Here are strategies to make RPL mainstream so prior learning can be validated Premium

Implementing Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in higher education bridges the gap between academia and workforce, enhancing employability and economic growth.

Recently, the UGC has been releasing schemes with guidelines to serve as a framework for implementing the National Education Policy (NEP), seeking input from its stakeholders. This article focuses on offering an opinion on the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) as a scheme designed to develop a skilled workforce through skills validation.

RPL acts as a bridge between education and the workforce, ensuring a smooth transition for students into the job market and contributing to the country’s economy. This system acknowledges and validates an individual’s prior knowledge and skills, providing alternative pathways for access, admission, recognition, certification, or further learning. RPL is adaptable to various contexts, shaped by the geographical or industrial settings in which it is applied. It can be implemented using different teaching methods and assessment tools based on the required skill sets, goals, and specific contexts. While standardized practices may be used within certain sectors, a one-size-fits-all approach does not work across all disciplines or contexts.

“Recognition of Prior Learning” (RPL) is an assessment process designed to evaluate an individual’s skills, knowledge, and experience gained through formal, non-formal, or informal learning. It helps facilitate the transition from vocational education to mainstream education. RPL offers an effective way to formally recognize skills and competencies acquired through work-integrated learning (WIL).

In any nation’s development, two key groups — ”Thinkers” and “Tinkerers”— play vital roles. Thinkers act as thought leaders, creating valuable ideas, while Tinkerers, as skilled workers, execute these ideas, turning them into tangible value. A balance between these two groups is crucial to sustaining the nation’s economy. However, automation and the lack of efforts to reskill the workforce in line with emerging technologies have resulted in a decline in the skilled labour force, as reflected in the Human Development Report.

Reportedly, over three million first-degree holders graduate annually in India, but fewer than 20% are employable. This is due to the lack of both relevant skills and disciplinary depth among these graduates, leaving them unprepared to plan their careers. This is a significant issue.

In contrast, millennials have shown a preference for work-integrated learning (WIL), project-based learning (PBL), and apprenticeship-based education over traditional classroom methods. Many students today even opt to defer a semester to pursue internships, which are increasingly seen as valuable learning experiences for those aspiring to research or industrial careers.

Marilyn M. Lombardi of Duke University, in her article “Authentic Learning for the 21st Century,” notes that the current generation prefers “learning by doing” over passive listening in a lecture hall. Many universities abroad have reduced traditional instruction time, opting instead for guided inquiry, where students explore content through resources and discussions, fostering independent knowledge construction. In contrast, the Indian education system remains largely focused on lecture-based instruction and formulaic practical classes, continuing to shape students in the image of their teachers rather than encouraging self-directed learning.