What is the initiative and where is it implemented (city or country, for example)?
The ChileValora initiative (CV) was formally established in 2008 with the objective of improving job mobility and employability for people with little or no formal education. It was launched to support productivity and help people progress in education and training by establishing a nationwide system for validation and certification of labour skills within a pre-defined framework of standards. Another key objective of the initiative is to promote lifelong learning and further education and training.
How was the initiative established? How was it implemented?
ChileValora operates through collaboration between the Ministry of Education, technical support provided by the Inter-American Development Bank, the International Labour Organization and the Inter-American Centre for Knowledge Development in Vocational Training.
The ChileValora Commission was established as a decentralized public service connected to the Presidency of the Republic through the Ministry of Employment and Social Security. In addition, Sectoral Organizations of Labour Competences (OSCLs) and Centres for Labour Competency Evaluation and Certification (CECCLs) have also been set up. The first 18 CECCLs, employing 300 evaluators, opened and became fully operational in 2013. The legislative framework under which ChileValora operates has remained largely unchanged since 2008.
Since 2018, ChileValora has been linked to the Technical–Professional Qualification Framework developed by the Ministry of Education. The objective of the qualification framework is to develop, organize and recognize knowledge and attitudes of workers in Chile, classifying them at levels based on predetermined criteria. Linking the different training levels to required competences in a modular manner, the scheme also enables workers to develop their individual formative paths without the need to follow the same course as students with a formal education background. Prior experience is acknowledged by way of certification processes.
The aim of the initiative is to provide formal recognition and certification of individuals’ skills and competences, regardless of how these were acquired and whether or not the holder has a formal title or degree. It also encourages unsuccessful candidates who do not receive formal qualifications to try non-formal learning pathways and obtain competency-based professional certification. Successful applicants receive a certification that records competences which will then become part of the Registry of Certified Persons (Registry). Those who do not meet all criteria have the option to search for alternatives within the training system that enable them to fill the gaps. The country’s public employment and training office provides support for these efforts.
Which stakeholders are involved in the design and/or implementation of the initiative? Which sectors do they represent?
The three main stakeholders involved in the validation procedures are:
- ChileValora Commission – Commission of the National Certification System of Labour Competencies (CV Commission);
- Sectoral Organizations of Labour Competences (OSCLs);
- Centres for Labour Competency Evaluation and Certification (CECCLs).
The CV Commission assumes overall responsibility for the strategic and technical management of the validation scheme in accordance with the National System of Certification of Labour Competences. The Commission is in charge of accrediting the centres that carry out the evaluation and certification of competencies, and ensuring consistency in terms of quality, methods and certification systems across the centres through assessing their compliance with approved standards.
A Catalogue of Labour Competences serves as a basis for evaluation and certification of competencies, while OSCL sectoral bodies bring together representatives from each productive sector in a tripartite manner – formed by delegates of employers, workers and government. Their main responsibility is to identify and define occupational profiles within their respective sectors for adding to the National System of Certification of Labour Competence and to request the approval of these through the CV Commission. Following this, labour competency profiles are being published in the catalogue mentioned above.
The CCECLs are responsible for the actual evaluation and certification of competences of individuals. This process is done in line with the occupational profiles included in the Catalogue and by respecting the methodology and quality standards under which the scheme operates.
What are the impacts of the initiative in terms of facilitating lifelong learning? Whom does it benefit and how?
The ChileValora scheme allows individuals to receive a formal certification of their competences linked to occupational profiles, regardless of the way these competences have been acquired.
The CV scheme is expected to increase employability and reduce time spent without employment. For those in employment, the certification can have a positive impact on mobility within and outside a company, or even within a sector. From the employer’s side, it enables companies to hire workers whose skills are certified through a trusted and transparent process whilst reducing the cost and time spent by employers searching for skilled labour.
Since its launch, the scheme has gained strong visibility and is now considered a trusted mechanism by both employers and workers. To date, over 100,000 individuals have certified their competences through the scheme. The number of cases has increased by 15 per cent per year since 2013, marking the year when the first 15 CCECLs opened and the scheme became fully operational.
More than 108,000 people had taken part in the evaluation and certification process by June 2018. Since the Centres started to operate in 2013, the process has gradually become more widely known and recognized both by employers and employees. This is confirmed by the growth in the number of certificates awarded year on year.
References
Endrodi, G., 2019. European inventory on validation of non-formal and informal learning 2018 update. Case study: Chile – Chilevalora (CV). [PDF] Available at: https://cumulus.cedefop.europa.eu/files/vetelib/2019/european_inventory_validation_2018_Chile.pdf [Accessed 2 June 2021].