Growing importance of recognizing prior learning in European Higher Education

5. Juni 2025

Networking at the national and European level is crucial to build trust in recognition of prior learning and to support national and European policy development.

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) in Higher Education has become increasingly important in Europe, as reflected most recently in the European Union’s plan on Union of Skills. It emphasizes the EU’s need for skilled people to respond to new challenges and stay competitive. The plan aims to improve high quality education, training and lifelong learning in Europe. This includes for instance opportunities for people to regularly update and learn new skills. In this way, they are better able to succeed in education and professional development.
 

Reinforcing lifelong learning and flexible pathways in higher education

People gain skills through various ways, formally and informally. Recognition of prior learning is based on the premise that education values informal and non-formal learning experiences. By acknowledging what students already know, higher education institutions are ensuring that learners do not spend unnecessary time re-acquiring knowledge and skills they already possess. This approach not only reinforces lifelong learning but also encourages more flexible educational pathways, ultimately fostering greater diversity in the classroom, a crucial factor for enriching the quality of education.
 

The European RPL Network

Enhancing the use of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in higher education and fostering trust in the purpose and procedures of RPL is the core purpose of the European RPL Network. The European RPL Network, which was founded in November 2023 with the support of the Erasmus+ Project 3-In-AT-PLUS, is the association of national networks at European level working on the subject of RPL. By connecting national initiatives as well as practitioners and policy makers, the European RPL Network supports the establishment of national RPL networks and provides peer-learning opportunities. The network therefore strives to contribute to European and national policy dialogues and strategy development as well as to share and disseminate information and experience on topics, content and new developments of RPL within and beyond the network.
 

The benefits of networking on RPL in Austria

Austria is one of the founding members of the European RPL Network and has an established national RPL Network Austria since 2021, which was based on many years of project-related cooperation. Coordinated by the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation (AQ Austria) and supported by the ministry, the national RPL network focuses on implementation of quality-assured procedures in higher education within the legal framework. Fostering a dialogue across all sectors of higher education is of utmost importance in order to raise awareness for the benefits of RPL.

The RPL Network Austria is a professional network of experts and RPL practitioners closely connected with the European RPL Network, which adds an international perspective to the challenges discussed on national level. Members of the national network directly benefit from international peer learning activities and international expertise being included into the national discussions.
 

National and European networks valuable to RPL in Iceland

Iceland has been fortunate to be one of the member countries of the European RPL network. Thanks to cross-national cooperation, the national network of RPL staff in this small country has benefitted from exchanging experiences with colleagues working on RPL in other countries, bringing in new innovative ideas about how to ensure fair and effective implementation of RPL. Networking, both at national and European level, has thus been an important way to collectively address transparency in procedures, the roles of assessors, and the strategies to overcome challenges that may impede RPL implementation.

The involvement in the ERPL network has also pushed for policy updates and legislative changes. Amendments to the Icelandic Qualification Framework now grant RPL the same level of academic recognition as traditional coursework, an advancement validated with the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits. With the new legislation enacted in March 2024, there is a stronger focus on micro-credentials and flexible study degrees, which reflect the dynamic needs of today’s job market.
 

Contribution to MODUS Project final conference

Flexible learning pathways and the contribution RPL and networks can bring to achieve the demands of todays’ society were topics extensively discussed at the core of the final conference of the MODUS project of the German University Rectors' Conference on "Higher education institutions in transition: educational pathways between flexibilisation and proven structure". During the workshop “Networking on Recognition at European Level” members of the European RPL Network emphasized the importance of working together at European level to achieve the cultural changes needed to ensure the recognition of prior learning in higher education and to provide the basis for flexible learning pathways.

A key takeaway was, that tackling these challenges is a multi-level problem: policy-makers, higher education institutions and practitioners need to work together to build trust in RPL and implement the practical steps needed to make the recognition of all learning a lived reality. Collaboration within networks facilitates overcoming these challenges!

The European RPL Network will continue to make an effort to support national networks in their endeavors and build trust in RPL in higher education.