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This report, commissioned by the [European Training Foundation] ETF, aims to identify the main trends in [human capital development] HCD in the Republic of Moldova over the last two decades using both quantitative and qualitative indicators. It was also designed to identify inequity within and between population groups in terms of access to education, choices of learning opportunities and the quality of education and training. The study also looked at adult training, its role and contribution to the human capital in the country. Lifelong learning is an increasingly important element of HCD that has become inevitable in some sectors due to the rapid rate of technological and procedural change that is also related to economic restructuring. The report closes with the main conclusions on HCD trends and equity in education in the Republic of Moldova, in terms of access, choice and quality of education during the transition period.

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The reform of education systems to provide for lifelong learning is a challenge for Central, East and South East European transition countries. This publication is the outcome of the European Training Foundation (ETF) project on the integration of work and learning, focusing on the experience of Hungary and Slovenia. The project was based on the view that a better integration of work and learning would increase the quality and relevance of vocational education and training for young people before entering the labour market and would become increasingly important for adults during their working life. A number of vocational schools and enterprises participated in pilot projects. National project teams cooperated with selected vocational training centres and enterprises. Training institutions were assisted in becoming ‘training companies’ and enterprises were assisted in becoming ‘learning organisations’. The cycle of activities included identifying the ‘work’ of the training company or the ‘learning’ potential of the enterprise, development of concepts, methods and materials, implementation of measures, development of the ‘train-the-trainers’ program, evaluation and dissemination. A change development approach focused on process learning was applied. The chapters are: Integration of work and learning: a challenge for education and employment systems in transition countries / Peter Grootings; Integration of work and learning: acting in processes - companies and schools on the way to a learning organisation / Gerhard Herz; The context for integration of work and learning in Hungary / Istvan Bessenyei, Gyorgy Martonfi; The context for IWL [integration of work and learning] in Slovenia / Ivan Svetlik; The Hungarian IWL cases / Gyorgy Martonfi, Istvan Bessenyei, Judit Saad, Eva Tot, Anna Imre; The Slovene IWL cases / Ivan Svetlik, Martina Trbanc, Anja Kopac; Policy recommendations for Hungary / Istvan Bessenyei, Gyorgy Martonfi, Eva Tot; Lessons and policy recommendations for Slovenia / Ivan Svetlik; Integrating work and learning: a lifelong learning perspective / Richard Sweet; Integration of work and learning: changing perspectives on human resources / Ben Hovels. Show less

This report focuses on recommendations and suggestions on vocational education and training and lifelong learning strategies related to the Azerbaijan political, social and economic environment: without more attention to the reform of education, diversification in the economy will not happen. It requires that many more students specialise for the labour market than today. Initial training and college education need to become more attractive and higher education needs to become relevant for the labour market.

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'Education and Training 2010' is a long-term project governed by the European Commission which aims to contribute to the Lisbon Strategy in the area of education and training. The goal of the project is to see Europe recognised by 2010 as the world leader in terms of the quality of its education and training systems. This report explores lifelong learning, which is one of the key elements and guiding principles of the 'Education and Training 2010' project. In March 2003 the European Commission sent a questionnaire to European Union (EU) Member States, European Free Trade Association (EFTA)/European Economic Area (EEA) and acceding and candidate countries. The purpose of the questionnaire was to investigate how participating countries were progressing with the development of coherent and comprehensive strategies for lifelong learning (LLL). This document gives an overview of the replies of the acceding and candidate countries, communicating their current position in regard to LLL (a companion report to this, focusing on the responses of the EU and EFTA/EEA countries, is indexed at TD/IRD 88.243). The report outlines some of the general conclusions and trends highlighted by the survey, and then gives a detailed analysis of national contributions, which come under seven sub-headings: General framework; Building up partnerships; Insight into the demand for learning; Adequate resourcing; Facilitating access to learning opportunities; Creating a learning culture; and Striving for excellence. The conclusions set out in this report will form an important part of the interim report on the follow-up of the Work Programme on the Concrete Objectives of Education and Training Systems (indexed at TD/TNC 80.536).

Selected documents relating to 'Education and Training 2010' are indexed from TD/TNC 80.530 to TD/TNC 80.541. Show less

This document contains the background discussion paper and the conclusions from the conference on lifelong development of competences and qualifications in European Union (EU) member states and EU acceding and candidate countries. The conference, held in Athens in May 2003, was organised jointly by the European Training Foundation, the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), the Federation of Greek Industries, and the Greek General Confederation of Labour. The background discussion paper reviews some key aspects of employment and industrial relations in the future member states as well as their particular relevance to the challenge of improving the skills of the states’ workforces and general populations. It highlights the importance of dialogue and partnership as key factors in fostering the potential of human resources, which in turn is a prerequisite for achieving a knowledge-based Europe. A number of questions are raised to stimulate the debate between stakeholders and participants during the conference. The document also contains a summary of general conclusions from the conference along with the conclusions from the discussions of three working groups. The groups examined three areas of priority that the European social partners believe to be crucial for the implementation of the lifelong development of competences in their ‘Framework of actions for the lifelong development of competences and qualifications’. These areas are: (1) mobilising resources and investing efficiently in competences and qualifications; (2) analysis and anticipation of skill and training needs; and (3) guidance and counselling. Show less

This report belongs to a series of country analyses developed by the European Training Foundation (ETF) at the end of 2005 for all countries in the Mediterranean region, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It contains an overview of the country's social and economical contexts, an analysis of the educational system and a short review of the main initiatives in education and training carried out by international donors in the country. Reform has begun in the education sector in Ukraine within a lifelong learning perspective, and with donors’ assistance. The strengthening of reform initiatives already under way is one of the main challenges, together with the recognition of qualifications and convergence with [European Union] EU standards and practices in the education and training sector. The main levers for these challenges are: (i) a sector policy support programme for the education and training sector, (ii) a national qualifications framework, the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), a national strategy for mobility, Europass and cross-border cooperation, and (iii) monitoring of progress towards the benchmarks established for the European Education and Research Area and promoting participation in EU projects and programmes opened to Ukraine.

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The series of reports is indexed from TD/TNC 84.362 to TD/TNC 84.375. Show less

This review of human resources development in Serbia focuses on the interplay between education and training in a lifelong learning perspective and employment. It also reflects on the importance of equal opportunities in society for the quality of human capital development and takes into consideration the inclusiveness of Serbia's education, training and employment systems.

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This is the final report of a project to assess the extent to which the environment and pedagogical approaches are conducive to developing 'learning to learn' and 'entrepreneurship' competences with students in secondary vocational education and training (VET) and higher education in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and to identify what could be changed to improve the situation. In addition, through research-based advocacy, the project aims to introduce and promote the 'learning to learn' and 'entrepreneurship' competences in secondary VET and higher education in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. By adopting a policy orientation, a specific design and method for reporting findings will be established in order to most effectively advocate both competences in secondary VET and higher education to the educational policy and support structures in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

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The European Training Foundation (ETF) has supported human resources development in countries in North Africa, the Near East, Eastern Europe and Central Asia for over a decade. In December 2008, the European Parliament approved the broadening of the ETF’s mandate to human capital development in the context of lifelong learning. Three new European support instruments provide the framework for ETF activity: (1) the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA); (2) the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI); and (3) the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI). In this publication, the key activities of the ETF are grouped around six key themes included in the new mandate. These are: (1) providing information, advice and policy analysis; (2) supporting stakeholders; (3) exchanging information and experience among donors; (4) supporting European Union (EU) assistance; (5) networking and exchange of experience; and (6) analysing the overall effectiveness of training assistance. These themes are illustrated with a profile of a person whose professional life has been affected by the work of the ETF. Show less

This review of human resources development in Montenegro focuses on the interplay between education and training in a lifelong learning perspective and employment. It also reflects on the importance of equal opportunities in society for the quality of human capital development and takes into consideration the inclusiveness of Montenegro's education, training and employment systems.

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