Introduction

Faced with the problems and challenges of an ageing society and convinced of the importance to fully validate the knowledge, competencies and skills adult learners have developed in non- and informal training and/or work settings the project “Family Competencies Portfolio” (FamCompass) develops a tool to assess family related skills and competencies.

Various tools for the assessment and accreditation of prior learning (APL) have recently been developed. However, most of them show a lack of interest for the specific knowledge, competencies and skills persons have developed in their family role.

Many professions still require formal diplomas and certificates, even if the government in several European countries stimulates the process of recruiting on the basis of assessment and accreditation of prior learning (APL). This concerns also jobs in the social sector. It is this sector that deals with a growing need for qualified personnel and that can benefit the most of the input of family related competencies. To lower the barriers to formal learning and to improve the attractiveness and accessibility of the opportunities of life long learning in these areas, there is need for a tool that can assess this type of competencies in an objective way. The FamCompass responds to this need.

The participating organisations are:

• Comenius University, Philosophical Faculty, Department of Andragogy (SK)
  www.fphil.uniba.sk[2]
• German Youth Institute (DE)
  www.dji.de
• Higher Institute for Family Sciences (BE) (coordinating partner)
  www.hig.be[3]
• Institute for Creative Proceedings (PL)
  www.ipt.pl[4]
• Romanian Institute for Adult Education (RO)
  www.irea.uvt.ro[5]
• Västra Nylands Folkhögskola (FI)
  www.vnf.fi[6]
• Vilnius College of Higher Education (LT)
  www.viko.lt[7]