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In 2001, the OECD launched a review of policies to improve labour market prospects for older workers. The aim of this review is to examine both supply-side and demand-side aspects of this topic. Older workers have been defined as those aged 50 years and over. This report on Norway identifies the challenges arising due to an ageing population. It outlines the current labour market situation for older workers in Norway, investigates the impact of welfare benefits on workers’ decisions to retire, and explores employer practices of retaining and hiring older workers. The final two chapters of the report focus on methods of enhancing older people’s employability and ways to increase the use of potential labour supply. Show less

OECD’s Education Committee, together with its Employment, Labour and Social Affairs Committee, endorsed a new activity on policies for information, guidance and counselling services in 2000. The main aim of the activity is to understand how the organisation, management and delivery of these services can help to promote key policy activities such as lifelong learning for all and active labour market policies. Fourteen OECD countries were involved in this activity: Australia; Austria; Canada; the Czech Republic; Denmark; Finland; Germany; Ireland; Korea; Luxembourg; the Netherlands; Norway; Spain; and the United Kingdom. Information was gathered using a national questionnaire, country visits, commissioned papers and meetings of national experts and policy makers.

This document is the country paper for Canada. It is based on the draft national questionnaire response and other documentation and provides a summary of the impressions of the review team and its suggestions for ways in which policies for career information, guidance and counselling might be developed in Canada. The document contains the following sections: Introduction; The context; The Canadian career development system; The main sectors (covering schools, universities and community colleges, public employment services, community-based services, and the private sector); Key policy issues (which covers converting information into action, establishing more coherent and accountable frameworks for career development within the education system, extending services to employed adults, assuring the quality of service delivery, and strengthening strategic leadership); and Conclusions. Includes appendices.

Documents from this review are indexed from TD/TNC 73.122 to TD/TNC 73.151; Canada’s response to the national questionnaire is indexed at TD/TNC 72.137. Show less

OECD’s Education Committee, together with its Employment, Labour and Social Affairs Committee, endorsed a new activity on policies for information, guidance and counselling services in 2000. The main aim of the activity is to understand how the organisation, management and delivery of these services can help to promote key policy activities such as lifelong learning for all and active labour market policies. Fourteen OECD countries were involved in this activity: Australia; Austria; Canada; the Czech Republic; Denmark; Finland; Germany; Ireland; Korea; Luxembourg; the Netherlands; Norway; Spain; and the United Kingdom. Information was gathered using a national questionnaire, country visits, commissioned papers and meetings of national experts and policy makers.

This document is the country paper for Germany. It is based on the draft national questionnaire response and other documentation and provides a summary of the impressions of the review team and its suggestions for ways in which policies for career information, guidance and counselling might be developed in Germany. The document contains the following sections: Introduction; The context; The German guidance system; The main sectors (covering schools, higher education, the dual training system, the Federal Employment Service, the private sector, and other services); Key policy issues (which covers reviewing the role of the Federal Employment Service, strengthening guidance within educational institutions, extending services for employed adults, quality-assuring the private sector, strengthening professional standards, and exploring ways of extending collaboration and leadership); and Conclusions. Includes appendices.

Documents from this review are indexed from TD/TNC 73.122 to TD/TNC 73.151; Germany’s response to the national questionnaire is indexed at TD/TNC 73.134. Show less

In 1996, the OECD's Education Committee launched the 14-country 'Thematic review of the transition from initial education to working life'. Within a lifelong learning framework the review had two key goals: to describe how young people's transition to work changed during the 1990s; and to describe the education, labour and social policies, and the interaction between these, that lead to successful youth transitions. This country note tries to explore some of the complexities of the interrelationship between re-active and pro-active policy approaches and to examine the role of the central government and administration, of regional and local actors - including schools and employment offices - and of the social partners in the ongoing reform processes. It contains the following sections: the context of transition in Finland; the education and training system; the labour market: institutions and policies affecting transition; aspects of governance and administration; ongoing reforms: issues and concerns; and conclusion: summary of issues and suggestions.

The background report for Finland is indexed at TD/TNC 77.198; the final report of the OECD review is indexed at TD/TNC 62.156. Show less

The 'OECD thematic review on migrant education' will focus on the education outcomes of children of immigrants, with an emphasis on 'schools' (pre-school, primary school, and secondary school), while noting that the process of integration is multi-directional, interactive, and non-linear. The main overarching policy question of the project is: What policies will promote successful education outcomes for first and second generation migrants? The analytical approach is designed to respond to the question. The objectives and the resulting outputs are based on criteria for the assessment of the successful integration into the education system, which is threefold: (1) access - do immigrant students have the same opportunities to access quality education as their native peers?; (2) participation - do immigrant students participate (enrol and complete) as much as their native peers?; and (3) learning outcomes - do immigrant students perform as well as their native peers? Each country participating in the activity has prepared a country background report based on common OECD guidelines. Background reports outline national approaches to migrant education, providing information on school policies and practices, government policies and approaches, the role of the community and recent national data and research evidence. This is the country report for Austria. Some information on general immigration and integration policies and approaches is provided in order to place education policies in overall national policy contexts. There are two major aims: (1) descriptive, to present the current picture of what is happening in terms of immigrant children's access to, participation in and performance at school, and what interventions are working and not working; and (2) analytical, to present why certain interventions are working and others are not working (e.g. evaluative information done by research).

Published excerpts reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

In 2001, the OECD launched a review of policies to improve labour market prospects for older workers. The aim of this review is to examine both supply-side and demand-side aspects of this topic. Older workers have been defined as those aged 50 years and over. The review argues that many policy measures and workplace practices create significant barriers to older workers continuing to work and that current reforms will not be sufficient to encourage later retirement and to lessen the risk of future labour shortages. As a result of rapid population ageing in the US, there is the potential for slower economic growth, serious labour shortages and rising tax rates over the next few decades. The review surveys the main barriers to employment for older workers, assesses the adequacy and effectiveness of existing measures to address these issues, and proposes policy recommendations for further action by government and social partners. The review concludes that the US is in a better position to cope with population ageing than most other OECD countries, but this position could be strengthened by encouraging higher labour force participation among its older population and reversing the long-term trend to earlier retirement. To do so will need action on both the supply-side and demand-side. Show less

The 'OECD thematic review on migrant education' will focus on the education outcomes of children of immigrants, with an emphasis on 'schools' (pre-school, primary school, and secondary school), while noting that the process of integration is multi-directional, interactive, and non-linear. The main overarching policy question of the project is: What policies will promote successful education outcomes for first and second generation migrants? The analytical approach is designed to respond to the question. The objectives and the resulting outputs are based on criteria for the assessment of the successful integration into the education system, which is threefold: (1) access - do immigrant students have the same opportunities to access quality education as their native peers?; (2) participation - do immigrant students participate (enrol and complete) as much as their native peers?; and (3) learning outcomes - do immigrant students perform as well as their native peers? Each country participating in the activity has prepared a country background report based on common OECD guidelines. Background reports outline national approaches to migrant education, providing information on school policies and practices, government policies and approaches, the role of the community and recent national data and research evidence. This is the country report for the Netherlands. Some information on general immigration and integration policies and approaches is provided in order to place education policies in overall national policy contexts. There are two major aims: (1) descriptive, to present the current picture of what is happening in terms of immigrant children's access to, participation in and performance at school, and what interventions are working and not working; and (2) analytical, to present why certain interventions are working and others are not working (e.g. evaluative information done by research).

Published excerpts reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

A strong tradition of lifelong learning exists in Sweden. This report comprehensively outlines Sweden's education system across all sectors and the public costs involved in supporting the current lifelong education system. The Adult Education Initiative, a five year investment program that began in 1997, is discussed in some detail. The report closes with an outline of recent reforms and developments, which have been partly financed through the redistribution of funds from unemployment benefits. Possible future developments are also outlined. Chapters in this report include: (1) The overall perspective; (2) Estimating public costs of implementing lifelong learning; (3) Costs and benefits of lifelong learning; (4) Mobilising resources for lifelong learning; (5) The Adult Education Initiative: charting new ground; and (6) Development trends. Show less

In 1996, the OECD's Education Committee launched the 14-country 'Thematic review of the transition from initial education to working life'. Within a lifelong learning framework the review had two key goals: to describe how young people's transition to work changed during the 1990s; and to describe the education, labour and social policies, and the interaction between these, that lead to successful youth transitions. This country note provides an overview of the Australian educational system, and the policies that have developed in response to concerns about youth unemployment, social alienation among the young and long-term economic prosperity. The report is divided into four main sections: an outline of several of the key contextual factors shaping young people’s transition; major principles that characterise the reform efforts that have been underway since the mid-1980s in Australia; issues that struck the review team as requiring continuing attention from policy makers and practitioners; and concluding remarks.

The background report for Australia is indexed at TD/TNC 50.91; the final report of the OECD review is indexed at TD/TNC 62.156. Show less

OECD’s Education Committee, together with its Employment, Labour and Social Affairs Committee, endorsed a new activity on policies for information, guidance and counselling services in 2000. The main aim of the activity is to understand how the organisation, management and delivery of these services can help to promote key policy activities such as lifelong learning for all and active labour market policies. Fourteen OECD countries were involved in this activity: Australia; Austria; Canada; the Czech Republic; Denmark; Finland; Germany; Ireland; Korea; Luxembourg; the Netherlands; Norway; Spain; and the United Kingdom. Information was gathered using a national questionnaire, country visits, commissioned papers and meetings of national experts and policy makers.

This document is the country paper for the Netherlands. It is based on the draft national questionnaire response and other documentation and provides a summary of the impressions of the review team and its suggestions for ways in which policies for career information, guidance and counselling might be developed in the Netherlands. The document contains the following sections: Introduction; The context; The Dutch guidance system; The main sectors (covering schools, senior vocational education, higher education, employment and ‘reintegration’ services, employers, unions and private sectors, professional structures and career information); Key policy issues (which covers the key topics of markets and the role of government, guidance within the education system, the ‘reintegration’ structure, the wider role of the Centres for Work and Income, stimulating the market, quality assurance, and strategic coordination and leadership); and Conclusions. Includes appendices.

Documents from this review are indexed from TD/TNC 73.122 to TD/TNC 73.151; Netherlands’ response to the national questionnaire is indexed at TD/TNC 73.131. Show less