19 December 2023

Validation of non-formal and informal learning in higher education

On 12 December, the 2nd symposium on "Orientation in a complex field" took place at the University for Continuing Education Krems. Karin Luomi-Messerer gave a lecture.

Around three years after the amendment to the Austrian Higher Education Act was passed, which enabled higher education insti­tu­ti­ons to recognise non-formally and infor­mal­ly acquired com­pe­ten­ces in the cur­ri­cu­lum for the first time, national and inter­na­tio­nal experts from various fields came together at this hybrid event to highlight and discuss expe­ri­en­ces with the imple­men­ta­ti­on of the law on validation.

In addition to overview pre­sen­ta­ti­ons, there were in-depth sessions on national and inter­na­tio­nal approa­ches to vali­da­ti­on in higher education as well as inter­na­tio­nal practical examples with a pre­sen­ta­ti­on by Karin Luomi-Messerer entitled “Fifty Shades of … Insights into Validation Approaches in the European Context”. Other key topics included the per­spec­ti­ve of VET research and adult education on the topic, the expe­ri­en­ces of the higher education insti­tu­ti­ons them­sel­ves and the dis­cus­sion of problems with validation.

All pre­sen­ta­ti­ons and videos of the lectures are available in the online docu­men­ta­ti­on (all in German).


Contact: Karin Luomi-Messerer

30 Jun

Dual voca­tio­nal education and training in the D‑A-CH region

A new report by 3s, ibw, BIBB and OBS EHB shows how differently dual vocational education and training is developing in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

30 Jun

Learning outcomes in work-based voca­tio­nal education and training

A new Cedefop report examines how learning-outcomes-based curricula are implemented in work-based IVET across 10 EU Member States.

1 Jun

Review of the Vienna Labour Film Festival 2026

The Vienna Labour Film Festival has once again demonstrated how topical, diverse and socially relevant the subject of work can be when explored through cinema.

1 Jun

Quality assurance for more inclusive VET in Slovenia

A recent Peer Review explored how quality assurance can help strengthen inclusive upper secondary vocational education and training in Slovenia.

30 Jun

Dual voca­tio­nal education and training in the D‑A-CH region

A new report by 3s, ibw, BIBB and OBS EHB shows how differently dual vocational education and training is developing in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

30 Jun

Learning outcomes in work-based voca­tio­nal education and training

A new Cedefop report examines how learning-outcomes-based curricula are implemented in work-based IVET across 10 EU Member States.

1 Jun

Review of the Vienna Labour Film Festival 2026

The Vienna Labour Film Festival has once again demonstrated how topical, diverse and socially relevant the subject of work can be when explored through cinema.

30 Jun

Dual voca­tio­nal education and training in the D‑A-CH region

A new report by 3s, ibw, BIBB and OBS EHB shows how differently dual vocational education and training is developing in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

30 Jun

Learning outcomes in work-based voca­tio­nal education and training

A new Cedefop report examines how learning-outcomes-based curricula are implemented in work-based IVET across 10 EU Member States.

30 Jun

Dual voca­tio­nal education and training in the D‑A-CH region

A new report by 3s, ibw, BIBB and OBS EHB shows how differently dual vocational education and training is developing in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

30 Jun

Learning outcomes in work-based voca­tio­nal education and training

A new Cedefop report examines how learning-outcomes-based curricula are implemented in work-based IVET across 10 EU Member States.

>all news