VNFIL is already part of both AQF Law and VET Law. National Employment and Skills Strategy and Action Plan 2020 (NESS) has identified a VNFIL as one of the priority measures.
Non-formal education is realized within separate courses (for typists, cosmetologists, dressmakers, etc.) and schools for learning foreign languages. They are under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education and Science, if they last more than 6 months. Otherwise, they are under the responsibility of the Ministry of social welfare and youth. Courses for pre-qualification and additional qualification of workers with different vocational profiles are also organized. Persons older than 16 years can obtain their elementary education in special schools for adults, i.e. in classes for adult education, part-time schools, or, so called, evening schools.
The teaching process for adults is realized according to the curriculum for adults which is approved by the Minister of Education and Sport. The instruction includes classes from the fifth to the eighth grades. There are both comprehensive and vocational secondary schools and they last three years.
The financial assets are provided from the State budget. Each municipality keeps files on illiterate persons and persons without complete elementary education. Special actions in order to offer complete elementary education to those who have exceeded the age for attending primary schools or have not completed all grades are being organized.
In the AQF Law, Article 6 within the Scope of the AQF implementation is: “certification of non-formal and informal learning outcomes, in cases when the latter is certified, including here recognition of prior learning”. As well, In the VET Law "Recognition of informal and non-formal prior learning is the process through which competences a person obtained earlier in the informal and formal system, can be considered through an assessment leading to the award of a certificate of a formal qualification”
VNFIL is one of the priority measures in the National Strategy for Employment and Skills 2021-2030. The recognition of knowledge and skills acquired through work experience and/or voluntary activities is a valuable tool to encourage people to pursue lifelong learning and for optimising the training costs.
VNFIL piloting process (supported by ILO - IPA 2010) in 2014:
- Development of two occupational standards (in textile sector- Quality Controller and Production Supervisor).
- Capacity building of NAVETQ staff
- Recruitment and training of the assessors (10)
- Preparation of assessment instruments and methods (competences)
- Preparing the candidates’ portfolio with relevant evidences
- Accomplishment of assessment for 8 candidates - practical skills assessment is conducted in real working situation in the company work sites.