Education Training and learning Systems

1. Education Training and learning Systems Capacity Development Group Strategies Meeting 25 – 27 August 2008 Istanbul, Turkey

2. Key Issues from the Education Session (CDG Retreat 2008) • While noting the challenges of taking a sectoral [often fragmented] approaches in the context of PRS and MDG processes, the systemic approach that is promoted in the CD approach and its focus on functional capacities help break the silos and provide support in a more holistic way;  • The importance of promoting an integrated approach to CD (that brings together the technical and soft skills and links global learning and experience with the local needs) should also be linked to the change management processes;  • UNDP’s role to be a strong voice in the discussion table to re-focus the emphasis and investment to higher/tertiary education systems and R&D areas, particularly in the LDC;   • The critical role that Education, Training and Learning play in producing the required human capital and contribute to the efforts of scaling-up capacities for achieving national development targets including the MDGs could not be overemphasized

3. The Action Points • Integrated approach to education, training and learning is key to meet national vision and achieve development objectives;   • The provision of training within the organizational and enabling environment context combined with a number of follow-up mechanisms (peer-to-peer learning and networks) and exploring various informal learning methods (continued learning) • The need to harness the potentials of vocational and technical training systems as important engines of developing national human capital that promotes innovation and satisfy the labour-market needs;  • Brokering partnerships with and among various stakeholders in the education systems and development agencies to facilitate access to knowledge and learning (south-south, north-south, east-east, etc. cooperation)

4. The Framework • National capacity development strategies • Key features…. (linking to the retreat action points) • Development and implementation of national human capacity development strategies, national skills policies, training policies • Implemented within a transformation process, • Seeks to address labour market needs within this process • Addresses issues of investment • Linkages with the other CD strategies • What does the Evidence say • The CDG Research • Country case studies

5. The Case Studies • Liberia – National human capacity development • Rwanda – National skills strategy • South Africa – National skills development strategy

6. Characteristics and processes • Strong partnership between the UNDP CO and the Government • UNDP’s convening role ...supporting countries to be in charge • Growth area • The risks ....meaningful processes • Political leadership, ownership, long term commitment • Managing the partnerships with donors etc • Guidance • Support through the programming process • Partnerships within UNDP • Learning from other experience in Africa • Facilitation of the learning experience

7. Characteristics and Processes • Partnering with regional institutions for support • Learning from and building on the experience • Driven by committed political leadership • Champions - What strategies to ensure continuity? • Coordination mechanisms established • Policy level • Technical working groups

8. Characteristics and Processes • Diagnostics and assessments • Capacity assessments • Scoping • Focus institutions • Training • Assessment teams • Application for the informal sector • Conducting an assessment where the institutions are not formal • Skills audits • Underway in Rwanda • Capacity mapping • What are the current interventions in CD • What do the investments focus on

9. Characteristics and Processes • Data collection and analysis • Collecting the baseline data • Data collection within the informal system • Developing sustained capacity for the diagnostics, assessments and baseline data collection • Partnering with the university for the start up period • Addressing the capacity for data collection and analysis into the overall strategy

10. Characteristics and Processes • Institutional arrangements • Mandates and accountability • Oversight • Coordination • Performance • Financing • Partnership with the private sector • M and E

11. Liberia • Objectives • To establish the extent to which the current human capacity situation in the country is responsive to the economic and social needs of the country as outlined in the PRS. • To propose a human capacity development strategy and develop an implementation plan • The strategy formulation process • involves capacity needs assessment, with particular emphasis on capacities needed to support rising productivity and competitiveness while responding effectively to the economic and social objectives of the PRS and the MDGs. • Key components of the strategy • Investing in civil service reform • Sufficient skilled workforce for the productive sectors of the economy • vocational training and adult education • investing in the primary, secondary and tertiary education

12. Liberia - Questions • Prioritizing the institutions to invest in • What institutions to target- training, sectors • Financing strategies. • What financing strategies will facilitate effectively delivery of the capacities required in both the short and long-term? • The role of the private sector • How will the activities be sequenced? • What trade-offs will be required?

13. Liberia - Questions • Three key capacities deemed critical for commitment of all stakeholder groups so that they can be effectively mobilized to rally behind the strategy • political leadership, • coordination and • accountability • How will such mobilization continue past the recovery period to lead to the required transformation, and beyond the transformation phase, how can sustainability be ensured?

14. Rwanda • Muliti-sector CD programme • Deliberate choices made to strengthen key sectors based on national vision • Strengthening of higher education • Banking • Policy making • IT • Institutional reforms • HICDA • Public service institutions

15. Rwanda • Key considerations • Social transformation • Integrating into the East Africa Economic community • Migration of skills • Competitivity

16. Skills Development in South Africa • Goal of skills development strategy: • support the broader goals of government to halve unemployment and poverty • reduce inequality by 2014 • further to ensure that the institutions of skills development use their resources to advance a skills revolution • Overall strategy aimed at helping young graduates acquire requisite skills and minimum experience to enable them to effectively participate in the labour market. • Approach aims to provide a framework for developing and implementing sector and workplace strategies to improve workers' skills. • emphasis on training in skills or for services that are contemporarily in demand on the labour market • Strategy looks at every sector of national socio-economic life • education and learning viewed through the lens of SECTORS of national life in the context of socio-economic development exigencies priorities (e.g., empowerment of the previously disadvantaged)

17. SETAs • Government established Sector Education & Training Authorities (SETAs) in 1998: • As part of strategies for responding to skills shortages in the labour market • As a partnership between public and private sector in post-apartheid South Africa • Skills Development approach • Developed a comprehensive strategy to address the issue • Skills audits undertaken for each key sector • Legislation passed on skills development • Various SETAs charged to implement the strategy in their respective sectors. • The Skills Development Act makes the SETAs and the National Skills Fund the key vehicles for delivery.

18. Examples of SETAs • Each of the key sectors of national socio-economic life has a SETA (23 in all)*, e.g.: • Education, Training and Development Practices SETA (www.etdpseta.org.za/) • Local Government SETA (www.lgwseta.co.za/) • Tourism, Hospitality & Sport Education &Training Authority (www.theta.org.za/default.asp), • Services SETA (www.serviceseta.org.za/) • Banking SETA (www.bankseta.org.za/) • Food & Beverages SETA (www.foodbev.co.za/) • Energy SETA (www.eseta.org.za) • Chemical Industries SETA (www.chieta.org.za) • Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services (www.merseta.org.za) • Etc. * See full list at: www.labour.gov.za/contact/contact_display.jsp?category=6780&deptDetail=6598

19. Operationalising SETAs • The strategy makes provision for a Skills Development Levy (SDL). • SDL is the amount of money that employers have to pay to SA Revenue Service (SARS) for skills development of their employees. • Levies paid to SARS are put in a special fund • 80% of the money from this fund is distributed to the different SETAs • 20% is paid into the National Skills Fund • SETAs pay grants to employers who appoint a Skills Development Facilitator for employee training. • The National Skills Fund covers skills-development projects that don't fall under the SETAs. • An employer can get back 50% or more of the levies they paid to SARS from the SETA or the National Skills Fund to use on training and developing their own employees' skills. • The National Skills Authority reviews and monitors the implementation of the National Skills Development Strategy.

20. Emerging Lessons • A review of SETAs recently concluded that significant progress has been achieved by SETAs and the Skills Development system • The review pointed out that the SETAs and the Skills Development system are on a positive trajectory, but still at a critical stage of institutionalisation • Important challenges that need to be addressed include: • low level of development of some of the SETAs, • Mandate overlaps • Predicting demand within a changing market • underdeveloped capacity and functioning of the monitoring and evaluations systems, • lack of effective management information systems, • effectiveness of quality assurance mechanisms in the system