Recognition of Acquired Competencies (RAC) assessment is a process that formally acknowledges the skills and knowledge individuals have gained through work, volunteering, or life experience. Rather than requiring learners to start from scratch, RAC allows them to demonstrate their existing competencies and receive certification, saving time and resources in their educational journey.
For adult learners, this approach can be transformative, providing validation, new opportunities, and an efficient path forward.
Sherry Blok, Senior Director of Executive and Professional Programs at Concordia Continuing Education, has spent her career advocating for lifelong learners. She took time to discuss the impact of RAC, the power of recognizing skills outside traditional education, and how learners can reframe their experience to advance their careers.
Q: Many people don’t realize how much they’ve already learned outside of formal education. How does RAC help shift that mindset?
Sherry Blok: People often don’t recognize the competencies they’ve developed through work, volunteerism, or even life situations like managing a household. When someone loses a job, they might feel like that was the only thing they knew how to do. But through that job, they’ve developed other competencies—communication, leadership, and organization—that aren’t always acknowledged.
RAC starts with a conversation. We sit down with learners, ask about their experience, and help them see what they’ve already gained. That recognition is empowering. It’s about making the implicit explicit, helping people articulate their strengths and giving them formal acknowledgment for what they already know.
Q: Can you give an example of how someone can come to recognize new possibilities in their skills and experience?
SB: I recently had a conversation with my own hairdresser, who wanted to leave the industry but didn’t know what else she could do.
She told me, ‘I only have a DEC in office administration from 20 years ago.’
I pointed out how social she was, how much communication and human relations experience and management talent she had. But her instinct was to fall back on that old credential instead of recognizing the valuable skills she had developed over years of working with people.
RAC helps people like her connect the dots. It validates their experience and makes them more confident in moving forward.
Q: Some adult learners may feel apprehensive about going back to school, especially in a university setting. How do you address those concerns?
SB: Many adults have had negative experiences with education. Maybe they were told university wasn’t for them, or they didn’t grow up in an environment where higher education was encouraged. RAC is changing that narrative.
When learners come to us, we meet them where they are. They sit down with an advisor who listens to their story and helps them see a path forward. That level of care makes a difference. People are putting themselves in a vulnerable position by returning to education, and we want to ensure they feel supported.
Q: What impact can RAC have on career advancement?
SB: Employers value candidates who can demonstrate continuous learning and adaptability. When someone earns a RAC certification, it provides a reference point for employers. It not only (validates) what they know through experience, but it demonstrates that they have a mindset geared toward growth.
Sherry Blok, Senior Director of Executive and Professional Programs at Concordia Continuing Education
For newcomers to Canada, for example, RAC can help bridge the gap when their credentials aren’t immediately recognized. A certification from a Canadian institution can provide clarity for employers and improve job prospects.
It’s not just about content knowledge; it’s about positioning oneself effectively in the job market.
Q: How do you see RAC shaping the future of education?
SB: Traditionally, education has been structured around the idea that professors hold all the knowledge and students are blank slates. But with RAC, we recognize that adult learners come with rich experience. Instead of just receiving knowledge, they contribute to a learning community.
This shifts the dynamic in education. It acknowledges the ‘school of life’ and helps people integrate their lived experience into their professional growth. The goal is to help learners move forward faster while ensuring they receive credit for what they’ve already accomplished.
Q: What advice would you give to someone considering RAC?
SB: First, take stock of what you already know. Look beyond job titles and think about the skills you’ve developed along the way. Second, be open to telling your story.
When you write that cover letter and get that interview, you’ll now be able to articulate what you’ve learned and explain it. That communication is also a huge piece of selling yourself.
It becomes a part of how people tell their own story as they move along their career path. It is so empowering for a person to realize that with that ‘Aha!’ moment of saying, ‘Wow, I really do know my stuff and I'm able to articulate it!’
© Concordia University