France

Validation of experience (validation des acquis de l’expérience - VAE) allows individuals to obtain a partial or complete degree or certification by proving their work experience. According to the VAE website, validation of experience is possible for any individual with at least one year of experience directly related to the certification. Validation can take place by the awarding of a diploma, title or professional qualification certificate registered in the National Directory of Professional Certifications (Répertoire national des certifications professionnelles - RNCP) (Le Portail de la Validation des Acquis de L'expérience, n.d).

Le compte personnel de formation – CPF (French for the Personal Training Account) is an initiative in France that helps individuals build up training entitlements over time. The CPF introduces a scheme to finance training for workers from their entry into the labour market until their retirement. The initiative focuses on optimizing workers’ skills for today’s job market. Based on recognition of ‘individual rights’ to training, the scheme aims to make training more accessible and mobile (Cedefop, 2016).