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Learning while working
74 Success stories on workplace learning in Europe

main arguments: establishing partnerships is a suitable means to offer both
companies and employees the range of learning services they require, so
that restructuring is handled in a socially responsible way; and both career
guidance and learning activities need to be tailored to the needs of employees
and pay specific attention to the most vulnerable groups of workers.

6.2. Partnership approaches in socially
responsible restructuring

The Cedefop report on Socially responsible restructuring: effective strategies
for supporting redundant workers, looked at restructuring processes that
attempt to minimise the negative effects on employees and local communities.
In particular, it considered the extent to which enterprises and local partnerships
have provided equitable and personalised support to employees trapped in
restructuring situations to reintegrate the labour market (Cedefop, 2010e).
Social dialogue is crucial in providing access to career support and learning
opportunities to a broad range of employees.
The guidance and training services that need to be made available to
affected employees go beyond the resources and expertise of all but the
largest enterprises. Socially responsible restructuring requires ‘choreographing’
different services, to provide adequate forms of support, in partnership
between companies, public employment services, guidance providers and
training institutions (Cedefop, 2010e; OECD 2007; Eurofound, 2008c). Building
up an in-depth knowledge of current and expected skill and occupation
demands in local, regional, national and European labour markets is a
prerequisite to guiding redundant workers back into employment. In fast-
changing labour markets, the currency of labour market knowledge is not
only dependent on research but also on a wide range of local and sectoral
partnerships to get real time understanding of where job opportunities are,
including emerging occupations.
While restructuring in large companies tends to monopolise the interest
of the media, when it is associated with large scale redundancies and
social costs, SMEs can bear the impact of restructuring effects, as supply-
chain producers (OECD, 2007; European Commission, 2009c). Being
disadvantaged at several levels, SMEs are often not able to plan ahead
(Cedefop, 2009g). In normal circumstances, it is through cooperation with
other companies and institutions that they can offer basic training to their
employees; this is even more so in the context of restructuring. Managers