 Your new post is loading...
Your new post is loading...
Skills development initiatives can help prevent conflict and strengthen peace in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. If designed or adapted appropriately, they can strengthen inclusive social dialogue and trust between groups and increase people’s sense of inclusion and their resilience to disruption and violence, through increased employability. Peace can be achieved by adopting peace and conflict analysis, conflict- and gender-sensitivity measures, a social dialogue- based approach, and a strong focus on fairness and inclusion.
Sri Lanka has confronted and is grappling with a number of exogenous shocks, including the devastating 2004 tsunami; the 2008 global recession; the COVID-19 global pandemic; and, more recently, the ongoing “triple crisis” (fuel, food, fiscal). The country is now at a crossroads. An ongoing process of strengthening skills and improving education will be crucial to Sri Lanka’s economic recovery.
Sri Lanka is transitioning from a rural-based to a modern, urbanized economy, and better jobs are being created, especially in services. To remain globally competitive, the Sri Lankan workforce must gain the technical competencies and higher-order cognitive skills that meet the needs of local and foreign labor markets. As a result, Sri Lanka will need to transform its current skills development system and processes to align them to emerging jobs; improve their market relevance; and develop an effective, inclusive, and accessible education and training system for skilling, reskilling, and upskilling the stock and flow of the workforce. "Enhancing Skills in Sri Lanka for Inclusion, Recovery, and Resilience" addresses these urgent issues and provides
recommendations for educators and policy makers.
The ILO developed "Greening TVET and skills development: A practical guidance tool” to support TVET stakeholders to mainstream skills for the green transition in TVET and skills development in a systemic and holistic manner. The tool provides “how-to” guidance on designing competency standards and curricula for greener jobs, adapting training delivery and assessments to support greener learning, adapting practices to maintain a greener campus, capacitating teachers and trainers, and sensitizing enterprises.
The guidance tool takes into account countries at different levels of economic development and has been designed to support countries in taking stock of achievements in respect of greening TVET and skills development and focusing on areas where improvements are still needed. It will contribute to a better understanding of how to design, implement, monitor and evaluate the greening TVET agenda in all country contexts, with a view to transforming TVET practices and training and so equipping the current and future workforce with relevant skills for a green, just and inclusive transition.
The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted the workplace. Some businesses closed either temporarily or permanently. Others enabled their employees to work from home. Those that could not shift to remote work had to implement new safety procedures to
prevent their employees from getting sick. Along the way, access to skills training was interrupted. In cases where training did continue, its focus often shifted to managing the changes in the workplace caused by the pandemic.
The latest wave of the Survey on Employment and Skills, conducted in March 2023, revisits the issue of access to skills training. Three years after the onset of the pandemic, it finds that more workers are participating in work-related training to improve their skills, while training is becoming less focused on the management of the pandemic. It also shows that the most common type of training is that which focuses on workplace health and safety. The survey finds that working from home does not appear to have posed a barrier to skills training to date, as those who have switched to working from home are more likely than those who continue to work in their regular workplace to access training to improve their skills.
Climate change is an ongoing process that, at the current pace of such activities, cannot be avoided. Tools have been proposed to deal with climate change focus on adaptation and mitigation. Strengthening national and international awareness of and commitment to reducing the impact of climate change has become the only viable option to ensure the sustainability of life on Earth.
This discussion paper compiles and reviews relevant information regarding the country submissions (Nationally Determined Contributions and National Communications) in fifty-seven selected countries. The paper summarizes key information that helps assess the ongoing and potential contribution of TVET to the realization of climate change action plans.
Ensuring skills training is relevant and accessible to Quebec’s diverse workforce will be a key focus in addressing the region’s labour shortage, and is vital to building a robust economy across the province and across Canada.
We are partnering with the Commission des partenaires du marché du travail (CPMT), to ensure workers, employers and policymakers can respond to the demographic, technological and environmental factors transforming the region’s economy. The CPMT is a provincial, consultative organization that convenes relevant business, labour, education, community and government stakeholders, all with the goal of improving the labour market.
Over three years, the $20 million partnership is supporting 68 partner organizations to ensure Quebec is well poised to support the workforce of the future. In particular, testing ways to help underrepresented groups participate fully in Quebec’s labour market will provide insights and promising practices that can be applied across the broader skills ecosystem in Canada, as our population grows increasingly diverse.
Employer-sponsored training is a critical component of Canada’s overall skills development landscape, which includes formal and informal education and skills training. It helps bridge gaps between formal education and the specific skills required in workplaces, including gaps that emerge from technological, regulatory, and other economic and social changes.
Despite the importance of employer-sponsored training, little is currently known about how much Canadian employers invest in training, what kinds of training they offer, how it is delivered, what impacts it has, or how investment and opportunities differ across sectors, regions, and employee characteristics. Canadian data on the levels, kinds, trends, and impacts of employer-sponsored training are largely unreliable, out of date, and/or ill-suited for comparison across time and jurisdictions. Developing even a rough picture of the employer-sponsored training ecosystem in Canada is difficult.
This report draws on available literature and data to develop the best possible picture of employer-sponsored training levels and trends; types and modes of delivery; what motivates and hinders training investment; and how investment is distributed across sectors, types of firms, and learners.
The federal government recently announced a significant increase in immigration targets for the next three years – welcoming almost 1.5 million people between 2023-25. The plan aims to address continuing labour shortages and attract newcomers across Canada, including rural communities. It builds on Canada’s well-earned reputation as a nation of immigrants building cohesive communities and driving economic prosperity. This announcement places greater emphasis on the needed skills that will be essential for our economy into the future.
The transition from traditional to virtual and hybrid workplace environments has proven to be irreversible. Reports by Google data on Generation Z behavior indicate that a significant majority of this population has become accustomed to online-based learning through visually rich, technology-based and socially interactive platforms. Many Generation Z learners have expressed a high preference for virtual and blended learning over traditional programs that usually require them to enroll and attend physical classrooms to attain certain qualifications.
Via Edumorfosis
This article addresses the impact of accelerated technological development on the world of work, the main characteristics of the new expected generation of workers (Generation Z), and the unique demands placed on educational systems. The educational systems must adapt to society's expectations in the 21st century to remain relevant in a world with uncertainty regarding the labor market.
The report provides a set of overarching principles and emerging practices to inform the design, development, delivery, and evaluation of Skills for Success training programs that address both learner and industry needs. It describes the specific roles key stakeholders such as training organizations, instructors, employers, community members, and funders can play to improve training accessibility, learner engagement, skill assessment, and workplace application of newly acquired skills.
how a skills-based approach can help US employers expand talent pools and retain great workers—even through economic uncertainty.
Africa. Digital transformation of TVET and skills development systems in Africa: state of play and prospects The study takes stock of the state of play in the digitalization of #technicalandvocationaleducationandtraining (#TVET), the demand for which has, until now, largely concerned manufacturing labour, but which is becoming pressing in the field of high digitalization. En français. Afrique. Transformation digitale de l'EFTP et des systèmes de développement des compétences en Afrique : état des lieux et perspectives L’étude fait le point sur cet état des lieux en matière de digitalisation de l’#enseignementetdelaformationtechniquesetprofessionnels (#EFTP) dont la demande, jusque-là en main-d’œuvre manufacturière, devient pressante dans le domaine de la numérisation. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000383057
|
Tutors International today issued a comment that highlights the transformative impact of personalised learning, emphasising its role in empowering students to go beyond traditional styles of classroom learning to push educational boundaries and become confident, lifelong learners.
OXFORD, England, March 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a recent statement, Tutors International, a leading provider of bespoke tutoring services, has shed light on the significant advantages of personalised learning in fostering academic success and personal growth among students. The conventional one-size-fits-all approach of classroom education, while foundational, often misses the mark in catering to the individual needs and learning styles of each student. Personalised learning, particularly through private tutoring, presents a paradigm shift that recognises and nurtures the unique potential within every learner.
KEY INSIGHT #1
Supporting employers in overcoming structural barriers to training investment is key to addressing labour and skill shortages.
KEY INSIGHT #2
Ensuring that employers are actively engaged throughout the lifecycle of skills delivery projects, from inception to roll-out to evaluation, is central to the success of any training endeavor.
KEY INSIGHT #3
Well-resourced and trusted intermediary organizations that coordinate efforts among stakeholders can help alleviate employer capacity constraints, especially for SMEs, and improve program design.
The Bridging Innovation and Learning in TVET (BILT) project held a learning forum on ‘Striving for excellence: Shaping skills development and strengthening global collaboration in TVET’ from 24 to 26 October 2023, in Bonn, Germany. The forum was organized by UNESCO-UNEVOC and the German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB).
Interregional policy dialogue
Almost 400 participants joined on site and online to explore innovative TVET practices and discuss policies that support excellence in TVET, presenting global and regional perspectives. Borhene Chakroun, Director of the Division for Policies and Lifelong Learning Systems at UNESCO, outlined how UNESCO’s Strategy for TVET 2022-2029 supports the transformation of TVET for just and sustainable transitions.
“We need to have a global virtual centre of excellence, where we have a common agenda and build common tools" - Mr Borhene Chakroun
Various speakers highlighted regional TVET initiatives such as the African Union Commission's strategy for TVET to foster youth employment; the ASEAN TVET Council’s initiatives aimed at greening TVET systems, enhancing digital readiness and fostering resilience to disruptions; and Europe's focus on the dual transition and policy collaboration as outlined in the Osnabrück Declaration.
Lightning talks
The sessions on greening, digitalization and entrepreneurship revealed diverse approaches to TVET planning and implementation. These themes highlighted the interconnected nature of green practices, digital transformation, and entrepreneurial initiatives within the TVET landscape. The discussions indicated the essential need for holistic research methods in TVET, with a strong emphasis on tailoring research approaches to specific regions within the broader TVET context.
A discussion led by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, shed light on the challenges faced by refugees globally, with 120 million forcibly displaced people, including 30 million refugees. Mobility and inclusion were highlighted as significant factors for overcoming policy barriers that hinder refugees' access to TVET.
A highly skilled workforce is essential to innovation and contributes to productivity, higher wages, and well-being. Some estimates suggest that more than half of the human capital developed during an individual’s lifetime can be attributed to post-school learning. As such, employer-sponsored training is a critical component of Canada’s overall skills development landscape. However, too little is known about the investments Canadian employers are making in training, leaving policy-makers, researchers, and employers without a good foundation to make policy and investment decisions.
This project used available data to synthesize what is currently known about the levels, types, and trends in firms’ training investments including which firms provide (and which employees receive) training, and the motivations and barriers firms face in providing training. The project showed that Canadian firms lag their international peers in investments in training; that larger firms are more likely to invest, especially those in knowledge & technology-based sectors; and that training is more likely to be offered to full-time, permanent employees in their prime working years with higher levels of education.
The project also determined that data on employer-sponsored training in Canada are largely unreliable, out of date, and ill-suited for comparison across time and jurisdictions. There is an urgent need for better data from a source that would be ongoing, representative and large, exploring consistent questions about training investments and activities; motives and barriers; types, modes, and distribution among employees; use and value of training-related programs and policies; and firm demographics and performance. Without this foundational understanding of what is currently happening, it is difficult to develop effective and efficient strategies for improvement.
The future of work will not be determined by technology, but by creating the right mix of education, exposure, and experience needed to develop skills and put them to work, creating a vastly more productive workplace and economy. In this article, the authors recommend a “70/20/10” learning model, in which only 10% of learning comes from formal instruction (education), 20% from social learning or mentorship (exposure), and 70% from hands-on, experiential practice with feedback (experience). By adopting this model, organizations can ensure that employees not only understand new skills, but that they can apply them effectively in different contexts. It is the crucial 70% of learning in the flow of work that is most often neglected, and most needed to build the skills needed to succeed in the future.
The Pan African Initiative for the Digital Transformation of TVET and Skills Development Systems in Africa (‘the initiative’) was launched on 9 March 2021. The initiative’s overall objective is to create an ecosystem that will enable and accelerate the digital transformation of TVET and skills development systems in Africa.
The initiative’s overall ecosystem target is to:
Achieve a minimum of 10 targets for the African continent; and
Adopt the targets in 50% of African countries by 2030.
The initiative uses five key strategies to achieve its objective and targets:
1) Capability building: Delivering a Pan African training programme;
2) Communication: Establishing a national network for digital transformation;
3) Promotion: Establishing ‘ICTs and digitalisation in a TVET day’ in African countries;
4) New resourcing: Establishing a national centre of excellence for the digital transformation of TVET in African countries; and
5) Data sharing: Providing a sharing and monitoring mechanism for the initiative, including a platform providing continental and national reports.
Ensuring that all children in the world obtain at least basic skills is paramount for world development. This column combines multiple data sources from international tests to conduct a cross-country analysis of basic skills using a common achievement scale. It shows that the world is incredibly short of meeting the Sustainable Development Goal of universal quality education, as at least two thirds of the world’s youth do not even reach basic skill levels. This suggests a huge untapped source of global economic growth.
Canada’s innovation economy faces a dual challenge. Firms that want to innovate and grow often struggle to find workers with the right skills and knowledge, while many workers have difficulty finding and participating in education and training initiatives that would help them develop the skills and knowledge they need. Some firms address the challenge by working with training institutions to reskill their current workforce or develop programs to ensure that new hires have relevant skills and knowledge. Yet, too few pursue this strategy. The result is missed opportunities and foregone growth in the innovation economy.
This report and accompanying case studies share insights from three skills for innovation training initiatives which can inform the design and operation of models in Canada. As this briefing and the case studies reveal, well-designed and operated skills for innovation initiatives can improve the skills and well-being of workers and the strength and growth of dynamic regional economic sectors. En français. Canada. Compétences en matière d'innovation : Études de cas internationaux https://fsc-ccf.ca/fr/recherche/competences-en-matiere-dinnovation/
Download: Key findings: Skills development in the time of COVID-19: Taking stock of the initial responses in technical and vocational education and trainingpdf - 6.1 MB This summary provides key findings of the report, "Skills development in the time of COVID-19: Taking stock of the initial...
As employers struggle increasingly to find workers who fit the jobs on offer, it has become crucial to equip the European workforce with skills for the jobs of the future. Most lists of such skills drawn up by employers include not only technical (or hard) skills but also foundational (or soft) skills. These can be grouped into three categories: cognitive, interpersonal and self-management. Cognitive skills include critical thinking, problem-solving and analysis. Interpersonal skills include the ability to work in teams and to collaborate, along with communication and emotional intelligence. Self-management skills include self-regulation, resilience and adaptability.
While investing in skills will remain a crucial factor for the twin, green and digital, transitions, it will also be vital in the coming years to invest in jobs that are learning-intensive, that make use of the skills of young people and give them a springboard to a successful career.
Approaches based on proven learning techniques and new technology can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of skills training. One approach is simulation training: putting people in immersive, true-to-life scenarios where they practice skills acquisition in situations that replicate job conditions. These immersive scenarios often incorporate gaming elements that increase motivation, attention, and learning.
|
