Lifelong Learning - Adult Learning Australia (ALA) · Why we need lifelong learning ANTA...

Lifelong LearningMaking it work

An Adult Learning Australia discussion paperedited and introduced by Tony Brown

Typesetting and additional editing: Cath StylesPrinting: Panther

© Adult Learning AustraliaPO Box 308 Jamison, ACT 2614April 2000

ISBN: 0949145238

Contents

Introduction 4

Part One: The 1999 National Seminar on Lifelong Learning Policy

A national lifelong learning policy for Australia?TONY BROWN, Adult Learning Australia 6

Is lifelong learning critical, desirable or just a good idea?PHILLIP CANDY, University of Ballarat 9

A vision for the future of Australian education and trainingMOIRA SCOLLAY, Australian National Training Authority 12

Discussion and recommendations of the Seminar Working Groups 13

Part Two: Background papers from around the world

Key issues and characteristics of lifelong learningNBEET (National Board of Employment, Education and Training), Australia 16

Five key dimensions of lifelong learning in a learning societyPETER KEARNS, Australia 17

Why we need lifelong learningANTA (Australian National Training Authority), Australia 18

The attributes of a lifelong learning policy frameworkANTA (Australian National Training Authority), Australia 20

Lifelong learning for allDONALD J. JOHNSTON, Secretary-General of the OECD 21

Aims and ambitions for lifelong learningG8 SUMMIT Köln Charter 23

The learning age: Towards a Europe of knowledgePAUL BELANGER, UNESCO Institute of Education 25

Learning to succeed: A new framework for post-16 learningGOVERNMENT, United Kingdom 28

Lifelong learning summitAL GORE, Vice-President, United States of America 32

Launch of Manpower 21 PlanGOVERNMENT, Singapore 35

Part Three: Appendices

1. Program of the 1999 National Seminar on Lifelong Learning Policy 40

2. Attendance at the 1999 National Seminar on Lifelong Learning Policy 41

3. References 43

Introduction

This discussion paper came about from the Adult Learners Week NationalSeminar on Lifelong Learning Policy held in Canberra in September 1999.

The Seminar was attended by nearly fifty people. They came from governmentdepartments, industry, universities and lifelong learning centres, ITABs, a citycouncil, the ABC, professional associations and trade unions. They includedadult educators, independent researchers, policy workers, consultants, andindustry representatives.

The Seminar was addressed by Moira Scollay, Phillip Candy, Mary Dickie, JuneBeck and Peter Kearns. Through the day the group divided into three workinggroups and discussed and worked on the ideas raised by the speakers. At theend of the day the groups came back together with a number of ideas abouthow to progress national policy development on lifelong learning.

One of the key recommendations was that this issue needed to be discussedamong the wide variety of organisations involved in the practice of adultlearning. This paper aims to fulfil that recommendation.

The discussion paper is made up of separate sections. You will find:

• my introduction to lifelong learning policy, and discussion starters byProfessor Philip Candy and Ms Moira Scollay, each with a list of questionsto focus future discussion;

• a summary of the Seminar participants’ discussion and recommendations;

• examples of statements on Lifelong Learning from Australia and aroundthe world; and

• appendices listing the Seminar program, Seminar participants, andreferences on lifelong learning.

Part One

The 1999 National Seminar on Lifelong Learning Policy

6 – Adult Learning Australia discussion paper, April 2000

A national lifelong learning policy for Australia?

Tony Brown, Adult Learning Australia

The first Australian Adult Learners Week washeld in 1995. One of the year’s three themes was‘Lifelong learning for all’. In its fifth year, AdultLearners Week again had as one of its centralthemes ‘Lifelong learning’.

The original UNESCO concept of lifelongeducation, as expressed in the late 1960s andearly 1970s, was based in the humanistictradition. That tradition saw increased educationas a means of equalising individual earnings,linked education reform with social demands forgreater opportunity, and emphasised personalfulfilment. Greater equity in educationalopportunity was seen as a major levelling forcein society. It was democratisation througheducation.

The current version of lifelong learning isdifferent. The key 1990s reports on lifelonglearning are influenced by a broader mix ofeconomic, employment, social, cultural andeducational objectives reflecting the uncertainand rapidly changing contemporary times. Thisbreadth of objectives further highlights theinterdependencies between the economic,technological, community, equity andorganisational contexts. However the earlyreports concentrate their focus on the economicbenefits of education reform.

Finding the right mix between education andthese varying contexts is seen as centrallyimportant at three levels. Education (andlearning flexibility) is proclaimed as central forthe individual, business and the nation – itunifies all three, so that:

• for the individual it increases income andemployment security;

• for business it increases competitiveness inthe international or global market; and

• for the nation it determines each country’sposition in global competition.

The First Global Conference on LifelongLearning was held in Rome in late 1994 (see thereport World Initiative on Lifelong Learning, 1995).In 1994 the European Commission produced aWhite Paper, Growth, Economic Competitiveness and

Employment, proclaiming that, ‘Education andtraining [are] the key means of ensuring thetransformation of our society’.

Another white paper of the EuropeanCommission – Teaching and Learning: Towards theLearning Society (1996) – reiterates the idea thatlifelong learning is inextricably linked toeconomic security. “The countries of Europetoday have no other option. If they are to holdtheir own and continue to be a reference pointin the world they have to build on the progressmade along the road to European Union bymore substantial investment in their knowledgebase.”

In a similar vein, the Education Ministers of theOECD member countries identified lifelonglearning as “key to the continued developmentof OECD countries as they move towards thetwenty first century”. (OECD 1996: 13)

The OECD Ministers argued in their paper thatthree interrelated sets of issues had to beaddressed to make lifelong learning a reality forall. The first is to improve the foundations forlifelong learning so that all learners, young andold, obtain the academic and vocationalqualifications they need for work and furtherlearning. The second is to facilitate pathways andprogressions through lifelong learning and work,especially the transition from school to work.The third is to rethink the roles andresponsibilities of all partners – includinggovernments – in implementing and financingthe organisation of lifelong learning for all. (14)

By 1996 the need for ‘learning’, according toUNESCO’s Learning: The Treasure Within couldbe spelt out through the image of four pillarsthat support all human endeavours. The fourpillars were: learning to know; to do; to be; andto live together.

The broader view of lifelong learning –incorporating economic as well as social, culturalconsiderations – has come to dominateeducation policy-making in the later 1990s,culminating in a series of declarations about theimportance of education and lifelong learningsuch as those of UNESCO’s internationalconference on adult education in Hamburg in

Lifelong Learning: Making it Work – 7

1997, and more recently, by the new Labourgovernment in Britain. (Blunkett 1998)

In Australia the National Board of Employment,Education and Training (NBEET) produced aseries of reports on the need to encourage andsupport lifelong learning. Among these wereDeveloping Lifelong Learners through UndergraduateEducation (1994), Lifelong Learning – Key Issues(1996) and Learning to Learn in the VocationalEducation and Training Sector (1996).

In its report Lifelong Learning – Key Issues theBoard took a two pronged approach in reachingits conclusion that “there is a strong need forpeople to continue their learning - that, is to belifelong learners”. The ‘dual imperative’ was tobuild upon initial education and training toachieve broad economic goals and secondly tocreate a society where people enjoy learning inand of itself. The goal of lifelong learning shouldbe to develop “not only a skilled and flexibleworkforce but also with enabling people torealise more of their individual potential andwith ‘public learning’ – enhancing societalawareness and understanding of various criticalissues in public policy.” (NBEET 1996: 4)

The current Australian national strategy (ANTA1998) identifies vocational education andtraining’s mission as being to:

ensure that the skills of the Australianlabour force are sufficient to supportinternationally competitive commerce andindustry and to provide individuals withopportunities to optimise their potential.

Reports from the United States have also,although to a much lesser extent, embraced thebelief that education reform is necessary toensure American industry’s internationalcompetitiveness. Workforce 2000, a report by theUS Department of Labor, is representative ofthe views not only of the Labor Department butalso the US Department of Education, most ofthe national commissions on education reformand many business leaders.

If the economy is to grow rapidly andAmerican companies are to reassert theirworld leadership, the educational standardsthat have been established in the nation’sschools must be raised dramatically. Putsimply, students must go to school longer,study more, and pass more difficult testscovering more advanced subject matter.(Johnston & Packer, 1987)

Such views, also featured in President Clinton’s1992 and 1996 election campaigns, argue that if

the American workforce is not as well educatedas those of Japan or Germany, then theirbusinesses will not be able to competeeffectively in the world economy.

Vice-President Gore’s address to a 1999Lifelong Learning Summit provides anindication of official American thinking onlifelong learning.

The challenge: Linking learning & theimplications

The challenge at the end of the twentiethcentury is to bring the work of the past twenty-five years within a policy framework.

In Europe this work has been underway forsome years and has recently gathered newmomentum in the UK. In 1996 Europecelebrated the Year of Lifelong Learning. In1998 the British government released the reportThe Learning Age. A European Conference heldin Manchester in 1998 was organised under thetheme ‘The Learning Age: Towards a Europe ofKnowledge’.

Since then a succession of reports have focusedon the policy implications of this work. In June1999 the UK report Learning to Succeed identifieda number of areas where additional work wasneeded. These included supporting youngpeople, adult learners, improving quality,assisting learning businesses and developingLearning and Skills Councils.

In Australia renewed attention is being paid toresearching Australian attitudes to education,study, training and learning with a view tomarketing lifelong learning and skills acquisition.

The policy challenge, both here and overseas, ishow to integrate the three overlapping sites oflifelong learning – learning in and for theworkplace; learning in and through formal andinformal education and training; andcommunity-based learning. Integral to thischallenge is developing financing mechanismsthat will support such integration. What practicalsteps might be introduced that support theprinciples of lifelong learning – entitlements?,cross-sectoral partnerships?, informal learningopportunities and networks?

Various initiatives and schemes have alreadycommenced. In the workplace, learningorganisations are being promoted, as areworkplace learning and assessment programs,while employee development schemes continueto grow. The first steps have been taken byregional communities to develop Learning


Cities. Learning Circles, on topics of civicimportance such as reconciliation, democracy,salinity and crime prevention, are spreadingacross the community.

New technologies are opening up new learningopportunities for the geographically remote; forsenior Australians; and for those unable toaccess courses at the times on offer.

Meeting the challenge

What follows are a set of papers that illustratesome of the issues raised in different countriesand by different bodies. They are not meant tobe comprehensive but rather to provide asnapshot of the discussion under way at the endof 1999.

They have been drawn from Australia; theOECD; The Manchester Learning AgeConference; three recent UK reports; and USVice-President Gore’s statement to theAmerican Lifelong Learning Summit.

Issues for discussion

As Australians involved in the broad area oflifelong learning, we can ask ourselves whatmight we hope to achieve at a national policylevel on lifelong learning?

1. What policy development would we like tosee between now and Adult Learners Week2000?

2. What is it reasonable to aim for ?

• An Australian lifelonglearning charter?

• A statement from the‘social partners’ –business, trade unions,educational bodies?

• A strategic, or consultative,body to advise governmenton lifelong learning policy?

3. What steps can be taken to further progressdeveloping a national policy on LifelongLearning in Australia?

4. Do we need legislation for lifelong learning?

5. Do we need a lifelong learning policyframework at various levels?

6. What is the role of government in thisprocess?

7. What are the roles of the educationproviders?

8. How can learning/education structures beorganised under the overarching concept oflifelong learning?

9. How can we widen the scope of work-basedlearning and foster reflection in on-the-jobtraining?

10. Is it possible to operate learning accountsfor the whole population? For segments ofthe population?

11. How can we motivate a wider section of thepopulation to participate in lifelong learning,and provide the support and opportunitiesto assist take-up?

Philip Candy and Moira Scollay raise additionalquestions in their papers, following.


Is lifelong learning critical, desirable or just a good idea?

Professor Philip C Candy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Scholarship), University of Ballarat

Introduction

I am very grateful for the opportunity to speakto you on the important subject of lifelonglearning in Australia. As many of you will beaware, this has been a major preoccupation ofmine for a number of years and it is a policydirection that I hold very dear. Although Isuspect that my enthusiasm for lifelong learningis broadly shared by many of the peopleattending this symposium, there certainly is notunanimous support for the concept amongst ourcolleagues outside this gathering. As a result, it islikely that the rhetorical question in the topic Ihave been given – critical, desirable or just a goodidea? – could be answered in the affirmativedepending on the group to whom one isspeaking. In other words, where many of us mayregard lifelong learning as critical, there areothers who think of it only as desirable, andothers again who may simply endorse it as just agood idea but who believe that there are othermore pressing good ideas that require theirattention.

There seems little doubt that Australia lagsbehind many comparative countries in terms ofits attention to lifelong learning, at least at thenational policy level. A couple of years ago, Ihad the privilege of representing Australia at aninternational symposium convened byUNESCO and the Japan National Institute forEducational Research. The papers presented atthat gathering emphasised the fact that Australiahas been slow to embrace lifelong learning as amajor policy goal at the national level. Unlikeother comparative countries, we do not have aunified ministry of Lifelong Learning, nor do wehave a policy context that supports lifelonglearning; indeed, many major polic y-makersand opinion leaders seem to regard the wholeconcept as something of an indulgence, andcertainly as marginal to their major concerns.

Why has Australia been so slow to embrace theidea of lifelong learning? There seems to me tobe a series of objections and concerns that need

to be addressed. These objections can, perhaps,be considered under the following questions:

• Who is responsible for lifelong learning?

• Who is lifelong learning for?

• Why bother?

• Why is this critical?

• How much will it cost?

Who is responsible for lifelong learning?

Whenever Australians attend conferencesabroad they often have difficulty conveying totheir colleagues from other countries the uniquechallenges posed by our federal system ofgovernment. For people who are used either to ahighly decentralised form of education andtraining or, at the opposite extreme, to a highlycentralised national system, the division ofresponsibility between State and Federaljurisdictions can seem confusing and, indeed,counter-intuitive. However,compartmentalisation of responsibility is not justacross government departments andinstrumentalities. In Australia there is anadditional fragmentation of responsibility whenit is recognised that lifelong learning alsotouches on many stakeholders in the private andvoluntary sector. The recent emphasis oninformation technology and advancedtelecommunications (ITAT) has broadened thedebate about lifelong learning to include issuesof connectivity and infrastructure developmentthat extend well beyond the traditional focus onissues such as learning environments, equity,pedagogy and community development.

Linked with this fragmentation of responsibilityis an unfortunate tendency in Australia to engagein an adversarial style of politics and industrialrelations. The progress that has been made insome other countries through partnershipsbetween government, business, the unions andcommunity groups would be difficult if notimpossible to replicate in Australia, mainlybecause of our tradition of adopting aconfrontational rather than collaborative stanceand, in the case of government, frequently


overturning policy initiatives for no reason otherthan they represent the ideological perspectiveof a predecessor.

Who is lifelong learning for?

In discussions and debates about lifelonglearning, there is an unfortunate tendency toconfuse ‘learning’ with ‘schooling,’ with theresult that advocates and apologists on bothsides of the argument have a tendency to thinkthat learning occurs best (or only) in the contextof formal education. Even where this is not thecase, we sometimes suffer from the peculiardebilitating tendency to wish to ‘cut peopledown to size’, the so-called ‘tall poppysyndrome’. In this case, people who voluntarilyseek to better themselves through education,training or self-directed learning are oftenundermined by colleagues, friends and family –the very people whose support andencouragement they most need.

Secondly, there is some evidence to suggest thatcontinued learning is regarded as a genderedactivity. In other words, it is imagined, whetherit is real or not, that women predominate informal education and training contexts both atwork and in the community. Whether this isempirically true or not, it clearly represents amajor challenge for organisations such as theAustralian National Training Authority and adultcommunity education providers to encouragepeople of both genders and all sorts ofbackgrounds to participate actively in lifelonglearning.

A third potential problem for lifelong learning inour context is Australia’s distinctive brand ofanti-intellectualism; the assumption that we are anation of non-learners. However, there is littleevidence that this is true; indeed, it ignores boththe reality that at the turn of the centuryAustralia was one of the best educated nations inthe world, and that even today we are amongstthe most widely read and widely travelled peopleon the planet.

Why bother?

Under this heading, three different types ofobjections are sometimes raised. The first iscaptured by the phrase ‘we have already done it’.Many commentators will point to evidence suchas Australia’s early adoption of lifelong learningprinciples as far back as the Kangan Report, theestablishment and impact of the Centre forContinuing Education at the Australian National

University, and the seemingly endless series ofgovernment reports that over the years haveadvocated (or at least used the language of)lifelong learning. While this is an impressivepedigree, it is likely that many of these reportsand initiatives touched the lives of a relativelysmall proportion of the Australian population.

The second type of objection revolves aroundthe claim that Australia’s excellent informationand telecommunications infrastructure, its worldclass university system and its high levels ofparticipation in schooling and post-compulsoryeducation are evidence that we are leading interms of our commitment to lifelong learning.There are two errors of logic in this line ofargument: the first is that simply having a goodcultural and technological infrastructure is noguarantee that its benefits are widespread. Thesecond is the issue already mentioned; namely,that of confusing formal education with lifelonglearning.

The third and final type of criticism ironicallyreflects the reverse of the ‘cultural cringe’,namely, the exaggerated belief in ourdistinctiveness and the fact that we have no needto follow the example, or learn from theexperience, of other countries such as theUnited States, United Kingdom, Japan,Germany, Canada and so on. For some people.the claim that Australia should become a ‘clevercountry’ is proof that we have already done so.

Why is this critical?

In times of rapid and pervasive change, andespecially in a robust and diverse democracysuch as Australia, there will always be argumentsthat particular policy initiatives should takeprecedence over others. In Australia, forinstance, it has been argued that we need micro-economic reform, that the environment is a highpriority, that we should concentrate onreconciliation with the indigenous population,that we need a national curriculum across ourschools and so on. Whilst not denying theimportance of these, or other worthwhile policyobjectives, it should be recognised that aconcentration on lifelong learning and, inparticular, a ‘whole of Government’ approach tothe subject would significantly help in achievingthese other valued policy goals by laying afoundation of continuing learning and criticalinquiry.

Linked to the competition amongst variouspolicy objectives is the reality that ‘the urgent


always drives out the important’. This dictum istrue of business and it is equally true in thepolitical arena, especially when governments feelobliged to produce quick and observable results.The consequence is that a focus on lifelonglearning, which is inevitably a long termproposition with far reaching consequences formany aspects of Australian life, is oftensacrificed to shorter-term and more expedientgoals and initiatives.

How much will it cost?

A final category of objections to lifelonglearning relate to the concern that suchinitiatives will be unaffordable. At the nationallevel, there is a concern that broadening accesswill have undesirable economic consequences,because it will cost money. However, such anargument fails to take account of the costs ofnot broadening access; as the old saying goes: ifyou think education is expensive, try ignorance!

At the level of individual enterprises, there iswidespread reluctance in Australian businesscircles to invest in learning for employees.Unfortunately, many Australian companies andenterprises equate money spent on staffdevelopment with a cost rather than aninvestment. To the extent that they adopt ashort-term perspective, they fail to recognisethat the long-term competitiveness of theirenterprise, especially in a global marketplace, willbe vitally dependent upon the extent to whichtheir staff are committed lifelong learners.

A third problem for Australia is our taxationsystem which, in many cases, penalisesemployers and employees, especially when thelearning undertaken is not of a specificallyvocational type. In the United Kingdom, forinstance, the government has introduced an

initiative under the heading of ‘IndividualLearning Accounts’ in an attempt to attractdisillusioned and marginalised adults back intoeducation and training. Very often, the routeback into learning is through programs that donot in the first instance have any direct relevanceto their employment. In Australia, such ascheme would target the funds expended, eitheras income or as subject to fringe benefits tax.Either way, this would militate against voluntaryparticipation in ‘return to learn’ programs.

Conclusion

In concluding, I would like to pose threeparticular questions that may be considered bypeople attending this symposium:

1. How can we get Lifelong Learning into thepublic awareness and into the consciousnessof senior policy-makers and other influentialopinion leaders?

2. How can we get business and industryleaders to take the concept seriously, and toaccept their role within the context of‘Lifelong Learning Partnerships’?

3. How can we help to develop a taxationregime that actively supports rather thanmilitates against lifelong learning?

As I mentioned at the outset, my personal viewis that lifelong learning is vital to Australia’sinternational competitiveness, to our quality oflife including our social inclusiveness, and to theemployability and satisfaction of individuals.There are, however, a number of obstacles tothe achievement of such a vision, and it isincumbent on those of us who believe inlearning, not only to advocate for it in a varietyof forums, but also to actively model our owncommitment to such values.


A vision for the future of Australian education andtraining

Moira Scollay, Chief Executive Officer, Australian National Training Authority

We see a vision for the future of Australianeducation and training. Our vision sees:

• education and training as the cornerstone ofan Australian democracy in which everyonehas the opportunity to be active members ofour society;

• the creation of Australia as a ‘learningsociety’ with a culture that deeply valuesskills, knowledge and lifelong learning;

• the new passion for learning contributing tonational economic performance, sustainablegrowth and to our internationalcompetitiveness;

• intellectual and human capital acknowledgedas the heartbeat of national, enterprise andindividual wealth creation and prosperity inthe 21st century;

• industry continuing to play a lead role inreform of education and training;

• all Australians sharing in the rewards ofinformation and knowledge, with equality ofaccess;

• individuals and enterprises as the customersof the system, with the individual learneroccupying centre stage in the educationalprocess; and

• a seamless post-compulsory education andtraining system where individuals can movethrough school, vocational education andtraining, adult education, university andother informal systems, in any order, andback again throughout life, with confidencethat their skills and qualifications arerecognised and portable.

Is lifelong learning critical, desirable or just agood idea? Lets start with the proposition thatit’s absolutely critical. Is that even worthdebating!

There are three necessary and sufficientconditions for lifelong learning:

• a culture of learning;

• a culture of innovation; and

• universal access.

In our rapidly impending knowledge society, it isa choice between becoming life long learnersand a learning society or missing out oncontrolling and creating our own future.

Is it worth debating – If so why?

Why not get on with the how? And in whatform?

Some questions How do we bring all our people with us? Will weneed help from genetic engineering? Orquantum leaps in our understanding of howpeople learn?

What infrastructure is necessary to deliverlifelong learning for all? For Australians andglobally?

What will the roles for government, industry,enterprises, individuals and communities be?

What should the balance of formal and informaleducation and training be? What should thebalance of teacher soft and hard skills be? Howimportant are formal qualifications andrecognition?

Do we need to be concerned about a balancebetween education for work and education forlife? Will one necessarily lead to the other?

What should the roles of the different sectorsbe? How do we retain diversity while integratingaround the client?

How do we balance the needs of new entrants,existing workers upskilling, older workersdeskilling and non-workers?


Discussion and recommendations of the SeminarWorking Groups

Three working groups met throughout theSeminar taking up the challenges posed by thekey speakers and finally came up with a series ofrecommendations. The general feeling at the endof the Seminar was one of enthusiasm and akeenness to take these issues back to theirconstituencies to further discuss and pursuepolicy development around lifelong learning.The efforts of the facilitators – Deirdre Baker,Angela Carbone and Tess Julian – areappreciated.

One group started by asking ‘What are theproblems confronting the promotion of lifelonglearning?’ In answering the question they notedsome important contextual issues:

• People ‘in the know’ are jaded.

• People ‘not in the know’ are scared of ‘it’,unskilled at ‘it’ or unmotivated to pursue ‘it’.

• The concept itself is intangible, and hard tomeasure and describe.

• It is perceived to be costly and hard todeliver.

• There is a perceived lack of political will.

Lifelong learning is critical but it is hard toarticulate why it is so important. Also accordingto market research, Australians love learning.They just don’t love the learning and trainingsystems that have been established.

So how do we promote the concept so itconnects with what people want to do andprovides the required benefits to the society,that is, cultural, social, economical andindustrial?

In response to these challenges, it was felt thatpolicies and practices need to shift to a greaterfocus on:

• broadening the notion of learning fromwork and what we learn from work andwhat we need for work and for life;

• the quality of the learning experience;

• supporting community inspired learningideas;

• creating a sense of belonging withinlearning;

• assessment and recognition for progressionto further learning rather than an end initself;

• the role and skills of the coach, the mentor,the learning facilitator;

• an infrastructure that supports peoplecoming together and learning in anunselfconscious way, for example, networks;

• costing the benefits of learning in terms ofthe general well-being of the community;and

• inter-generational learning, that is, trying toduplicate the ways in which communitiestraditionally learn.

How to shift the focus? Some ideas aboutachieving a shift were as follows.

• Keep responsibility for schools with theStates, but give responsibility for otheraspects of lifelong learning to the FederalGovernment, and administer it throughregional boards.

• Encourage a ‘whole of government’approach to learning, as fundamental toeffectively running all ministries :– adapting to a knowledge-based society andeconomy,– moving from a passive society to an activeone,– establishing links with Asia, and– learning as central for integration;

• Set up a ‘virtual ministry’ across ministries.

• Review taxation to build in incentives forlearning.

• Convene a national summit of learning: AHearing on Learning. Lifelong learning isproviding an answer to a question that is yetto be asked.

• Stress the importance of learning forcommunity well-being across portfolios forexample, healthy ageing... Recognise thevalue of older people as a resource.


• Provide support for learning other than justskills based learning.

• Use ITAB structure as a way of fundingcommunity-based learning initiatives anduser choice programs.

• Set up centres, for example, learning trainsand telecentres, for disseminatinginformation through existing structures.

• Emphasise learning as fun, enjoyable,fulfilling.

• Encourage learning as a communityproblem-solving strategy, linking thecommunity together and provide amechanism for funding, for example,learning circles.

• Encourage enterprises to work within theircommunity to encourage learning withinand without the organisation.

Final recommendations:1. We need a national policy framework. The

nation is lacking a statement from the PrimeMinister on lifelong learning. A declarationtowards a national policy. This policy needsendorsement from State Premiers.

2. In developing such a policy, we need tobuild on the wealth of experience we have,be informed by the research from ANTA’sNational Marketing Strategy for lifelonglearning and skills acquisition and highlight

the successful models that have beendeveloped.

3. The policy should include a declaration oflifelong learning, and an operational plandescribing lifelong learning’s benefits to thecommunity. The operational plan shouldalso include a summary of the successfulnational and international case studies oflifelong learning

4. The policy should be developed inpartnership with Commonwealth and Stategovernments, industry, trade unions, non-government organisations and perhaps asmall task force

5. A whole of Government approach shouldbuild on the key public policy imperatives ofthe government such as:– emphasis to develop regional Australia,– development of a knowledge-basedeconomy,– movement from passive to an activesociety, and– establishment of links with Asia.

6. It is imperative to look beyond theeconomic benefits of lifelong learning, toalso emphasise that it fosters social cohesionand improves quality of life.

7. A discussion paper should be preparedsummarising the Seminar’s outcomes and bedistributed to for comment.

Part Two

Background papers from around the world


Key issues and characteristics of lifelong learning

National Board of Employment, Education and Training (NBEET), Lifelong Learning – Key Issues, 1996,Australia

Key issuesIn 1996, the NBEET working party identified,in its interim advice, four key issues for furtherconsideration:

• Assessment

• Delivery

• The social dimension of learning; and

• Access to lifelong learning opportunities

Characteristics of lifelong learners Lifelong learners had acquired:

• the necessary skills and attitudes forlearning, especially literacy and numeracyskills;

• the confidence to learn, including a sense ofengagement with the education and trainingsystem; and

• willingness and motivation to learn.

If education and training programs are explicitlydesigned with the development or preservationof these characteristics in mind, then the

number of people who slip through the systemor become alienated from it will be reduced.

The idea of continuing knowledge acquisitionand development of skills for the broad mass ofpeople in society has gained a new impetus.Traditional training has limitations which canonly be compensated for by learning over thelife span of an individual.

Though there are distinct economic benefits tosociety from a population which is adequatelyprepared to meet a changing economicenvironment, learning throughout life has animportant social aspect, given the increasedlongevity of the population of advancedindustrial countries.

Lifelong learning should be concerned, not onlywith a skilled and flexible workforce but alsowith enabling people to realise more of theirindividual potential and with ‘public learning’ –enhancing societal awareness and understandingof various critical issues in public policy.


Five key dimensions of lifelong learning in a learningsociety

Peter Kearns, VET in the Learning Age: The Challenge of Lifelong Learning for All, 1999, Australia

1. Foundations for all:

• provision to ensure that everyoneachieves the foundations of lifelonglearning;

• learning to learn skills;

• motivation and desire for learning; and

• personal mastery to drive lifelongpersonal development.

2. Strengthen and develop pathways, bridgesand transitions:

• strengthen and extend pathwaysthrough education and training intowork;

• support the key transitions individualsface; and

• ensure support and safety net provisionfor disadvantaged groups andindividuals.

3. Foster learning organisations andinstitutions:

• encourage enterprises, institutions, andgovernment agencies to develop aslearning organisations;

• integrate work and learning inenterprises; and

• recognise informal learning in theworkplace.

4. Extend the role of information and learningtechnologies:

• ensure everyone achieves basicinformation literacy;

• make modern learning technologieswidely available through the community;

• support and encourage individualslacking confidence in the use of thesetechnologies; and

• use modern technologies to widenequitable access to education andtraining opportunities.

5. Develop learning communities

• encourage and support communities atall levels to develop as learningcommunities: towns, cities, localcommunities, and common interestnetworks;

• foster partnership and networkdevelopment as a key component oflearning communities; and

• generally foster a learning culture tounderpin economic activity and qualityof life for all in a learning society.


Why we need lifelong learning

Australian National Training Authority (ANTA), National Marketing Strategy for Skills Acquisition andLifelong Learning, 1999, <http://www.anta.gov.au/lifelong>

Education is at the heart of both personaland community development; its mission isto enable us, without exception, to developall our talents to the full…

UNESCO Task Force on Education for the Twenty-first Century – the Delors Report, 1996

Learning has always been intrinsic to the life ofindividuals, communities and cultures. It is partof what makes us human and contributessignificantly to our quality of life.

In Australia, we are rediscovering the power andimportance of learning. In fact there is a growingnational and international consensus that a loveof learning by a country’s people will be the keyto prosperity in the new millennium.

Some key forces for change are putting lifelonglearning onto the national and internationalstage.

Jobs are changing

Jobs are changing. Traditional jobs aredisappearing or changing with the introductionof new technologies. Flatter business structuresand an emphasis on teamwork and multi-skillingrequire the development of new skills anddifferent knowledge. There are more and morejobs in the services sector. The Australianeconomy is increasingly knowledge based.

Today’s and tomorrow’s work involves new anddifferent literacy skills, greater emphasis oncommunication skills, learning new processesand new ways of working together – much morethan in the past. There is more than ever toknow, and to interpret.

Work arrangements are changing. There is risingpart time and casual employment, and greateruse of outsourcing arrangements and labour hirefirms. Self-employment is growing, andincreasingly individuals are managing a‘portfolio’ of jobs.

Changing work arrangements mean that manyworkers need to learn business, management

and negotiation skills, and ways to develop theircareers.

The electronic economy is expanding rapidlyand no one knows what jobs will look like in thefuture.

Today’s and tomorrow’s workers must neverstop learning: learning is not just for childrenand young adults: it is lifelong. Only lifelonglearning can guarantee that individualAustralians will be prepared for change.

Our enterprises need a competitive edge

Australian enterprises are competing in a globalmarket, characterised by intense internationalcompetition and sophisticated consumerexpectations. To prosper, Australian productsand services must be outstanding by worldstandards.

Only lifelong learning can guarantee ourstandard of living. Australia’s internationalcompetitiveness depends on a well-educatedworkforce.

A Growing Focus on Social Cohesion and CivilSociety:

Education is a powerful tool for promotingsocial cohesion in a climate of social andeconomic change.

It also enhances the opportunity for allAustralians, including the most advantaged, tofully participate in the economic, social andcultural life of the community.

The 1996 report of the UNESCO Task Forceon Education for the Twenty-first Century (theDelors Report) notes growing inequality due torising poverty and exclusion, not just betweennations or regions in the world, but betweensocial groups in both developed and developingcountries. Learning can promote anenvironment of understanding, tolerance andcompassion, and can help bring about greaterequality.

The critical need to create a Lifelong learningethic within the Australian community and


enterprises drives the development of theNational Marketing Strategy for Skills andLifelong Learning.

Lifelong learning – what is it?

The Delors report provides a useful way ofthinking about lifelong learning. It calls for abroad concept of education which is pursuedthroughout life: flexible, diverse, and available atdifferent times and in different places.

The report identified four ‘pillars’ of educationfor the future: learning to know; learning to do;learning to live together (and with others); andlearning to be.

The four pillars of education

Learning to know The mastery of learning tools rather than theacquisition of structured knowledge. Includesdeveloping concentration, memory skills and theability to think.

Learning to do Education to equip people to do the types ofwork needed in the future. Includes innovationand adaptation of learning to future workenvironments

Learning to live together, and with others Education to avoid conflict or peacefully resolveit, through education to discover other peopleand their cultures, and involvement in commonprojects.

Learning to be Education that contributes to a person’scomplete development: mind and body,intelligence, sensitivity, aesthetic appreciationand spirituality.

A literature review, canvassing the learningrevolution and how individuals and communitieslearn, is currently being developed as part of theNational Marketing Strategy for LifelongLearning project.

Our record so far

Much is being done by the vocational educationand training sector which contributes to alifelong learning culture. Australian governmentsand industry are spending billions of dollars eachyear on vocational education and training. In

addition, there is an enormous amount of formaland informal learning done by Australians.Almost 400 000 people work to provideeducation and training to some 1.46 millionAustralians, 95 per cent of whom are doingeducation and training for vocational reasons.

This effort has, in recent years:

• dramatically expanded the amount oftraining available to Australians

• been much more based on what industryrequires of workers

• made education and training much moreaccessible to women, Aboriginal and TorresStrait Islander people, people with adisability, people from non-English speakingbackgrounds, remote and isolated peopleand other traditionally disadvantaged groups

• made trainers much more responsive toindustry and people wanting to do training.

But much more needs to make Australiasynonymous with lifelong learning.

The record of Australians doing school ortraining after their 16th birthday is not good.For example, as we get older, we do lesseducation and training that leads to aqualification. 52 per cent of the Australianworkforce does not have a post-schoolqualification. Australia ranks 15th out of the 22OECD countries in terms of post-compulsoryqualifications.

People without post-school qualifications are, onaverage:

• more likely to be unemployed

• less able to change jobs, or move up in a job

• more likely to be retrenched

• worse paid

• less likely to do more training.

Rapid and widespread social and economicchange means that more people across thewhole community must engage in more lifelonglearning, at more stages of their life.

The National Marketing Strategy for Skills andLifelong Learning will be the VocationalEducation and Training’s blueprint for turningthe Australian community and enterprises on tolifelong learning.


The attributes of a lifelong learning policy framework

Australian National Training Authority (ANTA), National Marketing Strategy for Skills Acquisition andLifelong Learning, 1999, <http://www.anta.gov.au/lifelong>

• Shared vision about the value, impact andsignificance of lifelong learning

• Combining a national framework(consistency) with a strong focus on locallevel collaboration and networks (autonomyand flexibility)

• Funding that empowers learners

• A bias towards investing in the front-end ofthe learning process (that is schools andfamilies and pre-school learning)

• A business and work culture that values andcontributes to learning

• A willingness to undertake significantinstitutional reform

• Information and feedback on performanceand progress


Lifelong learning for all

Donald J. Johnston Secretary-General of the OECD, October/November 1998,<http://www.oecd.org/publications/observer/214/editorial_eng.htm>

As we enter the era of the knowledge society, arecent survey of 12 OECD countries provides asobering thought: at least a quarter of the adultpopulation fails to reach the minimum literacylevels needed to cope adequately with thedemands of everyday life and work, let alonestructural economic and social change. Soberingindeed, and it is a finding which poses aformidable challenge to education, social, labourmarket and economic policies. In January 1996the OECD education ministers agreed todevelop strategies for ‘lifelong learning for all’.The approach has been endorsed by ministers oflabour, ministers of social affairs and the OECDCouncil at ministerial level. It is an approachwhose importance may now be clearer than ever.

The economic rationale for lifelong learningcomes from two principal sources. First, withthe rise of the knowledge-based economy, thethreshold of skills demanded by employers isbeing constantly raised. Certainly in respect ofskills, the migration from the farm to the factorywas easily accomplished compared with what isrequired for the transition to the knowledgeeconomy. Obviously the rise in unemploymentin many OECD countries since the mid-1970sand widening income gaps in others are aproduct of this knowledge and skill gap.Individuals with low skills have been and willcontinue to be penalised. Second, technologicaldevelopments demand a continuous renewal andupdating of skills, as career jobs with a singleemployer become rarer and as job descriptionsevolve and diversify rapidly under shiftingmarket conditions.

There are irresistible social arguments in favourof promoting education beyond traditionalschooling and throughout adult life. Thedistribution of learning opportunities is alreadyquite uneven and the polarisation between theknowledge ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ poses a newand pressing political challenge. Apart fromunemployment and widening earning gaps thereare other problems too; those in small andmedium size firms find it harder to gain access

to learning than employees of larger firms and ingeneral women have poorer access than men.These discrepancies gnaw at the very fabric ofdemocracy. Lifelong learning strategies can playan important role in breaking the cycle ofdisadvantage and marginalisation and soreinforce social cohesion. And lifelong learningcan instil creativity, initiative and responsivenessin the individual, and therefore deliver betterpersonal economic security.

Lifelong learning does not mean ‘recurrent’training, but a constant relationship witheducation, starting with an emphasis on ‘learningto learn’. And while formal education stillrepresents the cornerstone of teaching, the lessformal settings of the home, the workplace, thecommunity and society are integral parts of thelearning environment too, just as they are part ofthe foundations of economies and societies.Lifelong learning is already a reality in manyOECD countries. The challenge is to find waysof extending it to all.

The importance of basic education cannot beemphasised enough. Lifelong learning policymust begin by strengthening the education ofthe young. Research suggests that childrenabsorb much more in the first decade of lifethan thereafter. Early education brings long-term benefits, not only by reducing spending onadult remedial programmes later on, but byequipping people with learning tools that willserve them and their societies for the rest oftheir lives. Previous generations referred to theimportance of the three ‘Rs’: reading, writingand arithmetic. They were right. These are theessential tools for lifelong learning. Preventingunder-achievement and premature schoolleaving, and facilitating the transition fromconventional education to working life are key tobuilding lifelong learning policies. The linkagesbetween different sectors of education andtraining have to be strengthened, and thepathways between learning and work made moreflexible.


Education should not be thought of in isolation,and for policy to work all the stakeholders willhave to come together to mobilise the necessaryresources. There is a need to develop stronger,more coherent partnerships between a widerange of actors across society.

Of the historical constituents of economicgrowth – land, labour and capital – human

capital has emerged as the most important.Resource-poor societies have developed it toengineer impressive comparative advantages.The foundation upon which human capital isbuilt must be education, especially earlychildhood and primary education, where the roleof the state is fundamental.


Aims and ambitions for lifelong learning

G8 Summit Köln Charter, 19 June 1999 <http://www.g8cologne.de>

The challenge every country faces is how tobecome a learning society and to ensure that itscitizens are equipped with the knowledge, skillsand qualifications they will need in the nextcentury. Economies and societies areincreasingly knowledge-based. Education andskills are indispensable to achieving economicsuccess, civic responsibility and social cohesion.

The next century will be defined by flexibilityand change; more than ever there will be ademand for mobility. Today, a passport and aticket allow people to travel anywhere in theworld. In the future, the passport to mobilitywill be education and lifelong learning. Thispassport to mobility must be offered toeveryone.

Part 1: Basic principles Meeting our social and economic goals willrequire a renewed commitment to investment inlifelong learning

• by Governments, investing to enhanceeducation and training at all levels;

• by the private sector, training existing andfuture employees; and

• by individuals, developing their own abilitiesand careers.

The rewards for investing in people have neverbeen greater and the need for it has never beenmore pressing. It is the key to employment,economic growth and the reduction of socialand regional inequality. As we move into thenext century, access to knowledge will be one ofthe most significant determinants of income andthe quality of life. Globalisation means thatdeveloped and developing countries alike standto gain from higher standards of skills andknowledge across the world.

A commitment to greater investment in peoplemust be underpinned by three principles:

• first, that everyone should have access tolearning and training, not just those who areintellectually gifted or economically

privileged, and basic education should befree of charge. Special attention should begiven to the needs of the disadvantaged andthe importance of combating illiteracy;

• second, that everyone should be encouragedand enabled to continue learning throughouttheir lives, not just in the years ofcompulsory schooling;

• third, that developing countries should behelped to establish comprehensive, modernand efficient education systems.

• Part 2: Essential elements• The essential elements of a strategy for

lifelong learning and training are:

• high-quality early years education;

• primary education that enables all childrento achieve good competence in reading,writing, arithmetic, and Information andCommunications Technology (ICT) and todevelop basic social skills;

• secondary education that develops theaptitudes and abilities of all students, notonly those bound for higher education andprofessional careers, provided by schoolsaware of the needs of labor markets;

• vocational training that imparts skillsattuned to the needs of the labor market andthe most up-to-date technology and whichopens up pathways to higher qualifications;

• higher education that offers opportunitiesfor everyone capable of profiting fromdegree-level work, with financial support asnecessary to ensure access for everyone whocan benefit;

• adult skill acquisition that enjoys appropriatepublic or employer support, accommodatesfamily needs and affords ready opportunitiesfor re-skilling throughout life. This shouldinclude high-quality work-based learningsystems and equipping people with the skillsneeded for self-generated learning.


At all stages of learning emphasis should begiven to the importance of creativity,entrepreneurship and education for democraticcitizenship, including respect for the political,civil and human rights of all people, the value oftolerance and pluralism, and an understandingand respect for the diversity of differentcommunities, views and traditions.

Part 3: Building blocks Education systems have strong nationalcharacteristics and they have a very importantrole in fostering cultural diversity. But there areimportant areas where countries share commonpriorities and approaches or have identifiedparticularly effective strategies for modernisingtheir education and training systems to raisestandards at all levels.

The following are key building blocks:

• teachers are the most vital resource inpromoting modernisation and higherstandards; their recruitment, training,deployment and appropriate incentives arecritical to any successful education system;

• the mutually supportive roles of public andprivate finance and the need to raise the

overall level of investment in education andtraining;

• modern and effective ICT networks tosupport traditional methods of teaching andlearning and to increase the quantity andrange of education and training, forexample, through distance learning;

• the continued development andimprovement of internationally recognisedtests to benchmark student achievement;

• the recognition of professional qualificationsand work experience;

• the promotion of the study of foreignlanguages to increase the understanding ofdifferent cultures and enhance mobility in aglobalise world;

• increased attention to the establishment ofclear targets in terms of higher standardsand levels of achievement;

• the need to develop a culture ofentrepreneurship in education, not least indeveloping the closest R&D links betweenuniversities and companies.


The Learning Age: towards a Europe of knowledge

Paul Belanger, ‘The Context and the Challenge: Mobilising Civil Society’, keynote speech, UNESCO Institute ofEducation, Hamburg, May 1998

Before dealing with the emerging active civilsocieties and the need for new policies I wouldlike to talk to you about the changes ineducation in the post-industrial era. There hasbeen a true transformation of the education wehave seen in most of our countries, the post-industrial societies.

In industrial countries about a third or even, inSweden, more than half of the adult populationis involved every year in some form of adultlearning or continuing education. If you add tothese numbers the people who want toparticipate you can see the figures you arelooking at: 52 per cent for Sweden; 44 per centfor the UK; 37 per cent for the Netherlands; aquarter of the population in Ireland. If you addto these figures the adults that said they want totake part in adult training but have not managedit because of a number of barriers you reachabout two thirds of the European population. Inother words, in post-industrial countries todaythe number of adults involved in organisedtraining is well over the number of young peoplethat you will find in primary and secondaryschools. The educational scene in Europe istoday made up of the active participation of theadult population.

The problem is that it is difficult to monitor theparticipation of the adults in education and therewe have difficulties in determining what thiseducation scene really is.

Funding

Studies show that the main financier of adulteducation seems to be the employer. The secondsource of financing is the individuals and thencomes the state. Therefore it is possible to getsome help with funding at local or national level;but aid coming from the companies isconsidered as the main financing source formen, whereas individual financing is consideredas the main means of financing education forwomen. All this is linked to the actual state ofsociety and the unevenness between men andwomen.

There are also differences between bigcompanies and small and medium-sizedenterprises, (SMEs). SMEs are the main creatorsof jobs in our societies. However, thosecompanies participate less than big companies inthe financing of adult learning. There is agrowing gap between the people who have gotthe income to get education and those who havenot. This contributes to widening the gapbetween those who are in and those who are outof the educational society and this is quite achallenge. But, and this is my second point, theuneven development of adult learning shouldnot hide another phenomenon - the growth indemand for education among men and womenin industrial countries.

If you look at the growth in demand, we arenow reaching a historical moment. The potentialof the players in the economy have a strategicimportance these days. There are uncertainties ateconomic level, at social level and the culturallevel. These represent all opportunities and thisis why the civil society is becoming critical forthe future economic, social democratic future ofpost-industrial societies. The autonomy ofindividuals is not only a name, it is a pre-condition in advanced society.

Post-industrial societies cannot meet thechallenge, they now know, if there are not anynew skills generated in all sectors of thepopulation. I am talking about skills to manageuncertainty, skills to speak foreign languages,skills to face up to the multicultural nature of thesociety, skills to face up to any conflicts, so it isnot only experts but the population in generalthat must show intelligence in post-industrialsocieties. The individual must understandtechnical information, must be able to use theexpertise that exists through local communities,through local unions, through the localauthorities etc.

To produce things today is to ask questions inorder to improve. Production is not only formalproduction it is intelligent men and women that


have a potential and want to develop theircreativity.

You can not face up to today’s challengeswithout developing the skills and the activeparticipation of the individuals, employees incompanies but also citizens in society.

New policies

You will need new policies to face up to thesechallenges. You need to face up to criminality;you need new policies to reintegrate criminals.You cannot have solutions to environmentalrisks if the local communities are not stronger, ifthey are not part of the civil society and if theycannot act in that civil society. Racism cannot bedealt with by forbidding it either. You have todeal with it from the inside of civil societies,through education, through the action of thosecivil societies. We are talking aboutdemocratising democracy: that means the citizenmust be stronger, there should be a new cultureof citizenship. The right of the individual is notdefined at the level of parliament but at eachlevel of society.

The emergence of active civil societies meansthat the welfare state will change, we are notmoving from a welfare state to a state that doesnot want to get involved anymore, or that justwants to be a minimalist state. What we want is aparticipatory welfare state and it is importantthat there should be a new contract between thestate and the civil society. We are talking aboutthe national state or the European union. It isimportant that there should be a social contractso that the active participation of the citizens isguaranteed. So what does that mean for the levelof the new policies?

The new policies of education and adult learningare not first and foremost educational policies. Ifyou want active policies for the labour market,active policies in the health field, active policiesat the level of sustainable development, thesenew policies will have to be reflected in the newpolicies in education. Obviously you can havepurely educational policies to take into accountthe education for adults. That’s one point. Butthe policy for adult education tends to focus onthe expression of a need at educational level andthat is the main point and the Learning Ageprospectus explains that clearly.

Looking at the needs of adults means that youhave to support education for those adults. Inthe ‘70s we looked at continuing education.There was a great debate then, and we must not

forget the conclusions of this great debate, nowthere are new factors. For example, in Tuscanywe are talking about the 40 week working weekwhere you will go to work for 35 hours and yougo and train for 5 hours. There are otherdevelopments in the field of training that gobeyond continuing education. This is animportant point.

Role of the state

We must not forget either the role of the state inthe provision of education and the main point ispartnership. It is a new phenomenon. It hasbecome obvious that the Ministries have towork in partnership and we are seeing thispartnership idea developing, partnerships withthe labour market, partnerships with the unionmovement. Trade unions in Europe have anextremely important role to play because theassociative life can generate all sorts of trainingactivities. In Europe millions of people get sometraining, get some education through tradeunions. It is estimated that one citizen out of 7in Europe takes part in education through tradeunions, but it is also important to look at thenew role of the state.

Adult learning and adult education is not thesame thing as the initial education of youngpeople. Ministries for Education, for SocialAffairs, for Culture, for Labour are all importantand you have to get all these players together sothat you have a state, a government policy. Thisis quite a challenge. Lifelong learning crossessectors and you can not export a model of initiallearning into lifelong learning.

The state has also a corrective role, You cannotreverse the main trend that already exist if thestate does not take some actions in associationwith its partners. The under- privilegedpopulations in some countries participate muchmore than in other countries, which proves thatif you change the policy you can get differentresults. But changing at state level does not onlymean national states or local authorities it alsomeans the European Union.

There are emerging active and educationalsocieties in Europe but these educationalsocieties could be lifelong learning societies thatwould mean that their population mustrepetitively have access to new knowledge, tonew technologies, but it could also be a societythat transmits knowledge on a continuous basis.The Europe of Knowledge is rather anambiguous expression because an emerging


educational society can be a truly integratedactive society that focuses on the player. Insteadof the Europe of Knowledge, what I would haveliked to see was Europe of Creative ActiveCitizens.

Democratisation of creativity is a name but alsoa necessity if 20th Century societies want tosurvive. The active civil society which is the coreof lifelong learning is not a clientele that you willserve or that you will subject to your power. Anactive civil society is the gathering of activeindividuals that have and enormous creativepotential. It is a society which has an active

economy that can negotiate within its self moreequal share of the wealth. An active civil societyis also a society that acts, that thinks and thatfrees the potential of productive forces withinitself, the core of a lifelong learning policy.

Paul Belanger was the Director of the UNESCOInstitute for Education from 1989–1999. He is theauthor of many studies on adult education in Canada, inAfrica and at the international level and was a guest ofAdult Learners Week Australia 1995. In January2000 he was elected President of the InternationalCouncil of Adult Education (ICAE).


Learning to succeed: A new framework for post-16learning

Executive Summary, Government policy document, June 1999, United Kingdom

Our vision for the new millennium(Chapter 1) Our vision is to build a new culture of learningthat will underpin national competitiveness andpersonal prosperity, encourage creativity andinnovation and help build a cohesive society.The principles which underpin our vision arethose we first set out in our green paper TheLearning Age. They were:

• investing in learning to benefit everyone;

• lifting barriers to learning;

• putting people first;

• sharing responsibility with employers,employees and the community;

• achieving world class standards and valuefor money; and

• working together as the key to success.

The National Learning Targets will underpinthis commitment. To achieve them, we requiresignificant improvements in participation andattainment beyond, as much as below age 16.

Why change is necessary(Chapter 2) Whilst significant progress has already beenmade, we are still a long way from achieving ourvision of a learning society. Too many peopleare excluded from the benefits that learning canbring. Aspirations and staying on rates remaintoo low. The system fails a significant section ofthe community, often the most vulnerable.People with low skills and poor qualifications arelocked in a cycle of disadvantage. We must alsomake education and training more relevant andaccessible to both individuals and employers.And people need better advice and support andmore flexible ways of learning. There are alsotoo many providers where quality is not up to

scratch and where success rates are thereforevery poor.

We have already begun to tackle these problems,but we cannot achieve our vision if we ignorethe fundamental weaknesses in the currentsystems. Mechanisms for planning and fundingare complex, inconsistent and confusing. Toomany administrative layers means too littlemoney reaches learners and employers. There isinsufficient focus on skill needs and a lack ofinnovation. In addition, the inspection systemdoes not deliver the consistent and co-ordinatedapproaches necessary to drive forward higherstandards and clear accountability.

In drawing up proposals for change, we havebeen guided by the following principles:

• change should promote excellence andparticipation;

• employers should have a substantial stake inshaping post-16 education and training;

• systems must be learner driven andresponsive to the needs of individuals,businesses and their communities;

• equal access to education, training and skillsopportunities should be a priority, withequal opportunity in the mainstream ofprovision;

• people should have access to support in theform of good advice and guidance and,where appropriate, financial help; and

• accountability, efficiency and probity shouldbe promoted at every level.

The Learning and Skills Council(Chapter 3) We propose to establish a Learning and SkillsCouncil for England to drive forwardimprovements in standards and bring greatercoherence and responsiveness. The Council willdeliver all post-16 education and training(excluding HE) and assume responsibility for:


• funding colleges from the FurtherEducation Funding Council for England;

• advising the Government on the NationalLearning Targets from the NationalAdvisory Council for Education andTraining Targets (NACETT);

• funding Modern Apprenticeships, NationalTraineeships and other government fundedtraining and workforce development fromTraining and Enterprise Councils (TECs)developing, in partnership with localeducation authorities (LEAs), arrangementsfor adult and community learning;

• providing information, advice and guidanceto adults; and

• working with the pre-16 education sector toensure coherence across all 14–19education.

We propose to establish the new Learning andSkills Council from April 2001. Key features willbe:

• a system driven by the needs of the learnerincluding the significant involvement ofemployers;

• the majority of the Council’s members willbe users of learning (employers, individuals,local authorities and communityrepresentatives); and

• the Council will be advised by twoCommittees of the Council: one with directresponsibility for young people; the otherwith responsibility for adult learners.

The Committees will advise the Council andassess the needs of their respective groups in thecontext of present and future labour marketskills, and advise on action and strategies; theCouncil will work through a network of up to 50local Learning and Skills Councils, which willplan and co-ordinate provision locally andestablish clear lines of accountability to thecommunities they serve. These local Learningand Skills Councils will be arms of the nationalCouncil but with sufficient local flexibility andautonomy to allow them to match provision tolocal needs and meet skill shortages. Their workwill be overseen by Boards who – as with thenational Council – will have a majority ofmembers who can represent users of learninglocally; local Learning Partnerships will be at theheart of these new arrangements. This willensure that the system is fully responsive to localpartners and community needs. We propose a

new role for them in drawing up arrangementsfor consultative mechanisms through which thevoice of individual learners can be heard and fedback to improve the quality of provision; andimproved accountability, efficiency and probity.

The Learning and Skills Council will promoteequality of opportunity in all it does.

A framework for success beyond 16(Chapter 4) We propose to build a new system of planningand funding post-16 education and training thatwill overcome the complexity of the existingsystem and cut unnecessary layers ofbureaucracy. The new system will simplifyarrangements and make it easier for money toget to the learner. It will promote flexibility andcustomer focused learning, drawing on theexperience of the University for Industry (UfI).It will also support equality of opportunity andmeet the needs of people who face particulardisadvantages in the labour market.

Within these arrangements, it will be essentialthat the local Learning and Skills Councils havelocal flexibility and autonomy in significant areasof their work. By agreement with the nationalCouncil, they will have the scope to vary thenational funding tariff, for example, in relationto particular local needs and skill shortages.They will also manage local budgets for qualityimprovement, building capacity in providers,adult and community learning, educationbusiness partnerships, Investors in People andother areas where local flexibility is important.

Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) willhave a key role in the planning arrangements forlearning and skills, with a strong link betweenthe RDAs and the Learning and Skills Councilboth at national and local level. Local Councils’plans will reflect the needs and priorities of theregion set out in the RDAs’ regional strategy;and RDAs will work with local Councils toassess how well regional skills needs are met.

We will be consulting on the new planning andfunding system and the ways in which we canstrike the right balance between nationalarrangements and local flexibility.

We will also establish systems to evaluate thesuccess of the new arrangements. An essentialpart of the evaluation will be ensuring goodquality information about outcomes and theirimpact at national and local level.


Improving quality (Chapter 5) We expect the Learning and Skills Council onlyto fund learning which meets its qualitystandards and probity requirements and to takefirm action where providers are falling short ofthese standards. The Learning and Skills Councilwill be responsible for drawing up a qualityimprovement strategy. The Council will alsoreward high quality in education and trainingprovision building on the accredited and Beaconstatus introduced for FE colleges.

These quality standards need to be supported bynew rigorous, independent inspectionarrangements. To improve coherence, we willbring together the inspection processes foryoung people learning in schools and collegesthrough to the age of 19. OFSTED will beresponsible for the inspection of this provision.We want in addition to combine currentarrangements to create a new independentInspectorate which will assess the quality ofprovision for adults and of all work basedtraining. The new Inspectorate will work closelywith OFSTED to ensure a common approachto inspection.

Education and training of youngpeople (Chapter 6) Young people deserve the chance to be betterqualified and to have the best possible start totheir working lives. We propose to publishshortly a strategy – called Connexions – formaking sure that far more young peoplecontinue in education and training through theirteenage years until they are at least 19. Ensuringyoung people have the help, support andguidance that will raise their aspirations andtackle problems which stand in the way will beessential. We are introducing -progressively fromSeptember – a Learning Gateway for 16 and 17year olds who need extra guidance and supportto benefit from mainstream learning. Central tothis will be the development of a network ofpersonal advisers.

We propose to create new arrangements forproviding support to young people, based onthis concept of personal advisers. Its primefunction will be to create a comprehensivestructure for advice and support for all youngpeople from the age of 13, improving thecoherence of what is currently provided throughorganisations such as the Careers Service, partsof the Youth Service and a range of other

specialist agencies. The new service will presenta step change in the way this support is providedto young people, ensuring a smooth transitionfrom compulsory schooling to post-16 learning.The new service will need an innovative,effective and consistent means of local delivery,building on best current practice. It will beorganised on the same geographical areas as thelocal Learning and Skills Councils.

Supporting adult learners(Chapter 7) The Learning and Skills Council will work withothers to champion lifelong learning for all. TheCouncil will have a clear role to play in drivingup demand for learning so as to complement theimpact of individual learning accounts and theUfI and support the work of NIACE, theCampaign for Learning and broadcasters inpromoting learning throughout life. TheLearning and Skills Council will work closelywith the UfI to improve the overall coherenceand responsiveness of education and trainingprovision for adults and embed lifelong learningin people’s daily lives. It will have aresponsibility for funding high qualityinformation, advice and guidance for adults,working closely with the UfI’s Learning Directnational helpline and a national duty to secureadult and community learning provision, towhich local authorities will have the duty tocontribute.

We also propose a more integrated service forunemployed people, by transferringresponsibility for work based learning for adultsfrom TECs to the Employment Service fromApril 2001, so that it becomes part of a coherentset of programmes, alongside the New Dealsand the new ONE service for benefit claimants.

Encouraging learning businesses(Chapter 8) Businesses need a well-motivated and skilledworkforce to compete in global markets.Successful employers are those who realise thatpeople are their most important asset – and acton that by investing in their skills anddevelopment. The proposals for a Learning andSkills Council at national and local level will giveemployers unprecedented influence over theeducation system and promote a better matchbetween demand and supply for skills.


At national level the Learning and Skills Councilwill build better sources of labour market andskills information, drawing in up to dateinformation on sectoral trends from theNational Training Organisations, as a basis forthe preparation and publication of a strategy forskills and workforce development and an annualskills assessment for the nation. They willdevelop new initiatives to improve theopportunities that individuals in the workplacehave to acquire skills, drawing on the experienceof UfI and trade union initiatives such asBargaining for Skills. The network of localcouncils will identify and disseminate bestpractice in work based training, drawing oninitiatives such as the People Skills Scoreboard.

At local level, Learning and Skills Councils willprovide a wide range of practical help toindividual businesses, for example support indeveloping effective training plans, advice andsupport for Investors in People, support forcritical skills development and help with

recruitment for Modern Apprenticeships andNational Traineeships. They will also developnew approaches to collaborative workingbetween employers, for example setting upnetworks of employers in a particular sector toidentify key skill needs for the sector and workwith colleges and providers to establish effectivesupply chain responses and ‘preferred supplierarrangements’. Local Learning and SkillsCouncils will also encourage businesses to set up‘employee development’ schemes, linking themto individual learning accounts to stimulatedemand for learning from individuals.

Local Learning and Skills Councils’ plans will bedeveloped in conjunction with the new SmallBusiness Service, for example by arranging forthe Small Business Service to provide a seamlessservice to small and medium-sized businessesand to integrate skills development withenterprise and business competitiveness.


Lifelong Learning Summit

Al Gore, Vice-President, United States of America, 12 January 1999,<http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/EOP/OVP/speeches/lifelong.html>

I want to thank all of you for joining us todayfor this important summit – at over 1000satellite sites, in every state in America. We’rehere to talk about one of our greatest challenges:how do we give every American the chance tolearn 21st Century skills, so they can fill high-paying 21st Century jobs?

This is a time of great prosperity for America.Just four days ago, President Clinton markedwhat is now the longest peacetime economicexpansion in the history of the United States.

Today’s economy is also a changing economy.We are now in the early stages of an informationrevolution – not just in our high-tech industries,but in our core industries and manufacturing aswell. Some of you may be familiar with a newfact of life known as Moore’s Law, whichexplains that we are now doubling ourcomputing power every 18 months, while thecost of computing power drops by almost25 per cent a year. Just think about the newproductivity that is being unleashed – at largeand small businesses alike. Consider this oneexample: a Ford Taurus now has morecomputing power than the Apollo 11 that tookus to the moon.

At the same time, car manufacturers havetrimmed about 1,000 pounds from the weight ofan average car by using lighter materials, smarterengineering, and more efficient engines.Throughout our economy, skills, intelligence,and creativity are replacing mass and money –which is why, in the past 50 years, the value ofour economy has tripled, while the physicalweight of our economy as a whole has barelyincreased at all.

Clearly, today’s workplace is becoming morehigh-tech, and more high-skilled. It is becomingmore competitive, as we sell our products tobillions of global consumers. And as CWAPresident Morty Bahr puts it: “Skill is the newsource of security in the 21st Century.”

With all that change comes a significantchallenge: how do we make sure everyone has

the chance to compete and win in this newknowledge-based economy?

A central answer must be a good education, andthe ability to keep learning for a lifetime.Education can no longer stop after you leavehigh school, or even college.

Right now, our skill needs and our workplacesare changing quickly – yet 75 per cent of thepeople who will be working in the year 2010 arealready in the workforce. That’s one reason whythe average age of students at communitycolleges is now 29 and rising.

The comedian Dana Carvey once put it this way:“I’m only 30 years old, but I read at the 34-year-old level.” In the 21st Century, we must makesure that everyone – even those 30-year-olds,40-year-olds, 50-year-olds and beyond – can getthe education and skills to rise with the tide ofour new and renewed economy.

Many of our most crucial industries are facingshortages of the skilled workers they need. Inmanufacturing, 88 per cent of companies arehaving trouble finding qualified applicants for atleast one job function. One in five say they can’texpand their businesses because their workersdon’t have the right skills. Think about that: thelack of skills and training is actually slowingdown our economy!

Here are some compelling facts from a newreport I am releasing today from ourDepartments of Education, Commerce, andLabor; our Small Business Administration, andthe National Institute for Literacy:

• In 1997, college graduates earned77 per cent more than high school graduates– up from 58 per cent in 1975.

• Adults with higher levels of education earnmore, have greater job security, are lesslikely to be unemployed, and are more likelyto find reemployment quickly if they aredisplaced.


• In fact, dislocated workers with anassociate’s degree or higher are finding newjobs that pay more than the jobs they lost!

And higher skills is one of the best investmentsa company can make. According to our newreport, a 10 per cent increase in educationinvestments leads to an average productivity gainof 8.6 per cent – nearly three times the return oncapital investments.

No wonder Jerry Jasinowski of the NationalAssociation of Manufacturers told me earliertoday that there is no higher priority thanlifelong learning – that it is a way to increaseproductivity and workers’ earnings at the sametime.

Yet too many of our people are not getting theeducation and training they need –especiallythose that need it the most. As Mayor ClarenceAnthony of South Bay, Florida, reminded me atour roundtable this morning, for all oureconomic strength, too many are still being leftbehind. There are other challenges: someemployers may worry that those who receivetraining will take their new skills elsewhere, orhave very limited resources. Some individualsface serious barriers: lack of money, time, andinformation. In today’s breakout session on therole of community colleges, you spoke about thespecial challenges of part-time learners – thosewho have to keep working while they expandtheir skills.

We must overcome all these barriers together.For we are at the next great economic frontier.Once, land and capital were the key strategicresources. Now, knowledge is our key strategicresource and learning is our key strategic skill.

In the past six years, with President Clinton’sleadership, we have opened the doors to highereducation wider than ever before – simplifyingour nation’s job training system, helping to makeat least two years of college universally available,and passing a tax credit of up to 20 per cent offtuition for courses throughout one’s lifetime.Now we must take the next bold step: we mustfind a way to make sure every American hasaccess to the resources they need to keeplearning for a lifetime. Buying lifelong learningshould be as affordable and routine as buying anew appliance or financing a car.

That is why I am pleased to announce today thatPresident Clinton and I will create a newadvisory committee of outside leaders to exploreways to meet this challenge – such as low-

income loans, grants, tax incentives, and otherways to help adults get 21st Century skills for21st Century jobs. In particular, we shouldexplore ways to help Americans pool their ownsavings, contributions from their employers, andpossibly also federal funds to pay for lifelonglearning. We should consider creating lifelonglearning savings accounts, to help people pay forthe higher education they need to get ahead.

At the same time, we need to make high-qualityeducation and training more widely available – inthe community and on-line. And we must ensurethat all of our people have good, up-to-the-minute information and counselling on availablejobs, the training needed to get those jobs, andthe where to get the resources to pay for it.

Today, I’m pleased to make some brand newannouncements that will move us closer to ourshared goals. First, I am calling on employers toprovide more worker scholarships for the 21stCentury, and I am proposing an expandedversion of our current tax break to help them doso. This proposal will assure that employees canreceive educational benefits from theiremployers tax-free – for undergraduate orgraduate courses.

Next, I am unveiling a new, $60 million plan tohelp train our workers for high-skill jobs inindustries that face serious skill shortages. Thisnew initiative will provide grants to regionalpartnerships of employers, colleges, unions, ournew workforce investment boards, and others –to help them identify skill shortages in theircommunities, and then connect workers to thetraining and jobs they need. As you concluded attoday’s sessions on high growth and on theneeds of small businesses, regional skillsalliances are the best way to meet our most vitalskill needs – industry by industry, community bycommunity.

We must also help the 44 million Americanadults who struggle with a job application, can’tread to their kids, or are stuck on the welfarerolls because they lack basic skills. As youdiscussed in today’s breakout session on basicskills, education and training can play a powerfulrole in moving people from welfare to work.

I also know that in this morning’s breakoutsession on workplace education, you focussedon the need to make it easier for employers toprovide workplace education through targetedtax breaks. We hear that message loud and clear.That’s why President Clinton and I areproposing a new ten per cent tax credit for


employers who provide literacy, English as asecond language, and basic education programs.These new tax breaks will help all American getthe skills they need for the jobs they deserve.

I am also creating a new 21st Century High-Skills Community Award. Just as the BaldridgeAward recognises companies with world-classgrowth strategies, this award will celebratecommunities that build our economy byinvesting in our people.

To help every American understand the trainingthey need and the training that is available, ourLabor Department is creating a new on-lineAmerican Learning Exchange – a website thattells people about the training and educationopportunities in their community, and tellsproviders about potential enrolees. This websitewill also offer on-line financial counselling –telling workers the kinds of resources availableto them, and also the likely amounts they canapply for and receive.

Finally, in today’s breakout session on labor-management partnerships, you spoke of the

need for the federal government to highlightbest practices, and you talked about new waysthat labor and management can work moreclosely together to expand lifetime learning. Wewant to encourage exciting new partnershipsacross all sectors. That is why we are creating anew leadership group of top business executives,labor leaders, educators, and community leadersto find new ways, beyond the steps governmentcan take, to dramatically expand lifelonglearning. I look forward to your ideas, yourenergy, and your recommendations.

Let us realise that the if we truly want to meetthis challenge – if we want to give everyAmerican the chance to reach their highestpotential, and soar as high as their dreams cancarry them – then we must do it together. It willtake the best thinking of business, labor,educators, and community groups across thecountry. That is what I hope this Summit willunleash – and it is why I am so eager to hearfrom you...


Launch of Manpower 21 Plan

Government policy document, 13 August 1999, Singapore, <http://www.gov.sg/mom/news/news99/990831.html>

In its 1999 ranking, US-based BusinessEnvironment Risk Intelligence (BERI) has ratedSingapore’s workers best in the world first forrelative productivity. The 1999 WorldCompetitiveness Yearbook placed Singapore’sworkforce competitiveness on par withdeveloped countries. Singapore also has arelatively skilled workforce, sound industrialrelations climate and excellent traininginfrastructure. Singapore’s current workforceprovides a good foundation for Singapore’stransition to a knowledge-based economy.

Transiting into a knowledge-basedeconomyTo meet these challenges and succeed as aknowledge economy, Singapore must maximiseits own talent pool and ensure its indigenousworkforce has the right skills, know-how andmindsets to create new products, markets andwealth for Singapore.

A new manpower paradigmIn response to the workforce challenges of thenew millennium, the Manpower 21 Plan islaunched to develop Singapore’s manpower as akey competitive advantage in the new globaleconomy. The Manpower 21 Plan is effectivelythe manpower response to the Committee onSingapore’s Competitiveness’ vision ofSingapore as a globally competitive knowledgeeconomy. M21 is also about creatingopportunities for Singaporeans to realise theirfull potential so that everyone can make ameaningful contribution.

The Manpower 21 vision is for Singapore tobecome a Talent Capital, a centre of ideas,innovation, knowledge and exchange. It is a hubof continuous learning for lifelong employabilityand a country where the Government,employers, unions, community organisationswork in unison to achieve the country’s goals. Inessence, it is a place where people make thedifference.

The Manpower 21 Plan adopts a holisticapproach, covering the full manpower spectrum.Six core strategies were formulated to address allaspects of the manpower value chain, includingmanpower planning, lifelong learning, talentaugmentation, manpower development,workplace transformation and partnership.

These strategies and recommendations are theresult of a collaborative and consultative processharnessing the collective energies of the Ministryof Manpower’s (MOM) partners, which includethe unions, industry, grassroots, people andpublic sectors.

Strategy 1: Integrated manpower planning

The key recommendations are:

(i) Enhanced Manpower Information System

An enhanced Manpower Information System will bedeveloped to provide relevant and timelymanpower information to policy makers,employers, training providers and individuals.

(ii) National Manpower Council

A National Manpower Council will also beestablished to set strategic directions andoversee Singapore’s national manpowerplanning, development and augmentationstrategies and targets.

Strategy 2: Lifelong learning for lifelongemployability


(i) School of Lifelong Learning

The School of Lifelong Learning is acomprehensive system that addresses the needsof all workforce levels. Currently, pre-employment qualifications are used to recogniseskills competencies. This is not ideal, given thatthe broad curricula of Singapore’s pre-employment system has limited use for adults inthe workforce – people who have already gainedwork experience but require upgrading inspecific skills.


(ii) National Skills Recognition System

To address this issue, a National Skills RecognitionSystem (NSRS) will be established to developdefinitive workplace skills standards and accordrecognition to training that meet thesestandards. To help individuals overcome timeconstraints in learning, the system will bedesigned to encourage bite-size modular learningthat can be offered part-time or even on-the-job.It is also planned that a National Skills Councilcomprising industry players, learning providers,unions and the government will be formed todirect the development of the NSRS.

(iii) Incentives

The Manpower 21 blueprint also looks atproviding employer- and individual-basedincentives to stimulate lifelong learning amongstSingaporeans.

To encourage more employer-based training, theGovernment will review the Skills DevelopmentFund (SDF) levy.

To encourage Singaporeans to assume personalresponsibility for lifelong learning, MOM willwork with the Ministry of Finance to broadenthe existing criteria for courses eligible forincome tax relief. These courses may includethose not directly related to an individual’sexisting business, profession or employment,but which serve to enhance his/heremployability.

(iv) One-stop career centres

The changing workplace has also brought with ita new set of information challenges. The lack ofa single source of information on labour markettrends, skills demands, employment and traininghave created time and accessibility obstacles. Toovercome this barrier, the Government, inpartnership with the Community DevelopmentCouncils (CDCs), will build a network of one-stop career centres to provide workers withemployment-related information.

Strategy 3: Augmenting our talent pool


(i) Singapore outreach

There are plans to expand and intensify theoperations and infrastructure of ContactSingapore, an information and resource centreon education and employment opportunities inSingapore, to better reach out to internationaltalent. Currently, Contact Singapore has centres

in Boston, San Francisco, Toronto, WashingtonDC, London, Perth and Sydney.

(ii) Review foreign worker policy guidelines

MOM will also review Singapore’s foreignworker policy guidelines to re-allocate foreignworkers from low to high value-added sectors.The re-allocation of the foreign workers willresult in productivity gains without taxing thefabric of the society, and contribute to raisingthe skills profile of Singapore’s workforce.

Strategy 4: Transforming the workenvironment


(i) Professionalising domestic-based industries

MOM and its partners also have plans toimprove the professionalism and image ofdomestic-based industries such as cleaning,marine and hotel so that more Singaporeans willtake on jobs in these sectors.

(ii) World-class HR practices

Although Singapore’s workforce has beenconsistently ranked first by BERI,improvements can be made in the area ofworkers’ attitude and technical skills. Good HRpractices, including comprehensive staffdevelopment plans, will help to upgrade thequality of workers and increase motivation.Good HR practices are also integral to attractingand retaining talents, both local and foreign. Inthis regard, it is envisaged that a nationalrecognition award will be created to recogniseemployers with exemplary HR development andmanagement practices.

Strategy 5: Developing a vibrantmanpower industry


(i) World-class R&D institutions to set up in Singapore

Singapore needs a dynamic and responsivemanpower industry that can support thedevelopment and management of a world-classworkforce. To achieve this ambition, themanpower industry must leverage current globaltrends. These include harnessing the power oftechnology and the growing demand for skills inthe services sector.

In line with the above trends, MOM will workwith the Economic Development Board toencourage world-class institutions that carry out


R&D in workforce training/ organisationaldevelopment and high value-added globalmanpower companies to set up operations inSingapore.

Strategy 6: Redefining partnerships

The key recommendation is:

(i) Harnessing collective energies

One of the challenges facing the labourmovement is the impact of the changingeducational profile of workers in the unions.With new workforce entrants being bettereducated, the union membership base has beenshrinking. To address this issue, MOM, theNational Trades Union Congress (NTUC) andthe Singapore National Employers Federation(SNEF), will organise an annual National

Manpower Summit to tap the collective wisdomof the tripartite partners in reviewing andcharting Singapore’s manpower strategies. ALabour Management Partnership Programme tosupport joint labour-management initiatives willalso be introduced.

Vision of a Talent Capital

The vision of Singapore as a Talent Capitalencapsulates the essence of the country’smanpower transformation efforts. AsSingaporean workers and international talentconverge to work, learn, contribute andexchange, we will be able to tap the well ofknowledge to add value to Singapore, and transitit into a strong knowledge economy of the newmillennium.


Part Three

Appendices


Appendix 1: Program of the 1999 National Seminar onLifelong Learning Policy

The Seminar was held at the Kurrajong Hotel, Barton ACT, on Monday 6 September 1999.

Time Session Speakers

9.30–9.45am Coffee and registration

9.45–9.55am Opening and welcome

9.55–10.05am 1: Lifelong learning in Australia: Critical, desirableor just a good idea?

Philip Candy and Moira Scollay

10.05–11.00am Small groups

11.00–11.15am Morning tea

11.15–11.35am 2: Using research and practice for policy Mary Dickie and June Beck

11.35am–12.20pm Small groups

12.20–12.45pm Whole group feedback

12.45–2.00pm Lunch

2.00–2.20pm 3: A framework to link learning: institutions, workand community

Peter Kearns

2.20–3.10pm Small groups

3.10–3.25pm Afternoon tea

3.25–4.00pm Plenary: What are the next steps in developing anational lifelong learning policy?

4.00pm Drinks

Lifelong Learning: Making it work – 41

Appendix 2: Participants in the 1999 National Seminaron Lifelong Learning Policy

Seminar participants

Veronica Arbon Director Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education

Deirdre Baker ManagerAccess & Equity

Qld Dept of Training & Industrial Relations

Anne Baly DirectorVET Policy & Review

Department of Education, Training & Youth Affairs

Robin Ballantyne Organiser Australian Education Union, ACT

June Beck Board/Director Tourism Training Australia

Sally Borthwick Assistant DirectorInternational Analysis &Evaluation Division


Tony Brown Director Adult Learning Australia

Philip Candy Deputy Vice-Chancellor University of Ballarat

Angela Carbone ProfessorSchool of Information &Management Systems

Monash University

Graham Crapp Mayor City of Wodonga

Alastair Crombie Consultant Alastair Crombie & Associates

Marie Dayton Councillor Australian Institute of Training & Development

Mary Dickie Managing Director Quay Connection

Chris Eccles General Manager Australian National Training Authority

Robyn Essex Senior ConsultantTraining, Learning &Development

Westpac

Abigail Gray Policy Officer National Office for the Information Economy

Hugh Guthrie Senior ManagerDissemination, Marketing &Publishing

National Centre for Vocational Education ResearchLtd

Roger Harris DirectorCentre for Research inEducation, Equity & Work

University of South Australia

Geoff Heriot General ManagerEducation Services

Australian Broadcasting Commission

Tess Julian Executive Officer National Assessors & Workplace Trainers Body

Peter Kearns Managing Director Global Learning Services


Seminar participants

Joy de Leo Principal Policy Officer SA Department of Education, Training & Employment

Dorothy Lucardie President Adult Learning Australia

Vilma McClenan ChairCaribbean Regional Councilfor Adult Education

University of the West IndiesJamaica

Helen Maddocks Principal Consultant WA Department of Training & Employment

Kerry Manikis Research Officer Canberra Institute of Technology(representing Manufacturing Learning Australia)

Shalini Mathur ManagerKnowledge Based EconomyBranch

Department of Industry, Science & Resources

Terry Murphy DirectorInternational Analysis &Evaluation Division


Beverley Pope Research ScholarLifelong Learning Network

University of Canberra

Denis Ralph Director South Australian Centre for Lifelong Learning &Development

Moira Scollay Chief Executive Officer Australian National Training Authority

Charu Sood Deputy Executive Director Australian Library Information Association

Martin Stewart-Weekes

Consultant The Albany Consulting Group P/L

Anthony Stiff Chief Executive Officer Business Services Training ITAB

Sally Tansley Senior Project Manager CREATE Australia

Louise Watson Research ScholarLifelong Learning Network

University of Canberra

Lorraine Wheeler Chief Executive Officer Community Services & Health Training Australia ITAB

Jean Wilkinson National Convenor Older Women’s Network Australia (representingCoaliation’99)

Peter Willis Senior LecturerCentre for Research inEducation, Equity & Work

c/- School of EducationUniversity of South Australia

Lifelong Learning: Making it work – 43

Appendix 3: References

ANTA (1994) National Strategy for Vocational Education and Training, Brisbane,Australian National Training Authority

ANTA (1998) A Bridge to the Future: Australia’s National Strategy for VocationalEducation and Training 1998–2003, Brisbane, Australian NationalTraining Authority

Aulich, T. (Chair) (1991) Come in Cinderella: The Emergence of Adult and CommunityEducation, Senate Standing Committee on Employment, Education andTraining, Canberra, Australian Government Publishing Service

Blunkett, D. (1998) The Learning Age: A Renaissance for a New Britain,Department for Education and Employment,http://www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/greenpaper/

Campbell, A. & Curtin, P. (eds.) (1999) ‘Lifelong learning and ACE’ in ACE –Some Issues, Kensington Park, National Center for VocationalEducation Research

Carmichael, L. (1992) The Australian Vocational Certificate Training System,Canberra, National Board of Employment, Education and Training

Crowley, R. (Chair) (1997) Beyond Cinderella: Towards a Learning Society, Report ofthe Senate Employment, Education and Training ReferenceCommittee, Canberra , Senate Publications Unit

Dawkins, J. & Holding, C. (1987) Skills for Australia, Canberra, AustralianGovernment Publishing Service

Dearing, R. (1997) Higher Education in the Learning Society, National Committee ofInquiry into Higher Education,http://www.cam.anglia.ac.uk/www/1996-7/dearing-summary.html

DEET (1991) Australia’s Workforce in the Year 2001, Canberra, Department ofEmployment, Education and Training

Delors, J. (1998) Education: the Necessary Utopia, Report to UNESCO of theInternational Commission on Education for the Twenty-First century,Paris, United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

Delors, J. (1996) Learning: The Treasure Within, Report to UNESCO of theInternational Commission on Education for the Twenty-First century,Paris, United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

European Commission (1994) Growth, Competitiveness, Employment: The Challengesand Way Forward into the 21st Century, White Paper, Luxembourg,European Commission

European Commission (1996) Teaching and Learning: Towards the Learning Society,Luxembourg, European Commission

Faure, E. (1972) Learning to Be: The World of Education Today and Tomorrow, Paris,United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

Finn, B. (1991) Young People’s Participation in Post-Compulsory Education andTraining, Canberra, Australian Government Publishing Service


Johnston, W. B. & Packer, A. (1987) Workforce 2000: Work and Workers for the21st Century, Report to US Department of Labor, Indianapolis, HudsonInstitute

Keating, P. (1992) National Goals for Vocational Education and Training, July

Kearns, P., McDonald, R., Candy, P., Knights, S., & Papadopoulos, G. (1999)VET in the Learning Age: The Challenge of Lifelong Learning for All, Vol. 1,National Centre for Vocational Education Research

Mayer, E. (1992) Employment-Related Key Competencies, Melbourne, MayerCommittee

NAGCELL (1997) Learning for the Twenty-First Century, released November 1997,National Advisory Group for Continuing Education and LifelongLearning, http://www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/nagcell

NAGCELL (1999) Creating Learning Cultures: Next Step in Achieving the LearningAge, National Advisory Group for Continuing Education and LifelongLearning, http://www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/nagcell2

NBEET (1995) Converging Technology, Work and Learning, Employment and SkillsFormation Council, Canberra, Australian Government PublishingService

NBEET (1996) Lifelong learning – Key Issues, National Board of Employment,Education and Training, Canberra, Australian Government PublishingService

OECD (1987) Structural Adjustment and Economic Performance, Paris, Organisationfor Economic Cooperation and Development

OECD (1994) The OECD Jobs Study: Facts, Analysis, Strategies, Paris,Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development

OECD (1996a) Education and Training: Learning and Work in a Society in Flux,Pari,s Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development

OECD (1996b) Lifelong Learning for All, a report published by the OECDEducation Committee at Ministerial level, Paris, Organisation forEconomic Cooperation and Development

Otala, C. (1993) Lifelong Learning based on Industry-University Cooperation: A Strategyfor European Industry’s Competitiveness, Lifelong learning series no. 1,Centre for Continuing Education, Helsinki University of Technology

Tuijnman, A. & van der Kemp (eds.) (1992) Learning Across the Lifespan: Theories,Research, Policies, Oxford, Pergamon Press

UNESCO (1997) Adult Learning: A Key for the Twenty-First Century,CONFINTEA V, Fifth International Conference on Adult Education,Hamburg July 1997, Hamburg, United Nations Education, Scientificand Cultural Organisation, http://www.unesco.org/education/uie

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