Education and Prior Learning Assessment in the Swedish Health Care Sector

Abstract

Certified Profession (Kravmärkt Yrkesroll) is a nonprofit association based in Sweden that has been developing methods and strategies for assessing and validating workplace learning within the health care sector since 2003. The association focuses on the work of assistant nurses and nurses’ aides, and on clarifying what kinds of knowledge and skills are needed to ensure that health and social care are performed with a high level of quality. The purpose of this essay is to describe the model and methods used by Certified Profession in assessing and developing experiences, knowledge, and skills among health care workers, particularly among those who work with the elderly. The paper also briefly discusses some general possibilities and challenges involved in this approach.