Young people in (juvenile) prison have difficulties in reaching a formal qualification in VET. Although they get training during their stay in prison, the training is ad hoc and is difficult to linked to formal qualifications. When they leave prison, they have no proves of their qualifications or competences. JPC De Sprengen, a juvenile prison in The Netherlands, has started a pilot with ROC Aventus to recognize the competences of the youngsters by using a portfolio and APL. Leaving detention with the portfolio and these formal and recognized qualifications makes it easier for the youngsters to continue learning and/or working after their detention and therefore reduce the risk of a fallback to criminal behavior. During the project the Dutch partners will share their experiences, update the products and pilot the new products together with project partner in Portugal (ISQ) and Italy (CSCS – Centro Servizi “Cultura Sviluppo” Srl). Both partners are involved in training youngsters in prison. The pilots will be evaluated and lessons learned will be published.European dimension The situation with providing education in prison in general and specially VET cannot be approached on a local level (since the youngsters in prison move all over the country). Although the situation may not be the same in each European country, the problem of ad hoc VET training for youngsters in prison is all over Europe. This problem calls for very specific and rather unusual solutions. To share experiences and best practices at a European level might help to stimulate new ideas to solve this problem for all who are included.We will not only work on the APL in the prisons, but will also built on a portfolio (with VET skills, but also personal skills and facts) to make sure that those who will train the youngsters in the future will have the best information possible (e.g. also on the best context for training). We hope at the end this will lead to better training, more effect and fun in learning and recognition of learning, leading to a better position on the labor market when the youngsters leave the prison. At the end this should lead to less fallback into criminal behavior.