Tripartite Meeting on Lifelong Learning in the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Industries Geneva, 23 – 27 September 2002

From Training to Lifelong Learning: A Paradigm Shift2 Recent developments MEE industries:  Machine tool production is concentrated in Germany, USA, Japan & Italy  10 countries produce over 80% of the world’s ICT equipment - US & Japan followed by a few Asian & European countries  15 countries have 85% of world exports of office and telecommunications equipment (OTE)

From Training to Lifelong Learning: A Paradigm Shift3 Recent developments MEE industries:  Developing countries now account for almost half of the world’s exports of OTE (47%)  Most of these developing countries’ exports of OTE originate in EPZs  For many countries OTE accounts for between 25% & 50% of their exports

From Training to Lifelong Learning: A Paradigm Shift4 Recent developments MEE industries:  Mobile phones (now call handsets) will soon outnumber fixed phones  Economic downturn can have disastrous consequences on small economies whether developed or developing since they often are dependent on the exports of one company or one industry (e.g., Finland, Costa Rica, Ireland & Malta)  Moore’s law is accelerating - not only are chips doubling their capacity every 18 months - but, knowledge is also becoming obsolete just as fast, if not faster

ICT Total World Production

Electronic Data Processing Equipment

Office Equipment

Radio & Communications Equipment (incl. cell phones and radar)

Telecommunications Equipment (fixed phones)

Consumer Electronics

Components

From Training to Lifelong Learning: A Paradigm Shift12 Responses to the challenge of lifelong learning (just “learn.IT”)  Intended job cuts continue to be announced in these industries, but the implications remain to be seen … since employment growth over the past 5 years has been substantial  R&D spending is a proxy indicator for new skill requirements  Many large corporations have in-house universities or learning centres (often combined with distance learning)  learning is the workplace

From Training to Lifelong Learning: A Paradigm Shift14 Responses to the challenge of lifelong learning (just “learn.IT”)  Developing countries without Internet connections and reliable electricity supply cannot fully participate in this new trend  demand-driven training  Universities & Colleges are conducting tailor made courses on the shop-floor  While learning may be lifelong, professional “certification” certainly is not !

From Training to Lifelong Learning: A Paradigm Shift15 Responses to the challenge of lifelong learning (just “learn.IT”) Answers are still required: 1.How to develop an educational system to turn out the required skills? 2.How to upgrade the skills of those currently employed? 3.How to select and re-train workers for a completely new occupation? 4.How to re-integrate the unemployed? 5.How to deal with unemployed youth who have never worked? 6.How to finance all of the above?

From Training to Lifelong Learning: A Paradigm Shift16 Potential for developing countries to participate in the global economy  75% of all foreign direct investment (FDI) going to developing countries is concentrated in just 10 of these  Several Asian countries invest heavily in science, mathematics and engineering education, and have the capacity to undertake R&D  One in four TV sets for export is now manufactured in Mexico

From Training to Lifelong Learning: A Paradigm Shift17 Recent initiatives  Increasingly, unions are including lifelong learning in collective agreements, either with individual companies (Communication Workers of America), or, industry-wide (eg, IG Metall in Baden-Wurttenberg)  CWA’s “Alliance for employee growth and development” programme, places emphasis on «employment security», rather than, job security  The European Union, OECD and UNESCO have place life- long learning on their agendas and have embarked on ambitious work programmes

From Training to Lifelong Learning: A Paradigm Shift18 Developments in the big 3: USA, Japan and China:  The US case study shows how small- and medium-size enterprises can overcome the problem of not having resources for continuous training  The impact of WTO membership on China cannot be fully predicted but certainly represents a challenge  The revamping of the long-term employment system in Japan will have repercussions on continuous learning programmes

From Training to Lifelong Learning: A Paradigm Shift19 High performance work: Best practice for lifelong learning? Case studies:  Motorola  Thorn Lighting  WH Smith & Sons (Tools) Ltd.  Lucent Technologies What is the enabling environment for HPW practices?

From Training to Lifelong Learning: A Paradigm Shift20 Thematic Panels  The economic performance of the MEE industries: 2001 recession and outlook  The social impact of restructuring the MEE industries  Lifelong learning in the MEE industries: Concepts and examples; the appropriate curricula for the various aspects of lifelong learning  The roles of the social partners and governments in lifelong learning in the MEE industries: Implications for the ILO

From Training to Lifelong Learning: A Paradigm Shift21 Summary Slide  Recent developments MEE industries  Responses to the challenge of lifelong learning  Potential for developing countries to participate in the global economy  Recent initiatives  Developments in the big 3: USA, Japan and China  High performance work: Best practice for lifelong learning?  Thematic Panels