As part of the first deliverable of the “Integrated RPL & APEL Level 6 Accredited Online Programme for Entrepreneurs” project, the Research team, which was composed of members of each Project Partner carried out a research study to identify best practices of online accreditation, recognition of prior and experiential learning through-out Europe.

The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process can help individuals without any qualifications acquire a formal qualification that matches their knowledge and skills, and thereby contribute to improving their employability, mobility, lifelong learning, social inclusion and self-esteem. RPL can be considered as a reflection and consolidation of past experiences, to identify what transferable skills and learning a person have achieved that can then be used to pursue lifelong goals. This learning can come from life, school, paid or unpaid work, short courses or learning at college or university.

On this basis, each partner identified best practice websites/systems to be used as benchmarks for the development of the new ARPEL platform which will form the core of the new ARPEL based Bachelor’s Degree in Entrepreneurship proposed in the this project. This report provides best practices from thirteen European countries, including each project partner country and a total of twenty-six Higher Education Institutes. In addition, this report also includes secondary research data on the legal and regulatory frameworks in place in Europe, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, and Slovakia (as the project partner countries) in relation to the broad area of RPL in tertiary education in general.

Ultimately, from the data analysis and conclusions that has been computed, the research team prepared a set of recommendations which will be taken into account in the next stage of the project. The next stage of this project involves the actual design, development and accreditation of the ARPEL Process and the Bachelor’s Degree in Entrepreneurship.

This research report is Part A of a two part Research Study. With the Part B report focusing on the identification of competencies and skills required by Entrepreneurs to become successful, particularly, in a post Covid-19 business environment.

Click here to download the first edition of Part A Research Report

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