Information for Enterprise

Recognition of Prior Learning – Making it Work for Your Employees

RPL recognises that learning is not just limited to lecture halls and labs but takes many forms including the ‘on the-job’ learning gained through the world of work.

What is RPL?

Recognition of Prior Learning acknowledges the skills, knowledge, and competencies employees have gained outside formal education settings-be it through work experience, training opportunities, volunteering, online courses, or life experiences. By evaluating and accrediting these Informal and non-formal leaming achiovements, RPL facilitates a more efficient and personalised learning journey, eliminating unnecessary repetition and accelerating career development.

Benefits for Employers

RPL is a driver for workforce development. As well as supporting individuals’ career development, It can be a useful tool to address economic and societal challenges relating to the green transition, digitalisation, automation, and the skills mismatch. It can facilitate accelerated leaming and upskilling and reskilling opportunities to meet workforce needs at local, regional, and national levels. Our enterprise partners cite time limitations as one of the primary reasons for not providing training to employees.

By recognising the skills, knowledge, and expertise that an employee has learned in the workplace, RPL can help to meat existing and emerging skills needs at a faster pace by avoiding duplication of learning, RPL therefore, may help to reduce the amount of time and cost associated with acquiring a qualification or credential and supports staff development within organisations by increasing staff motivation to undertake appropriate education or training, Groups of employees can participate as a ‘cohort’ in a programme.

The cohort approach delivers time and cost savings whilst expodlating the skills and knowledge development of larger numbers of employees. Feedback from our enterprise partners confirms this is a timely and beneficial approach for employers seeking to retain and nurture talent.

RPL can be a valuable tool for employers to develop the skills and knowledge of their workforce, Improve productivity and performance, and attract and retain talent. By recognising and valuing the prior learning of employees, employers can also demonstrate their commitment to Investing in their workforce and promoting a culture of continuous learning and development.

How does RPL for Enterprise Work?

RPL can be used for the purpose of upskilling, reskilling, and up-qualifying staff in response to changing business needs and ensuring they have the necessary skills and competencies for promotion and career progression.

RPL for Enterprise is when Atlantic Technological University and enterprise come together in partnership to:

1. Give value to Informal and non-formal workplace learning in the context of the national framework of qualifications (NFC).

2. Utilise ‘Invisible’ learning as a bridge to a now learning opportunity. This could be in the form of:

• Entry to programmes
• Advanced entry to programmes
• Module exemptions

3. Upskill/reskill cohorts of workers In line with their needs and the needs of the organisation.

Examples of RPL for Enterprise

ATU have long established traditions of working closely with employers to address future skills noods and current employment skills gaps. RPL is a mechanism that can be used to support such collaborations. Models of RPL Engagement can include:

• Development of customised learning solutions. Workplace competences, Informal and non- formal learning are integrated into the content and learning outcomes of new or adapted programmes.
• Employee prior leaming is mapped to an existing programme. Knowledge, skills and competencies are mapped to a programme or stage of a programme to allow entry at the most appropriate level.

Next Steps

ATU have an RPL team who are available to meet you, to provide guidance in helping to explore programme options. Contact any of the team via RPL@atu.ie for further information.