Validation

Validation is an opportunity to get your competence on paper. 

What is a validation?  

A validation is an opportunity to get a certificate of your competence. It means confirming and documenting the skills and experience you have gained through work, studies and social life. 

Why should I be validated and which are the advantages?  

You learn throughout life, not just in school. Perhaps you have a lot of working experience, have taken courses or carried out individual studies. Perhaps you are self-taught in certain areas or have been engaged in activities of a society/club, which have given you a specific competence. If you have worked or studied in another country, a validation may be your key to the Swedish labour market. A validation may be something for you if you:

• are unemployed and don´t have any grades or certificates of your skills.
• plan to study and want to get qualified or shorten the study period.
• are employed and want to strengthen your position at work by getting your competence confirmed.

How does it work?

Together with a study and vocational counsellor you discuss what kind of experience you have and your plans for the future.  Then you and the study and vocational counsellor or the teacher evaluate if it is worthwhile for you to perform a validation. If the answer is Yes you establish a study plan to carry out the validation. You receive a written certificate of your competence. This could be a portfolio of your previous experience, a certificate, grades or a certificate of your competence.  You may also get suggestions on complementary studies.The guidance is free of charge, but keep in mind that a validation can involve some expenses.  

What are the advantages of validations for employers?  

A validation may be relevant for:

• a future need of recruiting people by increasing the access to formally competent labour.
• effectively using the whole competence of the employees.
• adapting the competence development to the need of the staff and the work place.

Employers and companies who agree to be a validation work place will get support in competence development for supervisors/co-validators.