CEDEFOP: More than 20 Years Working on Validation

Abstract

This article first outlines a brief history of validation in Europe from the perspective of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Education and Training (Cedefop), a decentralised agency of the European Commission working on the field for more than 20 years. It discusses the role Cedefop has played in supporting policy exchange and peer learning between EU Member States. The paper concludes with considerations of main challenges for the future in Europe. Although the focus is on the European context, many of the themes and issues are likely to have a global resonance.