Following EUCEN’s well timed HE4u2 project and EUCEN’s long working focus on Validation of Prior Learning, our Association decides to present another proposal to help migrants and refugees to settle in Europe and obtains funding for the VINCE project. VINCE addressed the work from a very challenging perspective because in 2016 universities had not yet adapted to the needs to validate the competences of migrants and refugees. The project designed a set of tools based on field experience (collecting data from NGOs working with the newcomers) more than from an empirical study. VINCE developed a set of guidelines for HE staff, updated the country profiles of 33 countries in terms of VPL, developed a generic training course for Validation professionals, and designed a set of policy recommendations that included 8 key elements for Policy makers, HEIs and/or newcomers themselves to remember and put in practice.
The products from the VINCE project are reference in Europe to help organisations to help newcomers. Countries like Ireland have adopted the VINCE tools to develop their own materials.