BANGKOK
(ILO News)
– The extent to which a country can become a knowledge-based
economy depends how quickly it can become a learning economy,
Labour Minister Mrs Uraiwan Thienthong said today during the
official opening of a Regional Meeting on Lifelong Learning in
Asia and the Pacific organized by the International Labour Office
(ILO).
“To do this, formal education and training needs to change its
emphasis. Instead of passing on specific pieces of information,
formal education should teach people how to learn throughout
life,” Mrs Thienthong said. “More and more we see that
individuals, firms and countries that create the most wealth are
the ones that are able to learn fastest – and to share the
things they learn.”
The Labour Minister said the value and process of lifelong
learning must be nurtured and recognized within schools, education
and training institutions, higher education facilities, government
departments, as well as the home and workplace.
Representatives of governments, employers’ and workers’
organizations from 15 countries in Asia and the Pacific have gathered in Bangkok during 8-10 December to promote
lifelong-learning initiatives and develop workforce knowledge and
skills in response to changes in the labour market. This takes
place amid rapid skills obsolescence and an ever increasing demand
for higher skilled workers.
In many countries, education and training policies attach
increasing importance to “basic skills” (EU) or “critical
enabling skills” (
Singapore
) that are needed in order to perform satisfactorily at work
and in society, irrespective of a worker’s country of origin.
In some countries in
Asia
and the Pacific, lifelong learning
initiatives have made considerable progress during recent years,
according to a report prepared for the meeting. In the
Republic
of
Korea
, the number of people participating in the country’s
Vocational Ability Development Programme (VADP) grew by 60 per
cent between 1999 and 2001. And in
Singapore
, 33 per cent of residents aged 15-64 were engaged in some form
of job-related structured training in 2000.
Statistics show a disproportionate share of more skilled people
participating in adult education and learning, which is
interpreted as evidence of unequal access and considered unfair.
The existing learning divide runs the danger of becoming wider, as
access to lifelong learning opportunities and technologies,
particularly in terms of Information and Communications Technology
(ICT), is unequally distributed.
The International Labour Office (ILO) stresses a two-pronged
approach to education, training and lifelong learning. The first,
associated with efficiency, addresses the challenge of developing
knowledge and skills necessary for competition in an increasingly
integrated global economy.
The second envisions education, training and lifelong learning
as ways to address the growing vulnerability of many population
groups, including women, young people and low-skilled workers who
through their lack of education and skills have become poor or run
the danger of falling into the poverty gap.
Venue:
Amari Watergate Hotel,
847 Petchburi Road
,
Bangkok
Interview
slots can be arranged with:
Nieves R. Confessor, Dean, The Asian
Institute of Management (AIM)
A regional perspective on lifelong learning.
Trevor
Riordan, ILO IFP/SKILLS
Overview, international perspectives, ILO’s work on
knowledge and skills development.
Dr Garry Willmot,
Workforce Development Agency, Ministry of
Manpower
,
Singapore
Investment aspects
Professor Jack Keating,
Melbourne
University
Recognition and certification of knowledge and skills gained
outside formal training systems.
A full programme can be downloaded at: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/skills/
download/event/3_3_12_bangkok_lll_meeting_agenda.pdf
For
further information, please contact:
Steve Thompson
Public Information Officer
ILO Regional Office for
Asia
and the Pacific
Tel: (66 2) 288-2482
Fax:(66 2) 288-1076
email: thompsons@ilo.org
or;
Manida Pongsirirak
Public Information Assistant
ILO Regional Office for
Asia
and the Pacific
Tel: (66 2) 288-2202
Fax:(66 2) 288-1076
email: manida@ilo.org
