Bangladesh, India, China. Lifelong Learning in a Learning Society: Are Community Learning Centres the Vehicle?
This paper provides a historical perspective on the evolving concepts of lifelong learning and the learning society and makes the case for the community learning centre as a potential institutional vehicle for the promotion of adult and lifelong learning. It highlights the pertinence of lifelong learning/learning society in the post-2015 Development Agenda discourse. Arguments in favour of the community learning centre as a vehicle for lifelong learning/learning society are illustrated using the example of Bangladesh and drawing on parallels and contrasts with China and India. Finally, lessons derived from a recent review of the Asia-Pacific region are evaluated with respect to the development of strategic actions intended to offer adult and lifelong learning within and through community learning centres.
Tags : Bangladesh; China; Historic; India; Learning - lifelong; Lifelong learning; Paper; Source: International Development Policy; Strategy post 2015;
Brazil. Investing in technical & vocational education and training : does it yield large economic returns in Brazil ?
Technical education and training has been dramatically expanding in Brazil recently. However, there remains no evidence on the cost effectiveness of this alternative track to a more general education. This paper quantifies the wage returns of completing technical and vocational education and training compared with the returns of completing the general education track, for individuals with similar observable characteristics.
Tags : Brazil; Paper; Source: World Bank; VET - vocational education and training;
Canada. Education indicators in Canada: An international perspective, 2015
In 2015, 9 out of 10 people (90%) in Canada aged 25 to 64 had completed at least high school, well above the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (
OECD) average of 78%. Only the Czech Republic (93%), Estonia, the Slovak Republic and Poland (all at 91%) had higher proportions. The United States matched Canada at 90%.
Tags : Article; Canada; Comparative analysis; Education - indicators 2015; Indicators - education 2015; Source: Government of Canada/Statistics Canada; Statistics 2015;
India. The Dual System of Vocational Training: A Model for India?
The dual system can serve as a useful model for the debate and design of actual VET reforms in India. This includes elements of the dual system not mentioned above such as the establishment of national standards or the education of qualified vocational trainers. The three elements of the dual system – the dual principle, the partnership between government and businesses and joint funding – are especially relevant for the Indian context. They share a common theme: vocational training is a responsibility of both the state and the private sector and it works best when both cooperate.
Tags : Article; Dual vocational training system; India; Source: Bertelsmann Stiftung; VET - reform;
Korea. Skills training by small and medium-sized enterprises: Innovative cases and the consortium approach in the Republic of Korea
This paper presents targeted government policies for promoting training in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to increase their contributions to economic development. It first discusses the role of SMEs in country development and the special challenges facing SMEs in developing human resources. It then surveys some innovative, targeted policies for promoting training by SMEs in Asia and Latin America. The paper elaborates on the objectives and achievements of a successful targeted SME training policy, the SME Training Consortiums Program in the Republic of Korea, as a best practice. This paper concludes with some cautionary remarks for developing countries seeking to adopt targeted SME training policies.
Tags : Paper; Skills - training; SME - Small and medium entreprises; Source: Asian Development Bank Institute; South Korea; Training - skills;
Syria. Giving Fish or Teaching Fishing in Syria?
This article highlights the importance of vocational education and using the skills of the refugees themselves in promoting both formal and non-formal training programs which can equip people with skills, could improve their employability chances, and help them to earn an income to improve their quality of life.
Tags : Article; Conflict settings; Employability; Refugees; Source: NORRAG - Northern Research Review and Advisory Group; Syrian Arab Republic; VET - vocational education and training;
USA. State Strategies to Scale Quality Work-Based Learning
Industries in every state are struggling to find qualified applicants for jobs, while job seekers too often find they lack the skills needed to enter or move along a career pathway to a good job. Preparing a workforce that is poised to meet the needs of businesses and ultimately to make the state more economically competitive is a top priority for many governors. Therefore, many of them are exploring ways to scale—increase opportunities for—high-quality, demand-driven work based learning as a proven way to prepare their citizens for the modern workforce.
Tags : Learning - workplace; Paper; Skills - development; Source: National Governors Association; Strategy - skills development; United States of America; Workplace - learning;
USA. We Need a Better Way to Visualize People’s Skills
By 2020, the US economy is expected to create 55 million job openings: 24 million of these will be entirely new positions. And 48 percent of the new jobs. How can companies get a better idea of which skills employees and job candidates have?
Tags : Article; Skills - trend 2020; Source: Harvard Business Review; Trend - skills 2020; United States of America;
USA. Why New Vocational Education Isn't Reaching Classrooms
The problem is that high-tech careers are changing all the time—by their very definition they are “emerging” and not conducive to a system that takes multiple years to approve.
Tags : Article; Source: The Atlantic; United States of America; VET - vocational education and training;
Zambia. Using E-Learning for Skills Transfer, Motivation and Retention of Health Workers in Zambia
Health system strengthening continues to be a moving target for developing countries with the human resource factor the most critical bottleneck towards universal health coverage. Zambia health sector is instituting an intervention that can improve retention of health workers using non-financial motivation through sustainable elearning.
Tags : Development - workforce; eLearning; Health - personnel; Paper; Source: Medical Journal of Zambia; Workforce - development; Zambia;
Europe. Work-Related Learning and Skill Development in Europe: Does Initial Skill Mismatch Matter?
This paper provides more insight into the relevance of the assumption of human capital theory that the productivity of job-related training is driven by the improvement of workers’ skills. We analyse the extent to which training and informal learning on the job are related to employee skill development and consider the heterogeneity of this relationship with respect to workers’ skill mismatch at job entry. This complementarity between training and informal learning is related to a significant additional improvement of workers’ skills. The skill development of workers who were initially underskilled for their job seems to benefit the most from both training and informal learning, whereas the skill development of those who were initially overskilled benefits the least. Work-related learning investments in the latter group seem to be more functional in offsetting skill depreciation than in fostering skill accumulation.
Tags : Europe; Paper; Skills - development; Skills - mismatch; Source: IZA - Institute for the Study of Labor; Training - formal; Training - informal;
Why Use Technical Competencies
Technical competencies help differentiate between jobs within a functional area.
Tags : Article; Competencies; Source: Human Resource Systems Group;
Does vocational training help young people find a (good) job?
Youth unemployment has increased in many industrialized countries following the recent global recession. However, this reflects not only the cyclical shock, but also the crucial role of institutions in structuring the transition from school to work. Vocational training, in particular in a dual form combining vocational schooling and structured learning on-the-job, is often considered to be one of the most important policy solutions in combating youth unemployment. The evidence available supports this perception, but the institutional requirements of a successful training system also have to be taken into account from a policy perspective.
Tags : Education - youth; Paper; School-to-work transition; Source: IZA World of Labor Policy; VET - vocational education and training; Youth - employment;
Promoting VET teachers’ individual and social learning activities: the empowering and purposeful role of transformational leadership, interdependence, and self-efficacy
This study explores the interaction between organizational and psychological factors that play a role in professional teacher learning. More specifically, how teachers’ engagement in learning activities (e.g. keeping up to data, self-reflection, and experimenting, respectively, asking for feedback and information sharing) is influenced by the organizational factors transformational leadership and perceived interdependence, and the psychological factor self-efficacy. In general, two configurations for the facilitation of teacher learning were found: one that empowers individual teachers to acquire new knowledge, and another that helps teachers to focus on shared goals and binds them to social learning. Teachers’ engagement in learning activities, and consequently VET colleges’ change capacities, is optimally facilitated by empowerment and purpose.
Tags : Paper; Source: Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training; VET - teachers; Vocational teachers;
Working for economic transformation
A key challenge for developing countries is to generate more and better employment opportunities, ensuring that all parts of the population are reached. This paper discusses what this means in practice, particularly in the context of economic structural transformation. Looking at the quality, quantity and access to jobs in developing countries, the paper highlights the extent of progress in sectoral labour demand and supply, particularly in relation to structural change.
Tags : Labour market; Lower-income countries; Paper; Source: ODI - Overseas Development Institute;
Using competencies to identify and empower top performers
When it comes to your employees, the 80/20 rule often applies, with the top 20 percent of your employees delivering 80 percent of the workforce value. The ability of top performers to generate exceptional value makes them highly prized, and your organization likely invests considerable resources in attracting, identifying, and grooming high-potential individuals.
Tags : 80/20 rule; Article; Competencies; Source: Human Resource Systems Group;
A Look at the Future of Online Learning
In this two-part consideration of the future of online learning, we look at the patterns and trends which will shape online learning in the future and how the various components of the post-secondary education system, such as student population, course design and delivery, assessment, resource bases, teaching and learning models, and partnerships will be different from what we have now.
Part 1. Advancing Technology and Online Learning - An Ideal Match for the Future
Part 2. Transformations in Students, Programs, Teaching and Learning, and Policy and Government
Tags : Analysis - trends; Article; eLearning; Source: TeachOnline; Trend - analysis;
