Page 61 - Learning-while-working-Success-stories-on-workplace-learning-in-Europe

CHAPTER 4
Social dialogue for

adult learning

4.1. Introduction

The social partners’ Framework of action for the lifelong development of
competences set down four cornerstones of the social dialogue for lifelong
learning: forecasting skills and qualification needs; validating and recognising
learning; developing suitable information, guidance and counselling; and
funding mechanisms for training (European Trade Union Confederation
(ETUC) et al., 2002). In the present economic crisis, building a skill agenda
is of mutual interest and importance to both trade unions and employers.
Social partners may act in a tripartite way by actively bargaining on the
national design of training and by implementing training agendas at national
and sectoral levels. Conflicting issues are likely to arise in relation to sharing
the costs of training, whenever budgetary constraints cause revision of
the established framework for joint financing of continuing training. Trade
unions tend to resist employees having to part fund the costs of training to
respond to structural change and keep workers’ competences updated; they
seem more concerned about the risk of reinforcing inequalities in access
to training (Eurofound and Cedefop, 2009, p. 11-14). A widespread form of
social partner involvement in the development of continuing training is the
validation and certification of learning outcomes, especially at sectoral level,
and the accreditation of training providers.
Social dialogue has an important contribution for workplace training
agendas. Employers can support the process by creating the conditions
for on-the-job learning in the workplace and providing continuing training
to their employees through actions such as collective agreements and their
involvement in the design and implementation of training policies and training
funds. They can encourage a learning-supportive working environment
for all categories of employees. Trade unions can negotiate and provide
learning opportunities for employees, while union representatives act as
‘learning ambassadors’, encouraging workers, particularly the low-skilled,
to take part in training. Unions also play a role in developing a culture of
lifelong learning in the workplace, identifying, together with employers, skill