2.
The labour market is
based on the supply and the demand for skills. Individuals have access to a
specific job if they have the minimum skills required, consisting of a
combination of their qualifications and their working experience. Although,
the level of formal education taken tends to be the main way of acquiring
and reaching the required skills, work experience can also be a substitute
for skills acquisition.
3.
Educational expansion
has spread within all occupations under the strong impact of educational
supply. It barely depends on changes in the size of occupations.
4.
Overall, educational
expansion has been remunerated, as a result of changes in access conditions
to jobs.
5.
Because of the
increase in the number of those eligible for management positions, the
likelihood of being appointed has tended to decline amongst generations born
after 1940.
6.
Qualifications also
have a symbolic social value. Therefore, if their value decreases, some
people will lower their expectations and others will aim for higher
qualifications.
7.
The educational system
has been an increasingly important variable for young people's careers.
8. The educational
demands of new generations are expected to be more variable and flexible, as
they will follow economic situations more closely.
13.
Post-compulsory
education is a crucial factor in stabilising or raising education levels,
yet the development and diversification of higher education is dependent on
National policy.
14.
Up to now, the needs
for better qualified workers in the economy have been satisfied by States
who has anticipated these needs by expanding education; and by families who
have encouraged more participation in education. In this way both
stakeholders have anticipated the needs of the economy.
15.
Governments are
encouraging greater flexibility and accessibility within the education
system without any substantial change in the overall costs of education.
16.
Changes in the
education system are generally responses to socio-economic tensions and
developments.
17.
The needs of the
economy may not necessarily to be the same as employers’ needs, which tend
to be dominated by short- term requirements. Therefore, education
institutions and governments must adopt a long-term vision of educational
development in response to the longer-term needs of the economy.
18.
However, the economic
and employment markets cannot be expected to provide education systems with
the long-term information they need to guide their development.
19.The skills demanded by
the economy of one State are jointly produced by its education and
employment system. However, each State’s education and employment systems
are different requiring cooperation between both systems if all the States
are to become standardised.
Key Recommendations
The following general
recommendations were made: -
1.
There should be no standardisation
of the education systems throughout Europe. However, there should be a
gradual build up of some common points of reference, especially for similar
levels of education.
2. There could be changes
in the area of skills development where certificated courses provided by
continuing or lifelong education complement and partially replace the
certificated courses provided by initial education systems. This would take
the form of: -
a)
Greater
flexibility in young peoples’ educational demands.
b)
Some form
of work during compulsory education.
c)
New
opportunities to choose between continuing compulsory education and
returning to study after a period of work.
d)
The creation of
opportunities for workers to access continuous education and training.
3.
There is a need for universities
to demonstrate that the education they offer is adequate for this
increasingly complex world.
4.
Education systems
should mainly focus on providing compulsory education in the context of
meeting macro economic needs and employers' requirements.
5.
However, educational
institutions should avoid being dependent on employers as they are governed
by the temporary economic needs of the market.
6.
Educational
institutions should move away from managing education in a more traditional
academic manner as this ignores social and economic needs.
7.
There is a need for a
greater understanding of individuals; institutions and employers time scales
for skill development, because employers generally look at short-term skills
that suit the market without worrying about their future use, whereas
individuals generally undertake long periods of education in their youth and
have long-term expectations for the skills they acquire.
Further Information
The full title of the project is
“Educational
Expansion and the Labour Market" with the final
report completed in March
2002.
The report will be published in
paper format by the INEM in April 03.
French
version published by LIRHE, Toulouse, France
English version published by CEDEFOP, Thessaloniki, Greece
Spanish version published by Ministère du
travail, Madrid, Espagne
The
English version of the full report is available through CEDEFOP at http://www.cedefop.eu.int
Full
report (French version), Full
report (Spanish version), Partner
details, Website
Contact
Person
Prof
Catherine Béduwé
Université des Sciences Sociales LIRHE & CNRS
Place Anatole France,Bat.J
Toulouse
31042 France
Visit http://www.pjb.co.uk/npl/index.htm
for more information about other Briefing Papers on “New Perspectives for
Learning” or contact pjb Associates pjb@pjb.co.uk
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Last updated
28 June 2007