Promoting social partnership in employee training

Description

Given the growing importance of knowledge, skills and competencies in the economy and in society, it is important to ensure that training policies are efficient. Around 66% of enterprises already invest in some form of training for their employees and it is important to look at ways to build on the idea that training is a productive investment for enterprises and workers. At the same time, employees must be incentivised to update and upgrade their skills, including low-skilled workers.

Employers and trade unions are best placed to set up efficient strategies on skills and qualifications development through social dialogue and collective bargaining, in line with national, sectoral or company practices. This project will focus on fostering the social partnership approach for skills development at all levels, with a particular focus on the enterprise level. In doing so it will take into account the 2002 Framework of Actions on life-long learning.

We will look into different ways in which employee training is regulated/organised in different countries, including identifying barriers which may discourage companies from offering training (during or outside working hours). The aim will also be to show that training should be understood broadly (formal courses, but also on-the job training, mentoring, knowledge, skills and competence development for innovation, transversal skills, etc.). The role of social partners is essential to align training content with productivity gains and employee career development, as well as ensuring adequate access and availability of training opportunities on a cost-sharing basis. We may also try to identify principles on how to ensure the quality (in terms of learning outcomes and relevance), effectiveness and efficiency of training investment for employers and employees on the basis of good practice (and perhaps also bad practice). As part of this, employee motivation, willingness, and awareness of training provision and benefits will be looked at. We may also try to gather information and examples on the extent of the recognition of non-formal and in-formal learning.

To help partners to carry out this activities, an expert will be subcontracted and will be selected on a joint basis following a call for tender.

Activities

1) Three national joint cluster seminars with joint national workshops to identify existing models of organising, governing and financing training schemes, as well as to promote capacity building of social partners on CVET with a focus on fostering learning between countries with well-developed schemes and those where social partnership could be improved. National cluster seminars could also include company visits.

2) Produce a report using the three cluster seminars to identify strengths and weaknesses of the different systems. This will aim to identify a number of practices that we want to look at in more detail. (Need to be clear on expectations and objectives, also on number of practices). Current European level initiatives will also be identified.

3) One joint conference at the end of the project to discuss main findings, disseminate report, and discuss possible following steps.