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Patrick Werquin reports back from the:
Partnership between Education Institutions and Employers Conference of the Czech Presidency of the EU held in Prague on 6-7 April 2009
I went to Prague on 6-7 April 2009, to participate in the Conference of the Czech Presidency of the EU, to talk about Recognition of non-formal and informal learning and the role of employers. The following paragraphs provide a brief summary of the purpose of the Conference.
There were approximately 200 delegates from education institutions, companies and EU authorities at the Prague Congress Centre. The main purpose was to strengthen the partnership between education institutions and employers. In the view of the organisers, the partnership between schools and employers, both at the level of the European Union as a whole and at the level of the individual Member States including the Czech Republic, is becoming an increasingly debated topic. In connection with this debate there arises a wide spectrum of issues – from questions on fundamental level, which relate to the very meaning and goals of such partnerships, to issues related to the motivations of the partners and the forms and content of such partnerships, and to practical matters and examples of good practice.
The aim of the conference was to discuss the ways to achieve in practice the most effective forms of partnerships between education institutions and employers, to motivate both partners to cooperate in terms of recognition of the education and qualification frameworks, and matters related to the involvement of employers in education and training as well as the interlinking of education, research and innovations with companies.
In his concluding speech, Czech Education Minister O. Liška appreciated the contribution of the conference and emphasised that the cooperation between the education institutions and employers is of vital importance and may enable us to overcome the current global challenges, such as the ageing population, migration and the headlong technological developments, which significantly influence the methods of education and learning. At the press conference he then called for increased action and cooperation:
“We need to assume a constructive approach not only on institutional level, in the individual schools and businesses, but also on political level. We are in search of a dialogue between the private and education spheres on all levels. This dialogue is necessary in order to overcome the mutual distrust and misunderstandings and to attain a larger degree of awareness and cooperation. This is a must, given the rapid technological advances as well as the current economic downturn.”
The point was made that, in order to be meaningful, the partnership between schools and employers must provide support to the schools (its students and lecturers) in achieving their educational goals. It also represents a specific form of investment creating a favourable environment and a social, educational and qualification-providing potential, which can be used by companies. Eventually, such partnerships should be reflected in the results achieved by the students, in the knowledge and skills they will develop, in the attitudes and values which will represent their potential to act in matters of a personal, social and professional nature. The current political crisis further amplifies these needs.
I was involved in one of the workshop and tried to highlight the reasons why employers should be involved in recognising non-formal and informal learning. They are natural partners especially since a lot of non-formal and informal learning is actually happening at the work place. In addition, employers demand more and more to be involved in the definition of the standards used to assess regular students in the formal system as well as applicants in the recognition system.
All employers already do some sort of practical recognition when they hire new workers or when they reorganise the division of labour within their company. Visibility of actual skills, knowledge and/or competences is a key advantage. Finally, I made the point that recognition of non-formal and informal learning may well be one of missing links between the world of work and the world of education.
The Conference rapporteur concluded by saying: We must enhance employability: ‘The ability to gain employment, to maintain employment, and to be able to move around in the labour market’.
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