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Skills, not just diplomas Findings from forthcoming regional flagship report. Lars Sondergaard May 6, 2010. Innovation requires skills. Why a session on skills? Future growth will depend more on improving competitiveness and labor productivity This requires innovation
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Skills, not just diplomasFindings from forthcoming regional flagship report Lars Sondergaard May 6, 2010
Innovation requires skills • Why a session on skills? • Future growth will depend more on improving competitiveness and labor productivity • This requires innovation • Innovation requires skills
Messages and structure of presentation • What skills are we talking about? • Broad set of skills: cognitive, social and life skills • How well are education and training systems doing? • Expanding access • Providing skills for all • What can countries do to improve? • Provide better information on quality of education • Relying more on incentives to steer sector
Complex skills are needed and all workers need them Source: European Survey of Working Conditions 2005
There is broad agreement on the skills needed to succeed in work and life Source: OECD (2005): Definition and Selection of Competencies (DeSeCo) Project
Good news: more diplomas are being issued Source: World Bank Edstat
But quality indicators suggests ECA countries are falling behind OECD avg 1 year behind 2-3 years behind 3-4 years behind Math Reading Science Source: OECD PISA 2006
Too many students are functionally illiterate Source: OECD PISA 2006
Fraud, corruption and unethical behavior – widespread? (*) Data for Kyrgyz Republic is a based on a slightly different question: students were asked if they had “personal experiences with corruption and bribery in their university”. Source: Heyneman, Stephen P. Kathryn H. Anderson, and NazymNuraliyeva (2007)
Employers agree: they listed “skills” as a main constraint before the crisis Workers' skills had become a constraint on firm expansion by 2008. (percent of firms considering factor a 'major' or 'very severe' constraint) Source: Turmoil at Twenty, World Bank, 2009
Quality assurance mechanisms are in their infancy
When agencies start flexing their muscles, the news hasn’t been good
Let’s face it: we know very little about who succeeds and who fails • Unhealthy tendency to focus on excellence, rather than the quality achieved by all • What do we really know about the quality of tertiary education when it comes to creating skills? • Which institutions are truly great at imparting skills to their students? • What happens to students after they graduate?
In the dark……all individuals, institutions and systems look the same… But with a little light….
In the dark……all individuals, institutions and systems look the same… But with a little light…. …important differences become apparent….
Example of important unknown • There are around 35 HE institutions teaching economics in Kiev: 20 private and 15 public • Student’s perspective: which institution does a better job at teaching me the skills I need to succeed? (selectivity ≠ high quality teaching) • Employer’s perspective: which students outside of the prestigious institutions have skills? • Policy maker’s perspective: which institution is performing well? Which institution need sanctions/rewards/support?
The distribution matters! Solid academic gains Significant academic gains Limited academic gains Dramatic academic gains & impact Academic growth of students 19
Armenia • Azerbaijan • Belarus • Czech Republic • Kazakhstan • Kosovo • Kyrgyz Republic • Slovak Republic • Turkey • Turkmenistan • Uzbekistan • Bulgaria • Estonia • Georgia • Romania • Serbia • Slovenia • Albania • Bosnia & Herz. • Croatia • Hungary • Latvia • Lithuania • Macedonia • Moldova • Montenegro • Poland • Russia • Tajikistan • Ukraine Slow start in measuringresults!
What can policy makers do better? • Turn the lights on! • Measure, analyze, disseminate and use results for policy making • Different role for central policy makers: less micro-management and more focus on steering
Turning the lights on! Tracer studies Quality of tertiary Quality of vocational education Quality of training Performance-informed budgeting Linking incentives to results
Autonomy • Accountability Use information on results to steer • Financing • More autonomy in exchange for results • Use financing as an instrument: tie resources to results • Increasing accountability for results
Don’t rely on only one way to strengthen accountability • Accountability through accreditation and quality assurance… but this takes time! • Accountability through information and transparency: rankings, performance tables, tracer studies • Accountability through partnerships with civil society and students
Better use of sector’s resources is needed to pay for better quality
The right policies can have a big impact Reform years
How can we help creating skills for innovation? • For more information on presentation and report: contact lsondergaard@worldbank.org • For technical and/or lending support to strengthen skills creation: contact MamtaMurthi, Sector Manger, mmurthi@worldbank.org