Lifelong Learning Policies Research Articles

Religious education and spiritual development as a cultural component of the lifelong learning policy in Romania. The example of orthodox Christianity

ABSTRACTIn a context of growing globalisation and European integration, Christian religious education seems to be more and more neglected within the social debate. Given the differences between European countries, the question may arise: What is the relevant situation in Romania? The article analyses the religious education and spiritual development as a cultural component of lifelong learning policy in Romania, based on more than 20 semi-structured interviews conducted with Romanian professionals, research workers, teachers and experts in education. In order to describe the role played by religious education in Romania three main aspects may be quoted: (1) Spiritual development completes the economic and social development of people; (2) The national culture and values contribute to the promotion of life models in accordance with Christian orthodox religion; and (3) The integral development of the person is part of the lifelong learning policy in Romania and includes orthodox spirituality. These aspects are analysed on the basis of the answers given by national experts in lifelong learning and religious education.

Investing over the life course: The role of lifelong learning in a social investment strategy1

In our contribution, we investigate the relationship between social investment (SI) and lifelong learning (LLL), discussing how LLL can be integrated theoretically within a SI approach, by focussing on the ideational principles and policy strategies. First, we describe the SI and LLL perspectives, reviewing their foundations and main principles. These approaches present overlaps, but also differences related to the scope and aims of interventions. Moreover, both the critical debates on SI and LLL stress the relevance of ambiguities that can be traced back to the existence of a narrower functionalistic understanding and market-lead human capital approach. This view is contrasted with a holistic comprehension of inclusion taking into account issues of social participation and human capabilities. Second, we discuss institutional and contextual complementarities as preconditions for the effectiveness of SI policies, to be identified in the complex and time-framed interface among the labour market, the education system and the welfare state. By doing this, we argue that LLL policies play a key role in a social investment strategy, specifically addressing the time dimension by means of coherent interventions over the life course. We suggest that further research may investigate, according to this conceptual framework, the specific combinations of SI and LLL policies within different national contexts.

Strategies and Challenges in Continuing Higher Education

한국의 대학평생교육은 확대ㆍ발전해 오고 있으며, 최근 정부로부터 막대한 예산이 지원되고 있다. 이에 본 논문에서는 한국대학평생교육에 관련된 제도와 정책, 실태분석, 그리고 발전과제를 탐색했다. 현재 대학평생교육정책은 입학전형에서 성인학습자를 정원 내로, 선취업 후진학자(재직자 전형)를 정원 외로 입학정원을 확보하여 모델화된 학위과정으로 참여하도록 하고 있다. 그런데 성인학습자를 대학입학정원으로 확보하지 못한다면 대학의 평생교육체제 지원 사업은 재직자 특별전형에 의해 정원 외로 대학입학자로 선발하여 학위과정을 운영할 수밖에 없는 사업이다. 학위과정 중심의 ‘대학평생교육정책’은 평생교육의 형식, 비형식 무형식 교육을 포괄하는 ‘대학평생교육 생태계 조성 정책’으로 전환되어야 할 필요가 있다. 나아가 정부의 대학평생교육 지원정책은 학위과정과 비학위과정의 예산을 균등하게 배분하고, 성인학습자의 역량 개발과 지역사회와의 연계를 위한 대학의 평생교육생태계 조성을 위한 인프라 지원 사업으로 전환되어야 한다. 나아가 대학평생교육정책은 비전, 목적과 목표, 전략 및 수행과제를 설정하여, 장기발전계획의 로드맵으로 예산이 지원되면서 모니터링 체제로 실행될 때 그 성과가 극대화될 수 있을 것이다.In the era of a lifelong learning society and human resources development, diversification and liberalization are becoming global trends. In the meantime, various policies have been drafted and implemented in universities with a focus on the school age population, Nevertheless, there have been few policies that provide higher education benefits to adult learners. However, assuming that education is the most optimal system for the development of human resources and the knowledge economy, it is imperative that local residents and adult learners develop themselves and acquire knowledge and skills through higher education. Continuing Higher Education has been expanding and developing, and recently the government has been supporting it with huge budgets. With this in mind, this paper has explored the evolution, practices, and challenges on continuing higher education in Korea. As a result, it has learned that continuing higher education policies have revealed various problems and development tasks. Therefore, ‘University Lifelong Education Policy’ centered on degree programs should be transformed into ‘College Lifelong Education Ecosystem Policy’ which includes non-formal and informal education for lifelong learning. Furthermore, the government’s policy to support university lifelong education should allocate the budget equally to both the degree and non-degree programs. In addition, this budget should be shifted to an infrastructure support project for the development of adult learners’ capacity and the creation of lifelong learning ecosystems at universities for the connection with the community. University lifelong learning policies can also be maximized when implemented with a monitoring system supported with a budget allocated by a long-term development plan road map which is set by vision, purpose, goals, strategy and performance task.

Determinants of Automation Risk in the EU Labour Market: A Skills-Needs Approach

This paper focuses on identifying determinants of 'automatability risk', namely the propensity of EU employees being in jobs with high risk of substitutability by machines, robots or other algorithmic processes, and uncovers its impact on labour market outcomes. Using relevant data on tasks and skill needs in jobs, collected by the European skills and jobs survey (ESJS), jobs are bundled according to their estimated risk of automation. The paper builds on the methodology of previous studies that estimate the latent relationship between 'true' automatability and job tasks (Frey and Osborne, 2013, 2017; Arntz et al., 2016; Nedelkoska and Quintini, 2018) but utilises highly disaggregated job descriptions provided by a subsample of the ESJS, as well as information on jobs' skill requirements. About 14% of EU adult workers are found to face a very high risk of automation. The distribution of high automatability across industries and occupations is also found to be skewed towards routine jobs with low demand for transversal and social skills. The risk of job displacement by machines is higher among males and lower-skilled workers, with little evidence of polarisation. It is prevalent in private sector jobs that fail to provide remedial training to employees, accentuating the vulnerability of at-risk-workers and highlighting the need for stronger lifelong learning policies at EU level.

Current Trends in Training of Managers in the Field of Information And Communication Technologies And Identifying the Barriers to Education of Managers

Lately lifelong learning has become an integral part of the whole society. This is also the reason for the greatest development of new concepts serving just the implementation of lifelong learning policy. These changes in the process of continuous education are in practice much more than a comprehensive adaptation of the education system, which is why this trend is currently understood mainly in the developed countries of the world as a response to the changing labor market. Lifelong learning thus provides individuals with a better perspective and at the same time increases the chances of an organization in which they succeed and differentiate themselves on a global scale. That is why we can designate lifelong learning, learning and constant improving as an essential part of the development of managers. Education and training of human resources in organizations form a significant part of lifelong learning. Employee training focuses on shaping individuals, their skills and increasing their competitiveness on the global market. In today's turbulent and difficult-to-anticipate period, educational activities in management and training are important. This brings the ever-increasing demands for expanding, specialized and retraining education and thus the constant demand for new and more efficient forms of educatio n.

Why Doesn t This Feel Empowering? Issues of Adult Learning and Education of Women in the Policy of Lifelong Learning in Korea

역사적 맥락 속 학습소외자 집단으로서의 여성은 현행 한국의 평생학습 속 성인교육과 학습의 주요 대상자로 자리매김하고 있다. 이들을 대상으로 현재 많은 정책 및 실천이 이루어지고 있지만 이 현상에 대한 분석은 부족한 편이다. 이 연구는 글로벌 평생교육의 모범사례로 거론되어 온 한국사회의 평생학습 정책 및 실천 속에 나타난 여성 성인학습의 전반적인 모습을 여성주의적 시각으로 고찰하였다. 평생학습과 성인교육 관련 각종 통계를 비롯, 평생교육 백서, 연구 보고서 및 각종 연구물에 대한 분석을 통해 여성이 당면한 성인학습의 주요 이슈를 파악, 문제점을 제기하였다. 전반적으로 성인 학습자로서의 여성에 대한 연구가 전반적으로 부족한 점은 평생학습담론 속 여전한 여성 소외를 나타낸다. 경력단절여성 교육훈련 등 정책적 지원을 받고 있는 일부 분야의 학습에서는 성차별적 담론이 여전히 지배적이어서 여성의 학습요구를 담아내기 어려운 한편, 여성을 대상으로 하는 대다수의 성인학습이 사회적 집합체로서의 공유하는 여성 정체성과 시대에 따라 변화하는 학습요구를 무시해 왔음을 지적하고 앞으로의 방향성에 대한 여성주의적 제언을 담았다.Women as a marginalized group of learners are now discussed more in the areas of adult learning and education (ALE), which is a key component of the lifelong learning (LLL) policy and practice in Korea. From a feminist perspective, this paper investigates what has been recently accomplished in Korea’s current ALE and LLL for women and criticizes what has been missing. Findings show an uneven playing field in which considerations of women as a serialized social collective are largely ignored, which makes Korean ALE for women inefficient and even unjust and therefore is short of accommodating the changing learning needs of Korean women. This study then suggests an alternative approach from a feminist perspective.

Centres d’Innovació i Formació Ocupacional (CIFO) network and the promotion of equity, social cohesion, and active citizenship in Catalonia (Spain)

The promotion of equity, social cohesion and active citizenship is the third objective of the Strategic framework – Education & Training 2020, of the European Union. The objective of this article is to analyse how is the CIFO network in Catalonia advancing towards this European objective 1 . After explaining creation and evolution of the CIFO network, which is part of the CVET policy and, thus, of the lifelong learning policy in Catalonia, we analyse two of the main tools -related in the scientific literature with social justice and social cohesion-, which all CIFO develop within their activity: the recognition of prior learning (RPL) and the professional certificates. Using secondary and published data from European, Spanish and Catalan institutions, in addition to the scientific literature, legislative and document analyses, and direct observation, we explore this relationship between the European objective of promoting equity, social cohesion and active citizenship and the activity of the CIFO network. Preliminary data shows that CIFO are advancing towards this European objective by developing RPL and professional certificates, targeting people from disadvantaged groups and by providing education in issues related to employability, gender equality and environmental protection.

La red de los Centros de Innovación y Formación Ocupacional y la promoción de la equidad, la cohesión social y la ciudadanía activa en Cataluña (España)

La promoción de la equidad, la cohesión social y la ciudadanía activa es el tercer objetivo del marco Estratégico - Educación y Formación 2020, de la Unión Europea. El objetivo de este artículo es analizar cómo avanza la red CIFO en Cataluña hacia este objetivo europeo. Después de explicar la creación y evolución de la red CIFO, que forma parte de la política de la formación profesional para la ocupación y, por lo tanto, de la política de aprendizaje permanente en Cataluña, analizamos dos de las principales herramientas -relacionadas en la literatura científica con justicia social y cohesión social-, que todos los CIFO desarrollan dentro de su actividad: el reconocimiento del aprendizaje previo (RPL, por sus siglas en inglés) y los certificados profesionales. Utilizando datos secundarios y datos publicados de las instituciones europeas, españolas y catalanas, el análisis de la literatura científica, legislativo y de documentos, y la observación directa, exploramos esta relación entre el objetivo europeo de promover la equidad, la cohesión social y la ciudadanía activa y la actividad de la red CIFO. Los datos preliminares muestran que los CIFO están avanzando hacia este objetivo europeo desarrollando RPL y certificados profesionales, dirigidos a personas de grupos desfavorecidos y proporcionando educación en temas de inserción laboral, igualdad de género y protección ambiental.

生涯学習政策における「現代的課題」の学習振興に関する一考察 : 男女共同参画社会へ向けた学習を手がかりに(IV 投稿論文)

生涯学習政策における「現代的課題」の学習振興に関する一考察 : 男女共同参画社会へ向けた学習を手がかりに(IV 投稿論文)

Skilling the nation, empowering the citizen

AbstractThis paper focuses on what is referred to as the SkillsFuture initiative as the most current crystallization of the Singapore government’s lifelong learning policy, and the state-sponsored discourse associated with it. Adopting a critical discourse-analytic approach, the study examines a data set that cuts across various genres and media (i.e. political speeches, Internet website, video clips), covering both linguistic and (moving) visual instantiations, involving semiotic features like pronouns, modality, image design parameters, and importantly, metaphor. The paper seeks to provide insight into the ideological foundations of Singapore’s education-labour policies as an indication of the ideal(ized) Singaporean citizen-subject promulgated by the state, and how these are semiotically instantiated in state-sponsored discourse. In so doing, the analysis also considers the contextual specificity of the neoliberal-oriented values purveyed, as the individualizing tropes of neoliberalism discursively interact with what might be considered a post-Confucian Singaporean communitarian/collective ethos.

Social inclusion and active citizenship under the prism of neoliberalism: A critical analysis of the European Union’s discourse of lifelong learning

The aim of this article is to investigate the impact neoliberalism has in shaping the discourse of the European Union’s policy of Lifelong Learning. The literature review initially presents the theoretical framework of neoliberalism as the dominant ideological and economic paradigm of our time. Thereafter, it takes a view on how neoliberalism perceives the four objectives of the European Union’s Lifelong Learning policy, namely employability/adaptability, personal fulfillment, social inclusion, and active citizenship. Through the analysis of European Commission’s policy documents on Lifelong Learning, this article explores whether these objectives, with focus on social inclusion and active citizenship, can be realized within the ideological, political, and economic framework set by the neoliberal paradigm. The data underwent Qualitative Analysis using the methods of Critical Discourse Analysis and Qualitative Content Analysis as well as Quantitative Analysis of textual data. The results indicate that only employability and adaptability seem to be compatible with the neoliberal rhetoric since the flexible and adaptable employee better serves the needs of the markets. The role neoliberalism holds for the individual is that of the consumer, product user, and voter. Therefore, the non-economic objectives of Lifelong Learning cannot be equally developed as they constitute the complete antithesis of neoliberalism’s basic principles.

Lifelong learning in Singapore: where are we?

Lifelong learning policy came and went in many countries in the last few decades. Much of the lifelong learning policy experience has been either ineffective or drifting in and out of policy discussions unnoticed. Yet, in 2015, Singapore launched a new policy initiative known as SkillsFuture, which brought lifelong learning back into mainstream policy. In this paper, we re-examine the origins of lifelong learning as a concept with a view of providing useful points of reference for policy discussion in Singapore. We employ the Delors Four Pillars of lifelong learning and data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) to make a comparison between Singapore and its international peers. We use this comparison to identify potential policy challenges that lie ahead for Singapore. We argue that the historical focus in Singapore on formal education, both pre-employment and continuing, provides a solid foundation for lifelong learning. Nevertheless, recent policy shifts have begun to bring the humanistic elements of learning – for example, living together and self-actualization – back to the front stage of policy for learning. This is where potential policy gaps may exist in Singapore, as the utilitarian emphasis has dominated for a long time. An understanding of these different elements of lifelong learning and how they are linked in Singapore’s context will be valuable for policymakers and practitioners to prepare for the challenges ahead.

THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASPECT OF THE LIFELONG LEARNING BASED ON COMPETENCIES

Generation of the 21st century threatened by many global problems: ecological, demographic, resource crisis, and also social conflicts. Therefore it becomes urgent the need for learning, regardless of age. As stated in the Latvian Sustainable Development Strategy, highly educated workforce training, the state human capital investments, public motivations in learning should be considered as a decisive aspect of the Latvian long-term economic improvement of the 21st century in order to ensure the competitiveness of the Latvian economy on a global scale. The aim of this article is to analyses the competence-based lifelong learning development’s possibilities in human capital and society in general, affecting green, competitive economy, where the country's internal resources are effectively used without threatening a capability of future generations to satisfy their requirements. The authors of a research have used the scientific analysis of literature, life-long learning policy issues in the international and national documents and expert evaluations, and also methods of processing of statistical data. The most fundamental problem in the article is the long-term economic growth in Latvia based on the skills and knowledge. It was emphasized in "EU 2020 strategy" also. According to the author’s conclusions, lifelong learning needs an improvement for achievement the new long-term objectives of the education system. Recommendations for the improvement of the lifelong learning for low-skilled workers and for the development of competencies of small and medium enterprises employees will be provided in the article.

Making all people full members of the society: new direction of lifelong learning policy and practices in Japan

Nowadays in Japan, people’s social existence may become less well defined as changes are brought about by social shifting. Japan is simply shifting from a society model based on an industrial society to another model, so-called a consumer society. In terms of social structure, this means shifting from the idea of society and economy assuming the presence of a government to a new one based on resident’s own much smaller community, which freely changes its way of connecting, and thereby creates, cycles, and redefines new values perpetually and forever. What these residents are looking for now as they explore how they can weave this new way of configuring society is a way to develop a system that realizes the transition of learning from the government to the community based on lifelong learning activities, and how to go beyond. This lifelong learning is not the same system that has been implemented by the policies of transcendental power. It is one generated by those living in communities who work with their neighbors to actively implement and create the new society.

Characteristics and differences of lifelong learning policy implementation for the elderly in Thailand

The study examined the process of policy implementation of lifelong learning for the elderly in Thailand, covering four main regions within the country. The study empirically compared inputs, processes, outputs, and outcomes of policy implementation in the north, south, northeast, and central regions of Thailand and captured the rigor of policy implementation. Using qualitative research methodology, the study showed that each region had established a networking model among stakeholders differently, with distinct actors as focal points in promoting the policy. North and south were the two regions where the elderly were most active and had contributed substantially in terms of inputs. They had also steered the process of policy implementation through close collaboration with sub-district administrative offices and the establishment of their respective associations for the elderly. The other two regions depended on support from the central government and regional branch of the office of non-formal and informal education. The sharp contrast between the regions led to the conclusion that the direction and pro-activeness in promoting lifelong learning policy for the elderly people in Thailand yielded different policy outputs and outcomes; that policy outputs and outcomes remained at the discretion of key actors within each locality; and that policy output and outcome were also not completely dependent on the top-down direction provided by the national government.

A European lens upon adult and lifelong learning in Asia

In this article, we seek to assess the extent to which adult and lifelong learning policies and practices in Asia have distinctiveness by comparison to those found in western societies, through an analysis of inter-governmental, national and regional policies in the field. We also inform our study through the analysis of the work of organisations with an international remit with a specific focus on Asia and Europe. In one case, the Asia–Europe Meeting Lifelong Learning (ASEM LLL) Hub has a specific function of bringing together researchers in Asia and Europe. In another, the PASCAL Observatory has had a particular focus on one aspect of lifelong learning, that of learning cities, with a concentration in its work on Asia and Europe. We focus on learning city development as a particular case of distinction in the field. We seek to identify the extent to which developments in the field in Asia have influenced and have been influenced by practices elsewhere in world, especially in Europe, and undertake our analysis using theories of societal learning/the learning society, learning communities and life-deep learning. We complement our analysis through assessment of material contained in three dominant journals in the field, the International Journal of Lifelong Education, the International Review of Education and Adult Education Quarterly, each edited in the west.

Do the demands of the global forces shape local agenda? An analysis of lifelong learning policies and practice in China

Lifelong learning has become a global phenomenon that has significantly reshaped the conventional foundation of national education systems. Lifelong Learning has experienced an evolution that can be identified in two generations: it first emerged in the 1970s and then quickly gained significance and prevalence by the 1990s. There is general consensus that the rise and spread of the lifelong learning concept in the 1990s was propelled by an intensifying process of globalization, which has also greatly shaped the emphasis and agendas that are captured in the concept. Correspondingly, a dominant albeit disputed trend emerged in literature that portrays lifelong learning as serving the global knowledge economy. Based on a review of the discourse on the global forces that affect lifelong learning, this study explores how lifelong learning policies and practices in China are influenced by globalization. It finds that China has adopted broader agendas of lifelong learning than those required by the global forces. This study serves as a first step towards filling the current research gap: there is a lack of studies exploring lifelong learning policies and practices in East Asia, while most of the existing literature on the topic is focused on Western countries.

THE CHANGES OF THE POPULATION STRUCTURE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES IN SELECTED EU COUNTRIES – SOME ASPECTS

The analysis of the population structure allows to define many of socio - economic consequences. Demographic change (population ageing) in Europe is seen as a challenge for many policy areas: from family policy; through education, lifelong learning and labour market policy; to social protection systems, and pensions, health and long-term care in particular. Although the degree and speed of the population ageing in individual regions of Europe differ substantially, the consequences have an impact on the entire European Union. The article focuses on to the implications of the observed demographic trends for the labour market. Hence, the aim of this publication is to indicate the impact of demographic changes on the size of labour force in the selected UE countries. The quantitative and qualitative analyses were used herein and conducted based on data from Eurostat and the OECD Statistics statistical databases, taking into account demographic projections. Absolute Increases dynamics and indicators were the methods used for time series changes. The temporal scope of the analyses was largely determined by data accessibility. Key words: labour force, labour market participation, demographic processes

Lifelong Learning in the Context of Economic Development and Government Effectiveness

Statistical data is used to analyze formal and supplementary adult education attainment rates in the European Union, OECD countries and Russia depending on the basic economic development characteristics and the government effectiveness index that the World Bank has used to assess the quality of governance for the last two decades. In countries with low GDP, formal and supplementary adult education attainment rates are linearly dependent on the size of investment in fixed capital and show weak correlation with the index of government effectiveness. In countries with high levels of GDP and active investment processes, the key role in the growth of formal and supplementary education attainment rates is played by governmental actions that prompt the population and employers to engage in learning and supplementary education programs. Region-specific Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) data shows similar correlations between engagement of the employed population in lifelong learning and economic development indicators. The study includes analysis of official development strategies and the existing lifelong learning policies pursued by the countries as well as national cases that include the content of education programs, target groups and measures to maintain the adult population’s access to lifelong learning. Incentives to increase formal and supplementary adult education attainment rates are identified, and the relationship between their implementation and economic development of countries is determined.

Impact of the Europeanisation of education: Qualifications frameworks in Europe

This article examines the influence of the European qualifications framework – a key European lifelong learning policy instrument for improving employability, comparability and mobility in the European educational space – on the establishment of national qualifications frameworks in Europe. The European qualifications framework and national qualifications frameworks are analysed through the lens of the process of the Europeanisation of education, and they are embedded in the broader context of the development of national qualifications frameworks in Anglo-Saxon and developing countries around the world. Against this background and through an analysis of established national qualifications frameworks in four European countries, i.e. Denmark, Germany, Portugal and Slovenia, we argue that the national qualifications frameworks in these countries cannot be understood to be tools for the deregulation, marketisation and commodification of education and knowledge, although this could be interpreted as one of the underlying hidden assumptions of the European qualifications framework recommendation.