Implementation of Lifelong Learning

1
Implementation of Lifelong Learning

• Paddy Healy
• (President TUI)

2
Implementation of Lifelong Learning

• Questions
• What should the balance be between investment in
  initial education, on-the-job training and better
  utilisation of human capital? What should be the
  division of labour between education institutions
  and employers, and also between the education
  sector and other parts of the public sector?
• What are the roles of information and
  communication technologies in fostering new
  partnerships (communities of learning and work),
  new institutional arrangements, more flexibility
  of learning in time and space?)
• How can new forms of sustainable partnership
  between education and the world of work be
  created? What are the lessons from existing
  models? How does the market have an impact, and
  what are its advantages over formal consultative
  mechanisms? Given the many actors involved, how
  to ensure policy coherence?

3
Response

• Economic and Social Research Institute Study
  (Barret and OConnell 1998)
• Holistic approach to Lifelong Learning required
  for positive economic results
• Irish Models
• Skillnets Training Body
• state/employer/trade union partnership
  organises on-the-job training

4
Apprenticeship System

• Periods spent
• at work
• in training centres
• in institutes of technology
• Highly successful outcomes
• Release from work funded by state

5
Features(continued)

• Close professional collaboration between
  lecturers and trainers
• Nationally Examined and Certified
• Rooted in Partnership
• Two Government Ministries
• Employers
• Trade unions
• Institutes of Technology
• Training Authority
• Vocational Schools

6
Features (continued)

• System arose from negotiations between all
  players
• Permanent, High Quality, Highly Experienced
  Lecturers and Trainers retained in delivery
• Craft lecturers have same salary, conditions and
  status as lecturers in academic mainstream

7
Advice of Training Authority (Irish Labour
Market Review 2004)

• No major movement up qualification ladder without
  release from work for formal education and
  training
• New paid learning leave scheme for
• low-qualified employees recommended
• Government and Social Partners to bring forward
  proposals

8
Proposals of Training Authority

• Expansion of two specific training sectors
• Apprenticeship System to be extended to a wide
  range of other occupations
• Education and training of others already in
  employment

9
Requirements for Sustainable Partnership

• National co-ordination rooted in Partnership
• Negotiation and agreement between all players
• ILO Conference 2000
• strengthen social dialogue, share
  responsibility in formulating education and
  training policies

10
National Co-Ordination

• National Adult Learning Council
• to co-ordinate and develop adult education
  and training within an agreed
  national strategy
• to liaise with all the stakeholders in the
  field
• Local Adult Learning Boards (under VEC)
• to provide organizational, professional and
  financial support to local adult education
  services
• (Government White Paper on Adult Education)

11
Approach of Trade Unions

• ICTU vision of high skills, high wage economy now
  widely accepted
• Unions now commonly seeking education and
  training courses to prolong working life of
  individual
• Education and training provision included in
  National Pay and Partnership Agreements
• (Peter Rigney, Industrial Officer, ICTU)

12
Teachers Union of Ireland

• Strongly committed to expansion of Lifelong
  Learning
• Members traditionally involved in vocational,
  adult and second chance education at second,
  further and third level
• Eager to implement One Step Up for All
  Initiative
• provided
• system is educationally sound
• arrangements are genuinely negotiated