(known in French as VAE - Validation des Acquis de l’Expérience)
APEL - Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning enables you to obtain recognition (in the form of certification) for your experience. So, don’t wait any longer to showcase your achievements!
Introduction
The law of 5th March 2014 concerning the reform of vocational training and the subsequent law of 8th August 2016, known as the Loi de Travail, amended and clarified certain provisions.
The décrets d’application of 4th July 2017 and 31st October 2019…
- set out the rules for calculating the duration of workplace activity
- define the eligibility procedure for APEL applications
- determine the rules by which information and advice relating to the accreditation of prior experiential learning are placed online and made accessible to the public
- identify the sources of financing, the type of expenditure, and the continuing professional development schemes which are eligible for funding of costs incurred in connection with APEL applications
- stipulate the provisions concerning the certification panel and the granting of certification/qualification
Objectives
If you have a professional and/or personal project such as...
- to secure a promotion or negotiate a career change
- to retain your job position
- to change position within your company or look for a new job elsewhere
…and obtaining a qualification/certification would be an asset for your career and/or for your personal satisfaction, you can achieve this by validating your prior experiential learning!
Your skills and competencies acquired through experience are recognised in the same way as if you had followed a training programme.
Prerequisites
Anyone, regardless of age, nationality, employment status or level of training, who can provide proof of at least 1 year’s experience in a job/activity relevant for the certification, may apply for APEL.
Your activity may have been continuous or intermittent, full-time or part-time. All your past jobs/activities can be taken into account: salaried, self-employed, voluntary, activities as a top-level sportsperson or as part of trade union responsibilities, a local electoral mandate or a local elected post. The more links there are between your achievements and the qualification/certification, the more relevant it is.
The qualification/certification you would like to obtain, which could be a diploma, an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification or even a professional certification, MUST be registered in the Répertoire National des Certifications Professionnelles (RNCP).
APEL is not…
- an automatic conversion of your experience into a qualification/certification
- a training module
APEL is accessible to people with disabilities.
Excelia qualifications/certifications eligible for APEL
Qualification/Level 6 professional certification
Bachelor in Digital Communication & Strategy
- Specialisations: 360° Communication, Communication & New Realities
Communication Project Manager – State-certified professional certification, RNCP18088 Level 6
- Specialisation: Visual Design
Digital Designer – State-certified professional certification, RNCP36443 Level 6
Find out more about the Bachelor in Digital Communication & Strategy
Qualification/Level 7 professional certification
Master of Science in Digital Communication & Influencing Strategy
Director of Image & Communication Projects – State-certified professional certification, RNCP35593 Level 7
Find out more about the MSc in Digital Communication & Influencing Strategy
Master of Science in Digital Communication & Visual Design
Director of Image & Communication Projects – State-certified professional certification, RNCP35593 Level 7
Find out more about the MSc in Digital Communication & Visual Design
Master of Science in Digital Communication, Social Media & New Realities
Director of Image & Communication Projects – State-certified professional certification, RNCP35593 Level 7
Find out more about the MSc in Digital Communication, Social Media & New Realities
Method and process
The choice of qualification/certification is a decisive stage in the process. The more links there are between your prior experiential learning and the qualification/certification, the more relevant it will be.
For any given qualification/certification, you can only submit one application in any one calendar year. In the case of different qualifications/certifications, a maximum of three applications can be submitted in any one calendar year.
The APEL process
Application admissibility stage: Booklet 1
You must provide proof of the actual duration of your relevant activities in relation to the required duration (1 year minimum) and of the direct link between your declared activities and the skills required for the qualification/certification.
Your application must include supporting documents (qualifications, pay slips, work certificates, training certificates, proof of ID, etc.).
Preparing for validation: Booklet 2
Once your application has been declared admissible, you will have to draw up your validation file (Booklet 2), which includes a description of your skills, competencies, and knowledge drawn on in the course of your experience (professional, non-professional, training, etc.).
We provide 15 hours of support, which can start as soon as your application has been accepted, to help you with the writing process and to prepare you for your oral defence.
This support offers…
- methodological help in describing your activities and experience in line with the requirements of the reference framework for the qualification/certification in question
- help with formalising Booklet 2
- preparation for your oral defence (interview)
Assessment by the certification panel
The qualification/certification is made up of skills blocks that can be credited. Validation of the skills blocks is compulsory in order to obtain the qualification/certification. Partial validation of any given block is not possible.
The certification panel
In accordance with the reference framework for the qualification/certification in question, the members of the panel will assess the skills you have developed in your various activities, firstly on the basis of Booklet 2 and, secondly, during your oral defence.
Their decision, given in writing within 8 days, is final and may result in…
- full validation, if the required skills have been acquired; the panel then decides whether to award the qualification/certification
- partial validation if the experiential learning acquired does not fully meet the requirements of the qualification/certification in question; in this case
- you will be issued with formal proof for the blocks of skills that have been validated
- a training proposal will be sent to you to validate the missing block(s), which can also be obtained through additional relevant experience
- a refusal, if the skills acquired are too far removed from the skills reference framework and the requirements of the qualification/certification
Costs & Financing
Only qualifications/certifications registered with the RNCP are recognised by the APEL process and therefore eligible for financial support. APEL can therefore be funded in the same way as continuing professional development. Depending on your status, there are various possibilities for financial assistance.
Cost of Qualifications/Level 7 professional certifications
Directeur de produits touristiques
- Cost: €7,450
Cost of Qualifications/Level 6 professional certifications
Management du Tourisme et de l’Hôtellerie (BTH)
- Cost: €5,450
Costs include the following:
- cost of the application for admissibility (Booklet 1)
- 15 hours of support
- review of the validation file (Booklet 2) by an educational committee before final submission
- presentation to the certification panel
Certification success rate
- Acceptability (Booklet 1): 97%
- Certification (full validation Booklet 2): 95%
Statistics as at 30/08/2022