This practical workshop is for practitioners who already have a fundamental knowledge of the principles of RPL. The session will include the following:
• Recap: What is RPL (including RPEL and RPCL)?
• The four stages of RPL and the practitioner skills required for each stage
• Quality Assuring the RPL process
• Designing RPL assessment briefs
• Introduction to rubrics and creating RPL grading rubrics
• Mapping of learning outcomes.
The focus of the session is on the practical skills required to be an RPL Mentor and/or Assessor and is also an opportunity to connect with colleagues who are developing their skills in this area.

The target audience for this event is: All FET staff members, including teachers, tutors, trainers, instructors and those in a co-ordination and/or quality assurance role.

Facilitation: This event will be facilitated by:
Patsy Hogan, Quality Assurance Officer, Limerick and Clare ETB. Patsy has been actively involved in the RPL space for a number of years. She has been instrumental in placing Limerick and Clare ETB at the forefront of RPL practice in Ireland. Patsy has developed a RPL professional development course which is run internally in her ETB and has also been attended by colleagues from other ETBs. She has also taken a lead role in RPL policy development, promotion, support and awareness both in her own ETB and in national and European projects.

Anne Higgins, Independent Consultant. Anne has worked across Further Education and Higher Education for many years, in both teaching and managerial roles. Her most recent role was Quality Assurance Co-ordinator with Galway and Roscommon ETB. She has extensive experience in the delivery and assessment of programmes, and as an External Authenticator. Anne is a former Convenor, of the RPL Practitioner Network National Steering Group and continues to be active in the implementation of RPL initiatives regionally and nationally.

Caroline Goode, RPL Support Officer, Limerick and Clare ETB. Caroline joined Limerick and Clare ETB as the first person to be employed in a full-time RPL role in the organisation. She initially acted as RPL Mentor for the National Hairdressing Apprenticeship and successfully mentored eight applicants through RPL for certification of the Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Hairdressing major award. Caroline is now working in a developmental capacity supporting Provision in the ETB in their RPL practice.

Siobhan Magee, FESS

Please note: Pre-booking is essential. Please do not book onto this session unless you are sure that you will attend / have approval to attend (if required). If an emergency arises, please inform us ASAP (cpdcancellations@fess.ie) as we operate a waiting list system and if time allows, we can offer your booked place to another person.

Many Providers in FET are struggling to develop and promote RPL as a mainstream offering in their ETB. Join us for this PD session on Zoom where Patsy Hogan, QA Officer with Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board will explain how RPL has grown from small discrete projects in Limerick and Clare ETB to widely offering RPL as a mainstream strand of provision through policy development, staff training and promoting awareness.

The session will focus on broadly answering the following questions:
• Where do we start with development of RPL in our ETB?
• How can we develop a meaningful policy and support materials?
• What training and support is available to potential RPL practitioners?
• How do the EU Guidelines on Validating Non-formal and Informal Learning support ETBs?
• Do ETBs have an RPL budget?
• How do systems such as PLSS and the QQI Business System (QBS) support RPL?

There will be time for Q&A and group discussion on these topics during the session and the session is intended to be informative, supportive and interactive.

The target audience for this event is: FET staff members, especially those in a management/co-ordination and/or quality assurance role who have a particular interest in RPL promotion and/or development in their ETB.

Facilitation will be: Patsy Hogan, Quality Assurance Officer, Limerick and Clare ETB. Patsy has been actively involved in the RPL space for a number of years. She has been instrumental in placing Limerick and Clare ETB at the forefront of RPL practice in Ireland. Patsy has developed a RPL professional development course which is run internally in her ETB and has also been attended by colleagues from other ETBs. She has also taken a lead role in RPL policy development, promotion, support and awareness both in her own ETB and in national and European projects.

Please note: Pre-booking is essential. Please do not book onto this session unless you are sure that you will attend / have approval to attend (if required). If an emergency arises, please inform us ASAP (cpdcancellations@fess.ie) as we operate a waiting list system and if time allows, we can offer your booked place to another person.

Recognition of Prior Learning may be perceived as being ‘new’ and difficult to implement.

This session will challenge these perceptions by providing:
- an overview and background information on Recognition of Prior Learning
- an outline of the push and pull factors that has shaped the development of RPL in Europe and Ireland
- a brief overview of RPL practice in Ireland
- the role and importance of experiential learning in supporting how adults learn
- a case study that maps the RPL journey for a cohort of learners. The case study will include an outline of RPL assessment techniques and the roles and responsibilities of FET staff at each stage of the process.

The target audience for this session is: FET staff including management, teachers, tutors, trainers, programme coordinators, guidance counsellors, learning support staff and wellbeing officers.

Facilitation: Martina has more than 20 years’ experience with the Further Education and Training (FET) sector in Ireland. As Adult Education Officer with Donegal Education and Training Board (ETB), validation or recognition of prior learning (RPL) was a key feature of her work in supporting lifelong learning and social inclusion. She worked on a number of validation projects and initiatives including: the TOBAR project (Defence Forces), validation of transversal skills for low qualified employees in the food processing industry, and supported individuals and groups through the validation process. Martina worked to ensure that RPL provision was underpinned by quality processes and was involved with the development of a toolkit of resources to support the FET sector implement RPL as a part of their provision. Martina was a member of the RPL Practitioner Network National Steering Group and, more recently, a member of the organising committee for the 5th VPL Biennale which was held in Kilkenny in May. She currently provides support, training and guidance to providers who wish to embed validation of non-formal and informal learning as part of their provision.

Please note: Pre-booking is essential. Please do not book onto this session unless you are sure that you will attend / have approval to attend (if required). If an emergency arises, please inform us ASAP (cpdcancellations@fess.ie) as we operate a waiting list system and if time allows, we can offer your booked place to another person.