Lifelong Learning: are we there yet? Reflections of an HRD manager

For over five years, I have worked as a Human Resources Development Manager in a chemical production plant in Flanders, and thus have witnessed at close range how quickly organisations must adapt in order to stay alive. But a company's success in implementing the necessary changes very often depends on the learning power of its employees. Even in a highly technical field like the chemical industry, organisational innovation has become no less important than technological creativity, and the ability to learn quickly is now a vital skill for all. These developments are what led to my interest in lifelong learning, and in the Study Visits Programme. What follows is a personal appreciation of how I feel lifelong learning is developing across Europe, based on my observations at work and on what I have experienced during these study visits.

In general, 'lifelong learning' is still fragmented between planned education, formal training and employment. Career guidance is similarly fragmented, involving various bodies. Some of these are private, some not; they may or may not have responsibility for implementing initiatives; they aim at different target groups; and their work is variously linked to other forms of counselling. As a result of all this variety, people often experience a substantial gap between the guidance they receive as pupils in compulsory education, and career guidance in the labour market.

Nevertheless, the recent trend towards cooperation between various stakeholders shows that, when obstacles are removed, natural synergies between learning and working emerge. Thus, rather than centralise all these services governments should concentrate on helping people make their own way The major areas of improvement I witnessed as a participant in study visits involve the cooperation between several stakeholders and the increasing autonomy of scholar and trainee. In fact, the features that struck me as particularly successful in the three countries I visited with the Study Visits Programme all shared a focus on the expressed needs of the trainee.

Norway (Bodo, 2005)

In Nordland County, teachers and trainers have succeeded in making learning attractive to students, employees and unemployed people. The main strategy, based on the concepts of entrepreneurship and autonomy, is 'learning by doing'. Both teachers and students told us they saw fundamental progress in their attitude to learning. A secondary-school English teacher of 25 years' standing told me that, after the introduction of project-based learning, 'I never saw students work so hard to learn English'. In addition, a lifecycle approach is used as an optimal guiding technique, together with mentoring and coaching. This makes the Norwegian system one of the most progressive and innovative I have seen in Europe. I interpreted the low dropout rate (4.5 %) as proof of the wisdom of their approach.

Germany (Berlin, 2006)

The Berlin study visit stressed the advantages of the high status associated with 'being a professional' in Germany. We studied the dual system that links training and work, an important feature of which is that responsibility for training is shared between government, school and company. The exchange of knowledge between instructor and trainee is perhaps closest to the old 'master-pupil' relationship, with a contemporary twist. One automobile-repair instructor explained the success of the programme thus: 'The big car manufacturers provide our training centre with the latest technology. It is challenging for me to work and learn alongside young people in a high-tech environment, while preparing them for service'. I interpreted his pride as a sign of their good approach and methods.

Lithuania (Vilnius, 2006)

A new Member State, with a relatively short independent history, Lithuania demonstrated a marked ambition to make progress. Lithuanians are rapidly developing forward-looking systems based on (and sometimes adding to) research on European guidance tools. High-quality materials in different formats, including multimedia, are being produced as information and educational aids. Employer and employee organisations are closely involved in educational services through partnerships. Full of enthusiasm, one teacher told us she worked hard with her pupils, wanting them 'to be the best!'. What struck me was the will to sustain excellent communication between all active players and the common drive to translate vision into reality in the near future.

Back to Flanders...

Observing these developments in Europe, I realised that 'lifelong learning' has arrived. Of course every country has its own agenda, its own gaps to fill. But seeing what is already in place gives us all the impetus to make necessary changes.

Every participant in a study visit takes away some learning points - and these are mine:

• The evolution to greater autonomy of schools and training centres is a major shift in the management paradigm for both government and the social partners;
• the role of trainers has become very demanding as it moves increasingly towards coaching and mentoring activities;
• to maintain the connection between working and learning and the (necessary) autonomy of trainers and trainees, all stakeholders must develop a more cooperative mentality.

To make this happen in a country like Flanders, where the educational system is believed to be 'one of the best in the world' is a considerable challenge. The more established a system, the harder it is to change it! Yet more and more activities and organisations now link education and the labour market. Pilot projects have been developed on new ways of providing guidance and counselling. The recent Regional Technology Centres are making competence transfer easier. Having had, in these three study visits, a glimpse of what is happening in the rest of Europe, I feel that Flanders is moving in the right direction - after all, it is well placed to do so as it has built considerable social capital over many years of open communication between stakeholders in the learning and training fields. The trick is to avoid 'throwing the baby out with the bathwater': to bring about useful changes while retaining what works well in our system.

About the author: Roland Spaenhoven (54) is the Human Resources Development Manager at Lanxess NV, a company producing chemicals, rubber and plastics in Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium. The company is part of the international Lanxess Group, with 18 600 employees in 18 countries. Spaenhoven, who started working as a mechanic at 17, holds a MSc in Human Resources Development (2004) from the University of Twente, Netherlands.