When it comes to future challenges in a global perspective, the Nordic region similarly faces challenges for securing inclusive societies, global competitiveness at labour markets, and for adapting to the situation of changes derived from megatrends. Demographic imbalances, shortage of skilled workforce, implications of climate changes and the requirements of the twin transition – the digital and green transition – call for responses that, in several ways, exceed previous models. Not least because changes are occurring at a speed not envisaged before.
The Nordic Vision 2030, concerns measures for securing a sustainable Nordic Region. Several goals are defined for this purpose, among which, Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4. Quality Educations, SDG 8, Decent jobs and economic growth and SDG 11, Sustainable cities and communities have been of special relevance to the MCs investigation in the Nordic perspective. Inspired by the spread and proliferation of MCs – worldwide – however with a special awareness of the EU MC initiative – the NLL investigation of MCs in a Nordic perspective has been carried out with the aim to identify and to assess if and how this trend is also becoming a trend in the five Nordic countries and three self-governing regions.
The investigation has mapped that learning in the entire Nordic region takes place in a large and wide diversity of learning formats, aims and purposes, target groups, contexts and learning approach.
The provision of formal education is characterised by a high level of accessibility (with the exemption of areas with a low number of populations), funded by national or municipal bodies, a low fee for participants, and with the involvement of social partners for development and maintenance of education programmes.
However, in some respects, these coherent models for provision of skills development, upskilling and reskilling are no longer the only answer to fast changing needs for competence development and learning. Criticism is raised on the issues of responsiveness, timeliness and flexibility.
With the occurrence of MC, defined by the EU initiative, MC is spreading in countries as a new format. Many questions call for consideration and decision making as to the future placement of MC in the entire learning landscape.
Moreover, the investigation shows that third sector non-formal learning is provided and applied to a wide and even an increasing extent. Third sector organisations for voluntary work across the Nordic region confirm this.
Examples are mapped for formal education institutions developing new learning and skill and competence development formats, targeted changes and developments in society and working life – often addressing changes caused by megatrends.
Higher education institutions provide small learning units to address learners for changes in career and working life.
For the inclusion of individuals, facing barriers to the labour market and education, small learning formats are developed to meet these needs.
Together, the Investigation shows that this diversity of learning possibilities is developed in a direction of new forms and constellations and in combinations of formal education as well as non-formal learning. Besides, the investigation shows that Validation is included in terms of various functions and with different aims, depending on the target groups in question as well as the overall purpose of the learning experience.
Perhaps of most importance, the investigation shows that – if the goal of MC as a complementary way of valuing learning – is to make available these new learning formats that live up to requirements of validity, quality, legitimacy and trust, this calls for the development of MC in a structure, which also include consideration of and decisions for linkages to the formal education system.
As part of the investigation, a set of Recommendations for development of MC are prepared. With the recognition of the complexity of key issues for development of MC, in terms of considerations and decisions, the recommendations address five different levels for development concern. While some of the recommendations could be addressed already now, others require decision making at an overall level, by social partners and policy makers for the labour market and society.
For the possibility of securing recognition of MC as for admission to formal education and for a possible shortening of formal education programmes, Legal systems for VPL and Qualification Frameworks need to be developed with an opening to non-formal learning outcome, achieved in practice contexts of learning.
Concerning placement of MC in the overall learning landscape, this implies consideration of how MC as a complementary way of valuing learning should be elaborated and designed to allow individuals to collect and to stack learning experiences in a flexible way at their own pace and throughout the course of life. Such perspectives for a MC paradigm call for an understanding of a landscape of formal qualifications and MC to constitute – together a more dynamic and inclusive landscape of learning, accommodating diverse learning styles and prerequisites.
To reach this dynamic system of qualification and learning options, the acknowledgement of MC should form a flexible structure to accommodate individual learning pathways with options of stacking learning credentials to full qualifications, while standards for VPL and NQFs are developed for these requirements.
Considering formal qualification systems and a system for MC as parallel systems, not integrated but providing doors that are open in both directions, the two systems could be developed for mutual benefits and especially for the benefits of the individual’s Lifelong Learning.
Finally, to conclude on the title of this investigation: MCs in a Nordic perspective, the investigation shows that MCs are not yet part of the formal national systems. However, the diverse and extensive mapping results for learning across learning types and contexts illustrate that a strong tradition of learning exists in all the Nordic countries and self-governing regions and with the emphasis on the awareness of the individual as the learner. Considering the proliferation and development of the MCs format and the interest it has gained, it is a possibility, that the new MC format could form a driver or a lever for a more systematic, consistent and targeted application of the diversity of learning forms and learning experiences, mapped and described in this Investigation to form new options and benefits for responsive, timely and flexible learning – for the added value and benefits of learners and for other end-users involved in learning.