A portfolio is an organised collection of materials that presents and verifies skills and knowledge acquired through experience. It is of particular relevance to validating non‑formal and informal learning because it allows the individual candidate to contribute actively to the collection of evidence and also offers a mix of approaches strengthening the overall validity of the process. This is confirmed by the fact that many        countries have introduced the portfolio  as a central element in their validation approaches (CEDEFOP, 2009)

The Vaeb project designed a portfolio to value the skills & competences acquired thanks to a volunteering on the labour market; and  a guide for professionals working with the volunteers and in the professional integration field. The project Vaeb consisted in : a statement of the recognition of voluntary work in each of the 7 countries and the kind of training proposed by professionals to volunteers and the qualifications they require ; a synthesis of the main skills and qualifications developed in the voluntary activities and the ways and tools to identify them for professionals ; a proposal and experimentation of validation for these skills and qualifications in the short term for the associations, in the long term for their partners (public and private sectors..). The VAEB project was awarded in 2006 in Helsinki for excellent practice in addressing the priorities of the Copenhagen process and promoting an enhanced European cooperation in Vocational Education and Training (VET)