industry & reform
Skills will make the difference between staying ahead of the curve or falling behind in a world in constant flux .
OECD report says Lifelong learning is essential in postpandemic recovery .
By Wade Zaglas
Lifelong learning has always been viewed as a worthy pursuit , but the precarious world of today will increasingly force the labour market to “ stay ahead ” by engaging in formal training throughout their lives .
A new OECD report has warned that countries must help their citizens continue learning throughout their lives in the light of globalisation , a rapidly changing world and the COVID-19 pandemic .
The report contends that it will “ be crucial to invest part of the resources devoted to the recovery to lifelong learning programmes ”, concentrating most on vulnerable groups including young people and NEET ( neither in employment education or training ).
Former Commonwealth finance minister and present secretary-general for the OECD , Mathias Cormann , said lifelong learning must be a “ reality for everyone ” at the launch of the report in Paris .
“ It ’ s essential … since the crisis has further accelerated the transformation in our economy and skills needs . Today ,
Matthias Cormann in 2019 during his tenure as Federal Finance Minister . Photo : Sam Mooy
Ahead of the curve
too many adults do not participate in workplace learning and the pandemic has further reduced their opportunities to do so ,” Cormann said .
“ In the recovery efforts , skills will make the difference between staying ahead of the curve or falling behind in a world in constant flux . Countries need to invest part of the resources devoted to the recovery to lifelong learning programmes , involving all key stakeholders and with a specific focus on vulnerable groups – including young people , women and workers whose jobs are most at risk of transformation .”
Compounding the issue is the fact that adult learning was already at exceedingly low rates before the pandemic , particularly for adults with low education levels . On average , only two out of 10 were taking part in formal training globally , contrasting with six out of 10 highly educated people .
Geography is also heavily influencing the amount of formal training individuals are receiving in OECD countries . For instance , just 25 per cent of adults in Greece , Italy , Mexico and Turkey are undertaking some form of formal training . In stark contrast , more than half of the population ( 55 per cent ) of adults in Denmark , Finland , New Zealand and Sweden are involved in ongoing learning .
Another concern raised by the OECD is that the pandemic could have a detrimental effect on the “ learning attitude ” of children and adolescents . The frequent disruptions in schooling across the world have led to many children not being able to meet benchmarks for their year level .
“ In the short term , the pandemic could lead to increases in early school leavers . In the medium and long term , lower engagement could result in the current generation of students failing to develop positive learning attitudes , at a time of profound structural changes that will require individuals to upgrade their skills throughout their life ,” warns the report .
Furthermore , the report identifies a number of potential causes of gender inequality in training opportunities . For instance , up to 28 per cent of ‘ inactive but motivated ’ women named family obligations as a barrier to participating in training , compared to only 8 per cent of men . The gender gap widens when children appear in the family .
The OECD has identified three key issues that will allow more people around the world to continue to learn and update their skills :
• Student-centred approaches must be adopted and be accompanied by high-quality diversified learning opportunities . Learning design must be affordable , accessible , inclusive and adaptable .
• Providing individuals with what the OECD calls “ Skills for a lifetime ”. The organisation asserts that successful lifelong learning is contingent not only on literacy and numeracy skills , but also a willingness to learn and studious habits .
• Strongly coordinated , highly successful and inclusive learning policies that will enable lifelong learning to be developed at scale . In addition , such learning “ policies should aim at improving recognition , validation and accreditation procedures to enhance the visibility and transferability of the skills taught in these programmes ”. ■
14 | educationreview . com . au