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Adult learning Conference Budapest 8-9 March 2011 Policy priorities for adult learning systems . Berna rd Hugonnier OECD

Adult learning Conference Budapest 8-9 March 2011 Policy priorities for adult learning systems . Berna rd Hugonnier OECD Deputy Director for Education. Two main priorities. Enhance the effectiveness of adult learning systems Improve the information on adult skills and adult learning needs.

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Adult learning Conference Budapest 8-9 March 2011 Policy priorities for adult learning systems . Berna rd Hugonnier OECD

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  1. Adult learning ConferenceBudapest8-9 March 2011Policy priorities for adult learning systems.Bernard HugonnierOECD Deputy Director for Education

  2. Two main priorities • Enhance the effectiveness of adult learning systems • Improve the information on adult skills and adult learning needs

  3. 1. Enhancing the effectiveness of adult learning systems

  4. Enhancing the effectiveness of adult learning systems • The diagnosis • Evidence shows that adult learning has a strong positive impact on productivity, innovation and employment • Training is associated with lower unemployment • Training increases the probability of being active • Trained workers are less frequently dismissed than non-trained workers • Training increases the probability of re-employment after job loss • Trained workers quit more often than non-trained workers • Other studies show that an equitable distribution of skills across populations has a strong impact on overall economic performance, i.e. raising the basis skills of all individuals have a larger impact on economic growth than investing in improving the skills of high-skilled people

  5. Enhancing the effectiveness of adult learning systems • Evidence also shows that adult learning bring political benefits of improved civic participation, a strengthening of the foundations of democracy. • In addition, learning for civic and cultural purposes helps people acquire competences as conscious actors in political and social changes and for taking independent decisions in the design of their career and private life. • Finally, there is a range of individual benefits such a improved health, well-being, self confidence and personal satisfaction. • Despite these findings, adult learning participation remains unequal, favouring those with higher education attainment, younger adults and those working in large firms • AND many adults still find several barriers to participation • Sources: • Promoting Adult Learning, OECD 2005 • Beyond Rethoric: Adult Learning Policies and Practices, OECD 2003

  6. Main obstacles • Low demand by workers notably low-educated • Lack of information on opportunities and training return • Lack of recognition of previous learning • For many workers employers’ supply falls short of their demand • Lack of time • Lack of quality control • Financial obstacles

  7. 1. Low demand by workers notably low-educated • How to improve the situation • Help potential learners to identify their needs: face-to-face interviews are the most appropriate way to help low-skilled individuals • Develop second-chance programmes (Austria, Germany, US) • Offer language courses for immigrants (Austria, Germany, Sweden, Norway) • Introduce modularity in the provision (Mexico, Poland, UK) • Develop distance learning (Korea, Spain, UK)

  8. 2. Lack of information on opportunities and training return • How to improve the situation • Raise transparency on the benefits of learning for workers • Improve information on learning opportunities • Develop further guidance (for which the demand often exceeds the supply) to ensure a better match between learners demands and supply • Have a one-stop approach (Mexico, US) • Source: Career Guidance and Public Policy- Bridging the gap, OECD 2004

  9. 3. Lack of recognition of prior learning • How to improve the situation • Develop an effective system of recognition of non formal and informal learning (RNFIL) to: • Develop a culture of lifelong learning • Reduce the opportunity cost of learning • Reference: Recognition of non formal and informal learning systems, OECD 2009

  10. 4. For many workers employers’ supply falls short of their demand5. Lack of time • How to improve the situation • Employers to: • Support more continuing education of workers • Provide appropriate supply of training courses • Leave enough time to workers for training courses • Organise training in the workplace

  11. 6. Lack of quality control • How to improve the situation • Develop an appropriate quality control system • Quality standards of providers (Austria ) • Quality certification system ( Germany) • Develop assessment and evaluation programmes • Evaluation and assessment programmes (Finland, Denmark, UK, US)

  12. 7. Financial obstacles • The issue • Workers cannot fund investments in their own human capital (lack of collateral) • Firms can. But they may lose the investment if the worker goes to another firm (poaching) • And government alone cannot (and should not) provide the necessary financial resources for lifelong learning • So there is a funding problem. How to solve it?

  13. 7. Financial obstacles • How to improve the situation A. Develop financing schemes to support individuals • Individual learning accounts (Canada, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, UK,US…) • Training vouchers (Austria, Germany, Korea, Switzerland… ) • Training leave (Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Norway, Sweden...) • Difficulties: • Are the schemes well targeted? • How to ensure quality control ? • How to compensate for learning time (training leave)? • How to choose between free choice versus job-oriented courses ?

  14. 7. Financial obstacles • How to improve the situation B. Develop financing schemes to support firms • Tax deduction (Austria, France, Italy, Poland) • Payroll tax exemption (Quebec, France) • Grants on payroll tax contributions (Belgium, Hungary, Japan, Spain) • Training consortium to support small firms (Korea) • Difficulties: • Unless targeted, possible significant waste of public resources • Issue of generic skill development versus firm-specific skills.

  15. 7. Financial obstacles • Solution: • Co-financing schemes (sharing the cost between individuals, firms and states) that also allow greater choice to individuals can raise the efficiency of provision • Source: • Co-financing Lifelong Learning, Towards a Systemic Approach, OECD 2004 • Promoting Adult Learning, OECD 2005

  16. Conclusion • Adult learning is facing many obstacles • Financial obstacles are not the only ones • Need for a comprehensive and proactive adult learning policy addressing all obstacles • Create adapted institutions for adult learning policy formulation and programme delivery • Establish clear policy priorities and targets • Coordinate with all stakeholders including social partners • Rely on decentralised subsidiary approach • Better information on adult skills and adult l learning needs is required

  17. 2. Improving the information on adult skills and adult learning needs

  18. Measuring adult skills and adult learning needs • The International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) was a seven-country initiative first conducted in 1994. It was conducted again in 1996 and 1998 with 16 additional countries • The survey created comparable literacy profiles across countries and offered the world’s only source of comparative data on participation in adult education and training. • The survey demonstrated a strong link between literacy and a country’s economic potential

  19. Measuring adult skills and adult learning needs • The Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey (ALL) measured in 2003 the literacy and numeracy skills of a sample of 16-65 -year olds from six countries scored on a 500-point scale

  20. Measuring adult skills and adult learning needs • ALL addressed questions such as: • What is the distribution of literacy and numeracy skills among one country’s adults? How do this distribution compare to other countries? • What is the relationship between these skills and the economic, social and personal characteristics of individuals? • What is the relationships between these skills and the economic and social characteristics of nations?

  21. Measuring adult skills and adult learning needs • Programme for the International Assessment for Adult Competencies (PIAAC) • Description • An international survey of adult 'foundation skills‘ began in late 2003. • Data collection in late 2011-early 2012. 25 countries participating. Results to be released in 2013. • Skills assessed • literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments. • Information also collected on use of skills in work and other contexts and outcome and background variables. • Method • Household survey with assessment delivered on a laptop computer. • Sample size 4 500-5 000 per country/language.

  22. OECD Countries Participating in PIAAC • Italy • Japan • Korea • Netherlands • Norway • Poland • Portugal • Russian Federation • Slovak Republic • Spain • Sweden • United Kingdom • United States • Australia • Austria • Belgium • Canada • Czech Republic • Cyprus • Denmark • Estonia • Finland • France • Germany • Ireland • Note* Cyprus and the Russian Federation have contracts direct with the International Consortium

  23. Objectives of PIAAC • PIAAC aims at developing a strategy to address the supply and demand of competencies that would: • identify and measure differences between individuals and countries in competencies believed to underlie both personal, economic and societal success; • assess the impact of these competencies on social and economic outcomes at individual and aggregate levels; • gauge the performance of education and training systems in generating required competencies; • help to clarify the policy levers that could contribute to enhancing competencies.

  24. Progress to Date – March 2011 • A successful field trial was implemented on schedule during 2010. • Following analysis of field trial data, the PIAAC Board of Participating Countries approved instruments for use in the main study. • The International Consortium and countries are preparing to enter main study in Sep 2011. • A second wave of PIAAC is being planned for 2012-2016 • Countries possibly interested: Bulgaria, China, Greece, Indonesia, India, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Romania

  25. Thank you • www.oecd/edu.org • Bernard.hugonnier@oecd.org

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