Fragility of the “employability agenda” flexible life courses and the reconfiguration of lifelong learning (original) (raw)

This report focuses upon the key problems associated with investments in lifelong learning that facilitate the redistribution of lifelong learning opportunities throughout the life courses of individuals and between the generations. A critical approach is adopted to the dominance of the labour market and employability issues in policy narratives with reference to investments in lifelong learning. It is argued that lifelong learning policies must address the redistribution of learning opportunities throughout the life courses of individuals and between the generations. The emphasis placed here upon inter-generational solidarity with regard to investments in lifelong learning is informed by demographic dynamics in post-industrial societies and the emergence of knowledge societies. Transformations towards knowledge societies and knowledge economies are currently taking place in the context of ageing populations whose initial education and training, including many older workers in the workforce of the 21st century, was acquired many decades ago in the educational systems of the industrial societies of the mid-20th century. Integrated funding models for lifelong learning that focus upon promoting lifelong learning among the working population are examined critically from the perspective that investments in lifelong learning need to be informed by both 'life-long' and 'life-wide' approaches to learning opportunities throughout the increasingly flexible life courses of individuals. This leads to an examination of the need to reconfigure the funding of social welfare systems with particular reference to the funding of investments in lifelong learning that are more responsive to the increasingly flexible and unpredictable life courses of individuals in the knowledge society. '...the establishment of a basic structure for lifelong learning, improved facilities for school education as a place of lifelong learning, further development of community education, and the promotion of sports and culture...for corporations to strengthen the nature of themselves as learning organisations.' A number of country reports, for example Australia, Thailand and Malaysia, accept the European Commission's broad definition of lifelong learning as involving: '...all learning activities that are undertaken throughout life, with the aim of improving knowledge, skills and competence, within a personal, civic, social and/or employment-related perspective'. These three country studies subsequently proceed, however, to emphasise the 'employment-related perspective' and negate the broader dimensions specified in the European Union's definition. The Malaysian country study, for example, subsequently quotes from the Eighth Malaysia Plan (2001-2005) in the following terms: 'During the Plan period the principle thrust of Human Resource Development will be the creation of a strong human resource base to support the development of a knowledge-based economy and enhance productivity and competitiveness.' The same country study then proceeds to argue that: