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A VISION ON #4
EDUCATION JANUARY 09
“It is vital for companies “Lifelong” learning “Lifelong learning: still Facts and
to invest and participate rather than “ready-to- a long way to go...” figures
in the management of employ” graduates
universities”
An ADP publication
EXPERT
Andreas Schleicher
Why are percentages of national populations consider the glass rather half full than half empty:
completing secondary education so different in Spain saw the proportion of people with upper
Europe? secondary qualifications doubling over the last
They are very high in the north and much lower two generations.
in the south of Europe, some of which can be
explained by historical contexts. The northern In most European countries, the 20- to 24-year-
European education systems are not just efficient olds are better qualified than their elders. That’s
in lifting lots of people to high levels of education, good news, isn’t it?
they are also able to mobilise the skill potential Yes, all education systems have seen
of people with disadvantaged backgrounds. That improvement. But European countries do
is very different in countries like France and not simply need to match the top performing
Germany, where this type of social background education systems but to do better if our citizens
remains a powerful barrier to educational want to justify higher wages and labour costs
success. Southern countries are still somewhat in a globalized economy. Take the example of
behind, but given their rapid progress I would Germany. In the 1960s, very few countries could
draw on such a high proportion of people with
strong baseline qualifications. Today, Germany
Andreas Schleicher is Head of the Indicators and Analysis ranks around 13th in the proportion of people
Division within the Directorate of Education of the Organization with upper secondary qualifications, not because
for Economical Cooperation and Development (OECD). He is standards declined, but because they have risen
notably in charge of the OECD Programme for International Student so much faster elsewhere. The picture is similar in
Assessment (PISA) and the OECD Indicators of Education Systems most of Europe’s large economies.
programme (INES). He led a working group on "the Education
Imperative" during the 2006 Knowledge Summit. To the extent that we need to sound the alarm?
In 2003, Andreas Schleicher was awarded the "Theodor Heuss" Yes. In today’s flat world, all work that can be
prize in Germany, for "exemplary democratic engagement" in digitized, automated and outsourced is done by
association with the public debate on PISA. He is an honorary the most effective and competitive individuals or
professor at the University of Heidelberg in Germany. Originally a enterprises from any place on the globe. Countries
graduate in physics, Andreas Schleicher holds a master of science like India and China are starting to deliver high
from the department of mathematics at Deakin University in skills at low costs at an ever-increasing pace.
Australia. Competition has simply shifted from the low skills
field. By the year 2015, China alone is likely to
2
EDUCATION
Companies
and institutions coded knowledge on the order of 14,000 pages
for a single car. In the 1930s, it was less than
are jointly 200 pages.
responsible for How should European countries improve their
providing learning education systems?
EU countries must develop more challenging
opportunities” and supportive learning environments, and
become more flexible and effective in improving
learning outcomes. Some of these changes require
Andreas Schleicher,
additional investment. Countries will also need to
Head of the Indicators and
Analysis Division within the implement financing and student-support policies
Directorate of Education of that mobilise public and private funding in ways
the OECD. that reflect the social and personal benefits of
tertiary education. East Asian countries and the
US have improved access to higher education by
supply more than twice the number of graduates making students pay for part of their education
than Europe and the US together. Are people costs. The Nordic countries’ success results from
sceptical as to the quality of Chinese graduates? massive public spending on higher education
Remember how we looked at Japanese cars when that pays high dividends to both individuals and
they first came out and what we think of them society. In contrast, most continental European
now. countries hold back their universities by neither
making the required public investments nor
Isn’t it paradoxical to advocate more higher allowing them to charge tuition fees.
education while overqualified people are out of
work in some countries? What roles can companies play in these changes?
Of course, some people say that if education is Citizens, companies and institutions all have
expanding, everybody will have a university a role to play because they all benefit from
degree and work for the minimum wage. But education in their own way. Individuals must
that’s not what our data show. In most OECD want and be able to carry on learning throughout
countries, the earnings gap between the better- their lives. Companies and institutions are jointly
educated and those with lower qualifications responsible for providing learning opportunities.
is growing rather than shrinking, and people It is vital for companies to invest and participate
without baseline qualifications face a significantly in the management of universities, naturally in
higher risk of unemployment. It’s not just a matter accordance with well-defined procedures, so that
of producing more graduates from schools and curricula can be geared more closely to demand.
universities. The quality of educational outcomes Universities must accept a method of governance
really count. School systems seem to have trouble that addresses the expectations of a wider range of
adapting to rapid changes in demand. These partners than the educational authorities alone.
days, an automobile technician needs to manage A new social process needs to be invented.
3
PRACTICES
Philippe Vivien
4
EDUCATION
ing rather
graduates
tes, and recruits their options open, enabling them virtual community and have the tools they
does not spend a to change direction a few years need to share their best practices. Better than
young graduates. later,” reckons Areva’s HR VP, who standardised solutions and traditional schemes,
believes the idea should be extended the key to both managing senior staff members
students’ minds,” to all levels of qualification. and recruiting youngsters lies in having strong
lls are acquired in “Apprenticeships would be highly networks.
beneficial to engineers, but the This simultaneously builds employees’
concept comes up against cultural capacities and preserves Areva’s expertise,
resistance.” ensuring that the company continues to
attract youngsters with high potential. Once
Following recruitment, the recruited, they will stay loyal to the company
company’s approach continues (staff turnover is less than 3%) - and later, on
with alternating periods of work reaching their 50s, they will be told that their
and training. Areva thus dispenses career is far from being over: “You still have
1.5 million hours of continuing three posts in front of you. Not to mention a
Apprenticeships vocational training each year senior staff member to assist and a few juniors
would be highly throughout the world, winning the to train! ”
company an award in France for
beneficial to implementing the latest legislation
in this area.
engineers”
Passing on expertise
Philippe Vivien, AREVA
Senior Executive If expertise is acquired in-house,
Vice President, Human senior staff members have it in Areva offers customers reliable technological solutions for
Resource, Areva Group. abundance. Philippe exclaims: CO2-free power generation and electricity transmission
“The more I hire young people, and distribution. The group is the world leader in nuclear
the more I have to take care of the senior power. It has nearly 75,000 employees, with 71% in
staff! ” Preserving this tremendous amount Europe, 13.5% in the Americas, 11.5% in the Asia Pacific
of know-how built up by the generation that region and 4% in Africa and the Middle East.
oversaw the major projects of the 1970s and is
With manufacturing facilities in 43 countries and a sales
now about to retire is an important issue. The
network covering over 100 countries, Areva recorded
enzymes that will metabolise this expertise
turnover of €11.923 billion and a net profit of €751 million
are called référents (“Experts”), generally staff in 2007. The group was created in 2001 and is listed on
members in their 50s who are renowned for the Paris stock exchange.
their in-depth experience. France already has
80 référents, and Germany will follow suit
in 2009. It is their responsibility to think up
and roll out the knowledge transfer process.
Philippe explains: “Each of them will have to
see whether it is better to pass the reins over
to the youngsters and back them up or to keep
hold of the reins with the youngsters watching
carefully.” The référents are organised in a
5
EXPERT
Do employees in different European countries have Germany, Spain and Portugal: on average, one
equal chances of gaining access to continuing employee in three in these countries benefits from
vocational training? continuing vocational training. But employers’
No. Our studies of more than 100,000 companies behaviour can vary considerably. Whereas more
across Europe have pinpointed several groups of than half of companies invest in continuing
countries, starting with those where continuing vocational training in Germany and the UK, only
vocational training is widespread. This is the case one in three does so in Portugal and Spain.
with France, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg
and Sweden. At the other end of the scale are Are employees of large companies more likely to
the countries where few companies invest in benefit from continuing vocational training?
continuing vocational training and only a few Yes. You can even say that their chances increase
employees have access to it. These countries are in proportion to the size of the company. In most
Poland, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary. countries, 90% of companies with more than
Whereas one employee in two benefits from an 250 employees provide training. On the other
average of 28 hours of professional training per hand, small companies all over Europe are much
year in France, the figures drop to one employee less likely to train their employees. Just a handful
in five and less than five hours in Greece. of countries stand out from the rest: in the UK,
Most countries lie somewhere in between these Norway, Denmark and Sweden, three quarters of
two extremes. Take the United Kingdom, Norway, small companies provide training. Everywhere
else, the gap between small and large companies
is growing. These figures weigh heavily on
Michel Théry heads the "Department on Production and Use the national averages, because nearly 70% of
of Continuing Training" at the French Centre for Research European employees work for small companies.
on Education, Training and Employment (Céreq). His team
conducts national and international studies on the subject, often Why is there so little continuing vocational training
cooperating with Eurostat. In this framework, Agnès Checcaglini in small companies?
and Isabelle Marion, both project managers, performed in early The example of France proves that it is not just
2008 a comparative analysis of continuing vocational training a matter of cost because government incentives
practices across Europe. and legal obligations have been set up there.
Moreover, small companies see a clear link
The Céreq institute is based in Marseille and reports to the between investing in training and increasing
ministries of National Education and Employment. In particular, productivity. They suffer more from a lack of
it collaborates with the EU Directorate for Education and Training assistance evaluating needs and finding the right
and Eurostat and conducts studies on behalf of institutions such courses for their employees. The Norwegians have
as the OECD and the International Labour Office (ILO). understood this. Their large companies organise
their continuing vocational training courses
6
EDUCATION
Companies’
practices are
beginning to
Isabelle Marion, Agnès Checcaglini,
Project Managers and Michel Théry, converge”
Department Manager at the French
research institute Céreq.
in collaboration with SMEs. What’s more, the there is still a long way to go. In addition to
initiative to train is as much up to the employees employer-funded “informal” training, continuing
as to the company, and courses mainly take vocational training also encompasses so-called
place outside working hours, which causes less “formal” training, with the prospect of gaining
disruption for the SMEs. And, at a national level, a qualification. And, here again, practices differ
there are fewer differences related to workforce from one European country to another.
sizes.
Have certain countries encouraged training
So the Scandinavian countries are setting an courses that lead to qualifications?
example again? Schemes have been set up in Sweden and
Let’s say they are doing well. These countries Denmark, backed by public funds. But this is
have responded to the uncertainties of not just happening in Scandinavia. German
globalisation with their “flex-security” model in employees can study for their “Meister” degree
which continuing vocational training plays a key while working; their jobs are subsidised by a
role. This also means that it has cost countries government grant. On the other hand, continuing
such as Sweden a lot to retrain the employees of vocational training rarely leads to a qualification
companies that have gone out of business. in France. This is an example of a dual
institutionalised system: the state provides the
Are we getting any closer to a “lifelong learning” initial training and then hands over the task to the
model? companies, which – rightly – organise continuing
Europe has set targets in this respect, focusing vocational training according to their needs. The
on improving individuals’ qualifications and onus to provide training falls back on the state
knowledge in a global economy. So continuing only when employees lose their jobs! In a word,
vocational training is more of a priority than France has confused “lifelong learning” with
ever. The latest figures indicate that companies’ “lifelong training”.
practices are beginning to converge, but
7
facts & figures
% of population
aged 25-64 with at
least upper second-
ary level
< 30
50 - 65
65 -70
70 - 80
80 - 85
> 85
Not available
Upper secondary level refers to the final
stage of secondary education. It begins
at the end of compulsory education,
typically at the age of 15 to 16, and lasts
3 to 5 years.
8
facts & figures
20 - 24 ans 25 - 64 ans
CZ EE SK LT PL CH LV SE DE SI FI AT HU NO BG DK RO UK NL CY FR BE IE LU GR IT ES PT MT EU 27
Dépense annuelle en formation continue par salarié (en parité de pouvoir d'achat)
DK LU FR SE NL BE AT SI DE FI NO IT HU MT ES UK CZ CY SK PT EE PL GR LT RO BG LV EU 27
Source: European Communities Eurostat 2008 – Continuing vocational training 2007
Elémentaire
8,7 %
Manuel qualifié 11,3 %
40,9 % 10,8 %
36,7 % 40,2 %
Non manuel - qualifié
37,7 %
13,6 %
Non manuel - peu qualifié
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EUROPE AT WORK
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