2 was to develop such a strategy for the validation of results stemming from non-formal and informal learning for the industry sector of event technology. Funded with support of the Erasmus+ Program of the European Union, the team with partners from Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and UK compared existing national practices and consolidated them in the TeBeVAT approach. The sector of event technology was chosen because it is a prototypic example for an industry field with high numbers of career changers and workers without formal education. There is high mobility and a lot of cross-border employment due to the big productions and shows gathering multinational teams of workers from all over the EU.