A Memorandum on Lifelong Learning

The European Commission has launched a European-wide debate on a comprehensive strategy for implementing lifelong learning and a report will be drawn up in autumn 2001, based upon the outcome. NIACE will be engaging in the debate at a European and UK level and will be seeking the views of those interested in adult learning as well as encouraging the UK government to put the debate on its own agenda.

To kick-start the debate, the Commission has produced a Memorandum, which sets out six key messages and poses a number of questions. Initially, the Memorandum seeks to explain the background to the debate and the reasons why the time is right to take action. The Member States, who met in March 2000 in Lisbon, made some important decisions about the future goals of the EU and how these should be achieved. The aim is for Europe to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. One of the ways identified to achieve this is for Member States and the European Institutions to identify coherent strategies and practical measures to foster lifelong learning for all.

Lifelong learning is defined as 'all-purposeful learning activity, undertaken on an ongoing basis with the aim of improving knowledge, skills and competence'. Such learning contributes to promoting both employability and active citizenship and combating social exclusion.

In describing the background to the Memorandum, the Commission refers to the rapid change being experienced by Europeans, including technological and digital developments, intercultural relations, the ageing population and the global market. 'Education and training throughout life is the best way for everyone to meet the challenge of change'. The foundation for a lifetime of learning requires high-quality basic education to equip young people, not only with skills and knowledge, but also with a positive attitude towards learning. Individual motivation and demand are significant, as is the supply of open learning pathways to meet personal choices. Until now the formal learning which takes place in universities, training centres, schools and colleges has dominated policy thinking. Non-formal learning, which takes place in settings such as the work place or through the activities of civil society, and informal learning, which occurs in everyday life, have been undervalued or ignored.

The driving force behind most Government policies on lifelong learning has been employability and adaptability. There is however a growing recognition of the relationship between education and the economic and social well-being of individuals.

Partnerships are seen as an essential means of putting lifelong learning into practice.

The Social Partners, together with local and regional bodies, civil society and service providers, in addition to Central Government, have a role to play. The different levels and sectors of education and training should work together to create a person-centred network of opportunity. The Commission has a vision of gradual osmosis between the structures of provision, which recognises the complementarity of formal, non-formal and informal learning.

The six key messages:

1 New basic skills for all

The aim is to guarantee universal and continuing access to learning for gaining and renewing the skills needed for sustained participation in the knowledge society. Basic skills were defined at the Lisbon Summit as: IT skills, foreign languages, technological culture, entrpreneurship and social skills. 'This Memorandum defines new basic skills as those required for active participation in the knowledge society and economy'.

Issues for debate:

Can an individual right for all citizens to acquire and update skills be envisaged? What are the priority areas for action to include those currently on the wrong side of the digital divide amongst the digitally literate? How can we develop a shared European framework of basic skills? How can the European Community programmes contribute? What measures should be taken to improve access to adult education for older workers, those in part time/temporary work and the unemployed? How can lifelong learning respond to emerging skill needs?

2 More investment in human resources

The objective is to visibly raise levels of investment in human resources in order to place priority on Europe's most important asset - its people. The Lisbon summit set the aim of increasing annual per capita investment in human resources. This requires action from Governments, the Social Partners and individuals themselves.

Issues for debate:

How can investment in learning be made more tangible for the enterprise and the individual? What incentives and disincentives need attention? How can people be encouraged to co-fund their learning? How do progressive employers provide time for learning, family and work responsibilities? Could the Structural Funds (including ESF) be used to support learning infrastructures e.g. learning centres? How could research demonstrate the social and economic benefits of investing in learning?

3 Innovation in teaching and learning

The aim is to develop effective teaching and learning methods and contexts for the continuum of lifelong and lifewide learning. Teachers and non-teachers playing an educational role in its widest sense, need in-service training to enable them to meet the challenge of new roles, new technologies, new learning contexts and new learners.

Issues for debate:

How can ICT be combined with human-based pedagogies? How can the quality of commercially produced learning material be monitored? How can the outcomes of transnational projects be used to report on effective learning methods? Should qualitative benchmarks be considered? How can the training of non-formal educators be improved? What are the priority themes for educational research at Member State and European levels and how can practitioners themselves be involved?

4 Valuing Learning

The aim is to significantly improve the ways in which learning participation and outcomes are understood and appreciated, particularly non-formal and informal learning. There is a much higher demand for recognised learning than ever before. Modernising certification systems are important issues in all parts of the EU. Much wider segments of the population and the labour market need to gain recognition for learning. High-quality systems that evaluate and recognise individuals' existing knowledge, skills and experience are required.

Issues for debate:

How can information on APEL-type systems, which exist in Member States, be shared and used? How can the current European schemes, which have developed recognition instruments, be extended and could they support a European CV common format? Can the Social Partners accept the validity of more diverse forms of recognition?

5 Rethinking guidance and counselling

The aim is to ensure that everyone can easily access good quality information and advice about learning opportunities throughout Europe and throughout their lives. Today we may need information and advice on what to do next at several times in our lives and perhaps quite unpredictably. Guidance should be a continuously accessible service for all. The public sector should agree standards and entitlements. Guidance workers may act as brokers, whose services are needed locally and whose knowledge includes the circumstances of individuals and the local labour market, as well as the wider stage.

Issues for debate:

How can existing services be interconnected throughout Europe? How can ICT be developed in this field? What sorts of training do practitioners now need? How can improvements be made at local level to make guidance more accessible to target groups, e.g. one-stop shops, inter-agency networks, marketing strategies, etc? Can lessons be applied across Europe? Should quality guidelines be developed at the European level?

6 Bringing learning closer to home

The objective is to provide lifelong learning opportunities as close to learners as possible, in their own communities and supported through ICT-based facilities wherever appropriate. For most people learning happens locally and the local authorities provide the infrastructure. Equally, local civil society provides a major source of informal learning. It is not feasible, for many people, to leave home or region to study. Equal access can only be achieved if learning comes to the learners through ICT in their local communities e.g. through local learning centres. Villages, towns and cities can provide a wealth of opportunity for diverse learning, transnational co-operation and exchange between communities that share particular characteristics.

Issues for debate:

The Lisbon summit proposed the establishment of multi-purpose learning centres: what examples already exist that could offer examples of good practice? What kind of pilot projects should the EU support? How can learning partnerships be developed at local and regional levels? Have local audits of learning and skills needs provided an effective means of re-designing opportunities? What kind of incentives will encourage cities and regions to co-operate at transnational level? Could they pledge resources for lifelong learning? Would closer links with European Institutions help this development?

Conclusion

The Memorandum concludes by drawing attention to the European contribution to Lifelong Learning. This includes:

Finally, the Commission invites Member States to launch a consultation process on the Memorandum. The outcome will be a report proposing specific objectives, concrete points for action and benchmarks for implementing a lifelong learning strategy.

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