Denmark
Focusing on assessment and recognition for the purpose of lifelong learning
Denmark offers a free Individual Competence Assessment (ICA) that recognises both formal and informal skills. The digital tool My Skills and Qualifications File (known in Danish as Min Kompetencemappe) allows citizens to record all their relevant skills for work or education purposes, which supports the country’s recognition of lifelong learning.
In Denmark, it is possible for someone to have their skills and competencies assessed and recognised in relation to specific AMU programmes (Arbejdsmarkedsuddannelser in Danish; these are adult vocational job retraining courses) through an Individual Competence Assessment (ICA, although these are known by the abbreviation IKV in Danish). When conducting an ICA, an educational institution carries out an assessment of whether an individual’s knowledge corresponds to the level they would have achieved through a job retraining programme. Prior to their validation, the individual can input their general competences into a digital tool called My Skills and Qualifications File (known in Danish as Min Kompetencemappe).
Digital tool that gathers and documents an individual’s skills
My Skills and Qualifications File is a digital tool that allows anyone with a Danish digital ID to map and document different types of skills. The tool saves any uploaded grades and diplomas, while allowing the user to self-assess their general competencies.
Sabine Sanggaard, Head of Section in the Division for Vocational Upper Secondary Education and Preparatory Basic Education (which is part of the National Agency for Education and Quality), explains that the tool can be used for a variety of purposes.
“You can use My Skills and Qualifications File as part of your application process or in preparation for a job interview, with the tool guiding you through different questions to cover a range of skills.
The skills can either be formal in nature, or more personal and social,” says Sabine Sanggaard.
My Skills and Qualifications File users register their general competencies using a series of statements – for instance, they may select the statements “I’m good at explaining what I mean” and “I’m good at writing messages”.
The great benefit of My Skills and Qualifications File is that the results can be used for an ICA.
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You can use My Skills and Qualifications File as part of your application process or in preparation for a job interview,” says Sabine Sanggaard.
ICA for lifelong learning
The purpose of an ICA is to formally recognise skills that people have acquired outside of the formal education system. An ICA can result in someone having skills recognised to a level that corresponds with a full AMU. This can lead to someone’s period of training being shortened or their training plan being modified with suggestions for relevant job retraining programmes.
Individuals undergo an ICA at the educational institution that offers the relevant job retraining programme. The process usually takes between half a day and five days. However, if an individual has only recently arrived in Denmark or did not receive their education in the country, this process can take longer – for instance, if they lack proof of past education.
Sabine Sanggaard emphasises that ICAs are available to everyone, but are particularly aimed at the target group for AMUs: those lacking in formal education, and skilled workers.
“ICAs are particularly good if you have work experience but lack educational qualifications. This allows you to be validated by an ICA, which can come in useful if you want to take on new responsibilities in your current role, or if you’re applying for a new job or are looking to change industries,” says Sabine Sanggaard.
We also spoke to Charlotte Troelsen, a Lecturer at VIA University College, whose work includes training ICA guidance counsellors. She says that many people apply for an ICA because they want to be admitted to a particular course. Whatever the reason, they always have to start by submitting an application for an ICA.
“You send in an application in which you show which formal skills you have, but you also write a statement about your other skills. As part of an initial conversation, we then try to expand on how these informal and non-formal skills can complement the formal skills,” says Charlotte Troelsen.
For the validator, the validation is very much about examining which general competencies correspond with the criteria set out for the given course or programme, and can be validated, or which need to be supplemented.
“We’ll encounter people who have partially completed their upper secondary education before dropping out to enter the world of work instead, which means they have experience of working life. Or they’ll have performed duties in their job that haven’t been documented, but we can see they have that experience,” says Charlotte Troelsen.
My Skills and Qualifications File promotes individual self-awareness
Charlotte Troelsen highlights that My Skills and Qualifications File is a great tool to use for ICAs, since it helps to ensure that the assessment process and interviews are more constructive in their nature. Individuals who have entered their general competencies into My Skills and Qualifications File begin to think about what they know and are able to do, and to what level. This can lead to positive discussion during an ICA as well as the discovery of “new” skills.
“Sometimes, I’ll uncover certain skills and appreciate them more than the individual in question does. Women are particularly prone to underplaying their skills. Whenever that happens, I say ‘I’d like to hear more about this and that ability’. After listening, I’ll often tell them that ‘based on what you’re telling me, I think we can change this assessment a little’,” says Charlotte Troelsen.
This may mean discovering things that the individual applicant has omitted and/or underestimated since they do not necessarily recognise their own general competencies and their importance.
Charlotte Troelsen shares a typical example: the person in question was a retail store manager who wanted to apply to a teacher training programme, but their only formal qualification was a partially completed Business Studies programme. As part of the admission process, an RKV (known in Danish as Realkompetencevurdering, or real competence assessment) was carried out in relation to the teacher training programme. They then discussed transferable skills. Managers are used to maintaining an overview of the bigger picture while also keeping an eye on the practical details, which is something that is also good in a teaching context.
However, Charlotte Troelsen also points out that the context of study itself is an important theme during an RKV (or ICA). For instance, experience of working with documentation is advantageous when studying. The educational institution’s assessment thus boosts the student-to-be’s confidence and equips them with the tools for success.
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Sometimes, I’ll uncover certain skills and appreciate them more than the individual in question does. Women are particularly prone to underplaying their skills. Whenever that happens, I say ‘I’d like to hear more about this and that ability’,” says Charlotte Troelsen.
My Skills and Qualifications File promotes individual self-awareness
Charlotte Troelsen highlights that My Skills and Qualifications File is a great tool to use for ICAs, since it helps to ensure that the assessment process and interviews are more constructive in their nature. Individuals who have entered their general competencies into My Skills and Qualifications File begin to think about what they know and are able to do, and to what level. This can lead to positive discussion during an ICA as well as the discovery of “new” skills.
“Sometimes, I’ll uncover certain skills and appreciate them more than the individual in question does. Women are particularly prone to underplaying their skills. Whenever that happens, I say ‘I’d like to hear more about this and that ability’. After listening, I’ll often tell them that ‘based on what you’re telling me, I think we can change this assessment a little’,” says Charlotte Troelsen.
This may mean discovering things that the individual applicant has omitted and/or underestimated since they do not necessarily recognise their own general competencies and their importance.
Charlotte Troelsen shares a typical example: the person in question was a retail store manager who wanted to apply to a teacher training programme, but their only formal qualification was a partially completed Business Studies programme. As part of the admission process, an RKV (known in Danish as Realkompetencevurdering, or real competence assessment) was carried out in relation to the teacher training programme. They then discussed transferable skills. Managers are used to maintaining an overview of the bigger picture while also keeping an eye on the practical details, which is something that is also good in a teaching context.
However, Charlotte Troelsen also points out that the context of study itself is an important theme during an RKV (or ICA). For instance, experience of working with documentation is advantageous when studying. The educational institution’s assessment thus boosts the student-to-be’s confidence and equips them with the tools for success.
Links
The Ministry of Children and Education’s page on ICAs for use in AMU programmes.
https://www.uvm.dk/arbejdsmarkedsuddannelser/hvad-og-hvor/individuel-kompetencevurdering--ikv-
https://www.uvm.dk/arbejdsmarkedsuddannelser/hvad-og-hvor/individuel-kompetencevurdering--ikv-
About My Skills and Qualifications File (hosted by the National Agency for IT and Learning).
https://www.stil.dk/uddannelsesvalg-og-vejledning/faa-overblik-over-dine-kompetencer
https://www.stil.dk/uddannelsesvalg-og-vejledning/faa-overblik-over-dine-kompetencer