In Belgium, pursuant to its programme-law dated 30th December 2001, the Federal State implemented a workers right to the “appraisal of skills”. The instruments allowing this right to be exercised fall under the remit of Regions and Communities, and hence a Cooperation Agreement was signed on 24^th July 2003 between the Walloon Region, the French Community and the French Community Commission, relating to the validation of skills in the field of continuous vocational training.  This Cooperation Agreement aims, primarily, at implementing mechanisms which will allow for skills acquired by individuals through experiences in daily life, at work or during vocational training to be recognised.

Three Decrees resulting in approval of the Cooperation Agreement were subsequently adopted by the relevant levels of power:

• French Community Decree dated 22nd October 2003:          MB 31.12.2003
• Walloon Region Decree dated 13th November 2003:             MB 23.01.2004
• Cocof (French Community Commission) Decree dated 7th November 2003:                                                                                     MB 03.05.2004

Furthermore, the Action Plan outlining priorities for the Future in the Walloon region, called the “Marshall Plan” aims, inter alia, at creating skills for employment through the implementation of a plan of action to rapidly help professions where shortages exist and a plan of action contributing to the improvement of quality training and education leading to a qualification.  

More recently, the “Marshall Plan 2.0”, through its perspective of optimising the approach given to professions where shortages exist, has proposed to make the Validation of Skills mechanism effective through various channels (education, initial and continuous training, professional experience etc.).

In its “Declaration of Regional Policies 2009-2014”, the Walloon Government sets out its intention to “make Validation of Skills one of the priorities of the next term of office, since skills are the cornerstone to a competitive economy and a forward-moving society, and a crucial tool in fighting against trades where shortages exist. Action will be increased and the scope will be widened so as a maximum number of individuals can reap the benefits”.

In its “Declaration of Regional Policies 2009-2014”, the Brussels Government underlined that “increasing the value of technical and scientific professions shall be encouraged just as the education and block-release training mechanism, in the private sector and in the regional and local civil service, which allows for many under-qualified young people to gain qualifications. The Region shall support the Validation of Skills mechanisms in the programmes which it subsidises”.

In its “Declaration of Community Policies 2009-2014”, the French Community Government shall remain “attentive so as skills resulting from the consortium may be valued in the framework of educational or training curricula, including the language learning mechanism”. 

The CESRW (Economic and Social Council of the Walloon Region) clarified in its “Ten proposals to structure the future of the Walloon Region” Memorandum that “all sides of industry have a positive appreciation of the mechanism and intend to continue in supporting its development”. This publication additionally mentions a series of priority actions with the purpose of promoting the Validation of Skills.