The role of regional governments in promoting integrated lifelong learning policies has been recognised as very important since many years and many studies and initiatives have been undertaken to conceptualise and review good practices and policy arrangements (such as CEDEFOP, OECD, German Learning region Programme, RELL project, LLHUB project and others). However, the policy context has not always been favourable to a comprehensive lifelong learning approach (not merely focused on professional development of employed workers), nor to enhance the role of Regions in the broad education field. This dichotomy between discourse and praxis has generated a fragmentary situation, in which some regions across Europe continue to be seriously committed to lifelong learning but, lacking continuing and reliable financial and political support, are unable to undertake sustainable exchange of experience among them and to systematically compare their progresses and learn from each other.The present proposal aims to design an open collaborative platform to enhance and compare Regional Lifelong Learning Policies: the COMORELP Policy Lab Platform, capitalising the results of previous initiatives and EU Projects, developing a coherent conceptual and operational framework. These results will be achieved with a strict focus on building the sustainability conditions for the monitoring exercise, thus overcoming the fragmented situation described above. The concrete objectives of the project are the following:· To organise a longitudinal review of LLL policies in each participating region, including a multi-stakeholders self-assessment exercise;· To review and synthesise existing contributions on regional lifelong learning and “Learning Regions” approaches to develop a new context-sensitive comparison/benchmarking platform;· To pilot a data collection approach to feed and validate the system among the pilot Partner Regions· To organise regional and European inter-regional Round Table to exchange and reflect upon practices in the field of Lifelong Learning and lay the foundations for inter-regional cooperation and common LLL policies· To promote the participation in the COMORELP Policy Lab Platform of new Regions and to develop a sustainability action plan.· To draw lessons from the process, both in terms of quality assurance and in terms of policy recommendations.The project will create the opportunity, for Regional Governments who are committed to Lifelong Learning, the opportunity to review, compare and enhance their policies through the systematic collaboration with other Regions and the establishment of a mutual learning process involving stakeholders and national/EU policy-makers, thus contributing to a renewed dialogue on lifelong learning at the EU level, also in relation with the first point of the recently agreed European Pillar of Social Rights. The expected results and impact envisaged and potential longer term benefits such as increasing participant awareness on the Lifelong Learning policies upon regional bases and make comparisons to rebuild or reorganize their own policies by detecting deficiencies or gaining alternative perspective from other contributors such as stakeholders, other regions or policy makers. Existing data collected on the platform will be the starting point for further evolvements and extensions by the participants. The COMORELP Policy Lab Platform aimed to evolve after the end of the project and build a broader community of users, coming from all other European and Third countries, stakeholders and regional bodies not originaly involved in the project.

CONTEXTThe VALIDATION and RECOGNITION of PRIOR NON-FORMAL and INFORMAL LEARNING (VPL) is a priority of EU educational policies and central to lifelong and life-wide learning. The aim is to strengthen the flexibility of learning pathways to increase labour market transition and mobility across Europe. Key objective is to enhance employability and labour market opportunities for disadvantaged individuals such as the low skilled, unemployed, migrant workers, refugees and individuals with restricted labour market and learning opportunities. Many different VPL initiatives at the national and European level have been taken and led to significant advancement of VPL in the last decade, particularly in terms of creating policy frameworks for VPL and piloting validation methods and procedures. Still, VPL in Europe presents a fragmented picture with some countries not yet having engaged in the process. To move from fragmentation to stronger coherence, common European principles for VPL have been formulated. This includes the European Councils’ recommendation of 20 December 2012, specifying that each EU-member state should have started to implement VPL processes by 2015.OBJECTIVESThe project will evaluate the advancement and effectiveness of VPL policies and practice in Denmark, Germany, Poland and Turkey considering how VPL initiatives benefit the individual. It will assess how the VPL procedures available have supported individuals’ labour market inclusion, employability and further learning pathways. Through introducing biographical perspectives into the validation process and identifying the role of employers for VPL, the project seeks to enhance the effectiveness of VPL practice. Outcomes on VPL effectiveness will continuously be channelled into the current VPL policy dialogue and on-going VPL activities. This is done by strengthening cooperation between regional and/or national VPL actors and multipliers and enhancing mutual learning for VPL across Europe. The project contributes to enhancing the transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications and facilitating labour market inclusion through access to training and qualifications for all through C-VET. It is cross-cutting in its apporach, addressing adult education and VET at the same time.TARGET GROUPSThe project will involve approximately 400 people in the different project activities. The majority will be VPL actors and individuals responsible for implementing validation procedures (mostly affiliated to vocational schools, social partners, chambers of crafts, employment agencies, adult education centres, etc.). Additionally, individuals with restricted labour market and learning opportunities will also be involved. Here, the target groups are the low qualified, formally unskilled workers, migrant workers, female and female migrant workers and people coming from ethnic minorities.ACTIVITIES AND METHODOLOGYThe project activities combine various methodological approaches to assess and increase the effectiveness of VPL policy and practice, involving secondary analyses, biographical approaches, company case studies, training activities and significant networking and peer learning through multiplier events.RESULTS(1) Evaluation Report on VPL advancement and effectiveness in terms of benefits to the individual; (2) two manuals targeted at VPL actors, stakeholders and multipliers and individuals and institutions implementing validation procedures. Manual I focuses on individual benefits of VPL, while Manual II addresses the role of employers for labour market inclusion and enhancing the VPL of their employees; (3) Training Module for individuals and institutional representatives responsible for the implementation of VPL, introducing transition processes and biographical perspectives in the validation process; (4) regional VPL networks for enhanced cooperation, information exchange and peer learning to increase the effectiveness of validation procedures.IMPACTThe project contributes to enhance the effectiveness of VPL practice in DENMARK, GERMANY, POLAND and TURKEY and across Europe. It will provide support, guidance and training to VPL actors and implementing agencies and will inform the current VPL policy dialogue and on-going VPL activities at the regional, national and European level. It will also introduce new perspectives on VPL. Enhanced awareness and cooperation between regional and/or national VPL actors and multipliers will be of benefit for individuals disadvantaged on the labour market, who seek to undergo a validation process. VPL will receive more recognition at the workplace through sensitising employers for VPL and their role in realising labour market inclusion.