TRANSVAL-EU project on validation of transversal skills

The TRANSVAL-EU research conference was held in Paris on 18 – 19 April 2023. Please click here to visit the conference webpage.

The EIESP has prepared a series of video podcasts highlighting research from the TRANSVAL-EU project, which proposed innovative approaches for the validation of transversal skills acquired through non-formal and informal learning (VNFIL). These vodcasts aim to share with a broad audience about transversal skills and competences: what they are and why they are so important, and how policy can support them better.

In the first video we speak with Andreas Schleicher of OECD about PIAAC and transversal skills needs.

In the second video we speak with researchers Dr. Manuel Souto-Otero (University of Cardiff) and Dr Ernesto Villaba-García (Cedefop) about VNFIL, Guidance Practitioners and Transversal Competences.

In the third video we speak with several TRANSVAL-EU partners about piloting the training, how the field trials went, and about findings from impact evaluation.

CALL FOR POSTERS & PAPERS

The TRANSVAL-EU research conference (18 – 19 April 2023) will include an onsite poster session featuring recent, completed studies relevant to guidance and validation of adult learners’ transversal competences.

Researchers are invited to submit poster and paper proposals for completed work relevant to VNFIL of transversal skills. TRANSVAL-EU will also publish a post-conference online compendium of short papers presenting recent research (not exceeding 2500 words). Accepted short papers will be published online in a post-conference
compendium.

Poster proposals and short papers submitted will be peer reviewed. Accepted posters will include: “Poster: Full-Title”, a full abstract with research highlights and key figures. The related short papers should summarize research methods and findings in greater detail.

Criteria for the peer review of poster and paper proposals are below.

Poster Submission Deadline: 18 March 2023

Please send your submission to: transval@oead.at

Areas of particular interest include:

Definition of transversal skills
Learner progression and development of transversal skills
Assessment and validation of adults’ transversal skills
Context /governance structures and their impact on policy and practice related to the validation of transversal skills
Engagement with employers, guidance and validation counselors and other stakeholders in the design and implementation of policies and practices related to guidance and validation of transversal skills
Issues related to gender, migrant background, education level, socioeconomic status etc.
Professionalisation of guidance and validation counsellors/practitioners

Posters on research in Europe and its Member States may address:

Conceptual debates and tensions
Results of empirical research
Studies on policy design and implementation
Foresight / issues – policy implications

Criteria for selection include:

Importance/relevance of the research topic
Overall quality of the research
Originality of text (new insights, policy lessons…)
Clarity and conciseness of presentation and structure (purpose, analysis, implications)
Clarity and focus of the research question/problem statement
References to key literature and embeddedness in theory/research (up-to-date, well-anchored)
Appropriateness of method
International contextualisation and/or comparative perspective
Implications for policy and practice are discussed and are relevant
Brings new insights, approaches or policy lessons to the knowledge community

Posters will also be evaluated for:

Linguistic form
Formal quality of text

Length of the paper submitted along the poster (2500 words)

Submission Guidelines:

Posters should be presented in English and follow APA style guidelines.
Submit your poster to transval@oead.at

TRANSVAL-EU

The TRANSVAL-EU project addresses the complex issue of validation of transversal skills. On one hand, employers place an increasing importance on transversal skills. On one hand, employers place an increasing importance on transversal skills. On the other hand, transversal skills are only an implicit part of the existing validation and guidance processes.

We are happy to announce the publication of the WP2 project deliverables.

There is a need to make the validation processes of transversal skills acquired in non-formal and informal settings explicit and to embed the lessons learned in validation and guidance policies.

TRANSVAL-EU proposes to experiment innovative approaches for the validation of transversal skills acquired through non-formal and informal learning (VNFIL) in five pilot countries – Austria, Italy, Lithuania, Poland and Belgium.

TRANSVAL-EU will address the insufficient knowledge and awareness of counsellors and practitioners on innovative VNFIL methods and transversal competences; the limited professionalization and experience of VNFIL staff in the field of validation of transversal competences. The project will build capacity of practitioners and counsellors, as well as, when relevant, of other stakeholders on innovative VNFIL and transversal competences; and strengthen cross-sector cooperation between practitioners, policy-makers and other stakeholders in order to build coherent VNFIL systems.

TRANSVAL-EU intends to be one of the largest European policy experiments on VNFIL. The project has 16 partners from 7 countries.

The project partners will develop and test:

a research base of good practices
a set of training toolkits and programmes
standardised competence profiles for validation/guidance practitioners with a specific focus on transversal skills.

The project started on February 28, 2021, it will last 30 months and is funded by Erasmus+ KA3 Policy Reform – Policy Experimentations.

Further information is available on the official project website.