Citizens’ views on financing C(V)ET: implications for policy design

1. Citizens’ viewson financing C(V)ET:implications for policy design Lynne Chisholm CEI Human Resources Development Forum Financing of Further Professional Training 9-10 November 2006, Prague Institut für Erziehungswissenschaften

2. Lifelong learning costs a lot … but we are not investing enough in education and training: • 2003 public expenditure in EU25: 5,22% of GDP • from 8,2% in Denmark to 3,5% in Romania; Czech Republic 4,5% • 2002 private household expenditure in EU15+10: 0,38% of GDP • from 0,7% in UK to 0,1% in the Slovak Republic and Portugal; Czech Republic 0,15% • CVTS2 (1999): 62% of EU15 enterprises offer CVET opportunities, in which 47% of employees participate Institut für Erziehungswissenschaften

3. Participation is polarised 2003 EU15+10 adult (25-64) participation in lifelong learning Lisbon 2010 benchmark: 12,5% ISCED 0-2 1,4% ISCED 3-4 5,2% ISCED 5-6 8,5% • polarisation exists regardless of real participation rates (except in Denmark) • very marked polarisation in CZ, LV, PL and Sl • polarisation is equally strong for non-formal ET (including in Denmark), in which workplace learning plays a big role (less access for the unemployed) Institut für Erziehungswissenschaften

4. Who pays at the moment? • well-documented public expenditure on formal education • diverse patterns and patchy data on IVET and, even more, on C(V)ET • little information on non-formal ET • no information on informal learning • sparse, poor and highly incomplete data on household expenditure on education (only) • virtually nothing on individual expenditure (except for HE students) Institut für Erziehungswissenschaften

5. Household expenditure • levels vary according to national funding systems and general affluence • mainly goes to HE (exception: AT) • generally high and everywhere rising levels in NMS10 (exception: SK) • 10/25 MS have study leave and/or tax incentive schemes for adult learning (EE the only NMS to do so) • 2002: EU25 households contribute 6,6% of all education funding; much higher in UK (13,4%), Malta, Slovenia and Latvia (~11%) Institut für Erziehungswissenschaften

6. What is missing? Individuals, families, households and local communities already routinely invest in learning throughout life time energy course fees foregone earnings ancillary/indirect costs fundraising (renovations, excursions) Institut für Erziehungswissenschaften

7. What do citizens say? Two sources of direct information: • Lifelong Learning Eurobarometer 2003 (EU15 + Iceland and Norway) • Vocational Training Eurobarometer 2004 (EU25) Institut für Erziehungswissenschaften

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9. and yet… • 57% had not done any training in the preceding year (64% in NMS) • under one-third would consider taking a study/training break (more in SE, FR) • better pay/promotion prospects are more important training reasons in NMS (especially in CY, LT, LV – but less so in CZ) Institut für Erziehungswissenschaften

10. Source: Vocational Training Eurobarometer 2004, p.59 Institut für Erziehungswissenschaften

11. Source: Vocational Training Eurobarometer 2004, p. 61 Institut für Erziehungswissenschaften

12. and so… • in one way or another, time and money are crucial • lack of money and lack of time are very important in LT, PL, GR, P • lack of time is prominent in MT, Sl, AT, LU, ES • and predictably they all say: key incentives are financial support (especially in NMS) and dedicated working time for training Institut für Erziehungswissenschaften

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15. and so… • Europeans are divided on whether they are willing to pay towards their adult learning • they all see a significant, if not major, role for public and employer funding • Northern Europeans are more willing to contribute than are Southern Europeans • low-income, low-qualified citizens are least ready to pay – and most likely to be non-participants and de-motivated learners Institut für Erziehungswissenschaften

16. yet at the same time… • citizens most frequently (37%) mention lack of time as the obstacle to training • within this, family commitments (21%) are more of a problem than job demands (15%) • above all, they want individualised and flexible learning options and facilitators • and for 7%, it would be an incentive to reduce the costs (especially in UK, IS) Institut für Erziehungswissenschaften

17. Implications for policy design • clear need for research-based evidence on which to base policy design • visible calculation of material and immaterial investment in learning that citizens already make • diversification of innovative funding mechanisms and synergy between them • concrete measures to release time and space for learning as an integral part of a balanced adult working life • support for grassroots-level partnership-based approaches that include Social Partners and civil society groups • European citizens are strongly committed to public and corporate responsibility for ET – funding mechanisms must take account of this fact Institut für Erziehungswissenschaften

18. Many thanks! Univ.-Prof. Dr. Lynne Chisholm Director, Institute of Educational Sciences Leopold-Franzens-University Innsbruck ezw-leitungssekretariat@uibk.ac.at Institut für Erziehungswissenschaften