Skills Recognition and Recognition of Prior Learning for Workforce Development: Challenges and Possibilities

In this chapter, the terms ‘skills recognition’ and ‘recognition of prior learning’ are unravelled and some complexities involving the concept of competence are also examined. Current research in pedagogical and policy practice is considered and, more specifically, the role of adult educators who are skills recognition/recognition of prior learning assessors and trainers. The literature and a two-and-a-half year qualitative research project undertaken in Australian industry revealed that the use of skills recognition assessments to identify and formally recognise previously unrecognised skills, knowledge and experience of employees could increase workers’ engagement. However, some problems emerged. People in assessor roles are driven by multiple factors including educational policy, idiosyncratic individual and organisational needs, and socioeconomic forces. The potential ethical concerns related to how adult educators can reconcile the tangential drivers of relevant policies, the managers who pay for their educational services, their own employers, and those of their adult student/applicants for skills recognition are discussed. Some approaches which can mitigate these difficulties are also identified. The principles of sound skills recognition (and recognition of prior learning) practice are also outlined and the means by which they can be used to enhance workforce capability with confidence and in an ethical manner are explained.