STRATEGY FOR ADULT EDUCATION (2019-2023)
Strategy for Adult Education (2019-2023) is part of the overall efforts of the country to strengthen the economy and improve the quality of social development. During the 2019 to 2023 period, all stakeholders in adult education and training should focus their efforts on achieving the following goals:
- Increasing the attractiveness of participation in adult education
One of the identified shortcomings of adult education is the absence of a learning culture among the adult population. This weakness causes a low interest in involving adults in various forms of education and is most prominent among the unemployed adult population and the older population within the population.
The Council of Europe emphasizes that the right to education can only be fully realized if the education is of an adequate quality. Creating preconditions for everyone to benefit from the quality of education is a matter of individual justice and a matter of making the best use of state resources . It was only education is very important right no se, but ensuring quality education is a public responsibility. The true value of this right can only be realized if the education is of an appropriate quality and the learning opportunities enable adult learners to complete their education and / or training in a reasonable time and under conditions that guarantee quality.
- Development of a system for validation of prior learning
Northern Macedonia does not have an institution specialized in identifying and validating prior learning gained through non-formal and informal learning. The realization of this activity is needed in terms of contemporary tendencies in the field of education and in terms of the need to validate all activities that young people and adults undertake in order to obtain education, especially in the informal and information sectors.
- Improving the organization, management and financing of adult education
In public and private companies all is not yet sufficiently developed awareness of the educational needs of their employees. State companies everything still prefer the initial education of their employees, guided by the motto "an education for a lifetime thing." In the private sector, there are few cases where individual companies collaborate with universities and / or other institutions for adult education in order to strengthen the competencies of its employees.
The market for verified adult education providers is very chaotic and only cc difficulties are available. The state allocates minimal funds for this purpose and the opportunities for self-financing of education by the majority of adults are minimal.
The funds allocated for vocational training and retraining of employees in the workplace are less than symbolic. The situation is exacerbated by the lack of co-operation among stakeholders in establishing a joint adult learning fund, the lack of a legal framework for financial contribution from by employers and individuals and the absence of joint funding.
- Establish an Adult Public Education System
Support of all types of public institutions and organizations that implement education of adults, or can participate in the promotion of adult education. Among other things, it is necessary to develop a systematic training of trainers of adult development and revision of programs for adult education, and develop the teaching materials to implement education programs to adults.
- Strengthening research and development projects in the field of adult education
Developed adult education and training systems are characterized by clearly defined legislation, established rights and obligations for funding by state and local authorities, established system of institutions and foundations to support research and project interventions in adult education.
- Professionalization of staff in the field of Adult Education
It is necessary to increase the number of adult education specialists with appropriate higher education which will enable them to be included in the adult education system . This will contribute to a higher quality of the educational offer and better results in working with adult learners. Their work will be of great benefit to local authorities in identifying educational needs in planning, organizing, implementing and evaluating adult education programs. The ultimate goal is the design and implementation of adult education programs to be tailored to the needs of adults and their age-specific characteristics.
- Monitoring and evaluation of adult education
In Northern Macedonia there is no national system for collecting adult education data. Therefore, it is not only impossible to determine the actual number of adults participating in some form of education, type of education, achievement, efficiency and effects, but it is also impossible to achieve a higher degree of transparency of information about verified enforcers training for adult education, offering services to the market of education. As a result of this, the information about learning opportunities that are available to young u of adults is very limited.
NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR REFORMS IN EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL POLICY 2022 (ESRP 2022)
The revised National Program for Reforms in Employment and Social Policy 2022 (ESRP 2022) sets out the reforms and policies that will be implemented within the following three priority areas: (1) Labor market and employment, (2) Human capital and skills, and (3) Social inclusion and social protection. The main ESRP 2022 provisions relevant to the adult education comprise:
Development and promotion of non-formal education and adult education
a / Increasing awareness of the importance, opportunities and inclusion of non-formal education and adult education and increasing the knowledge, skills and competences of adults
Establishment of a system for validation of competences acquired through non-formal and informal learning, establishment of a VNFIL Steering Committee to be affiliated with the NQF Board, drafting VNFIL rules and procedures, necessary legislative changes, by-laws to provide legal and financial basis for implementation of the VNFIL, developing methodological documents and tools for the implementation of the VNFIL. Organizing trainings and capacity building of VNFIL institutions, conducting awareness raising campaigns / events on VNFIL opportunities and benefits.
Measures to expand the network of non-formal and adult education facilities at regional and local level, develop tools and analysis to identify regional and local non-formal and adult education needs. Development of a model / concept for establishment and financing, training of staff in public institutions on non-formal and adult education, organizing public awareness campaigns on meaning and the opportunities of the non-formal and adult education at all levels.
b / Improving the efficiency, content and quality of non-formal and adult education and increasing the number of non-formal and adult education providers
Preparation of appropriate curricula in accordance with the needs of the labor market, revision of procedures for verification of programs and providers of non-formal education and adult education, revision of the quality monitoring system in the non-formal and adult education and establishment of clearly defined procedures and tools, in consultation and with the participation of all relevant stakeholders.
Improving youth employment and promoting more and better jobs for young people
a / Supporting youth integration in the labor market - support for employment, continuing education, internship.
Develop and implement specific measures to integrate young people into the labor market (implementing short VET programs, increasing employment subsidies for at-risk youth, implementing NEET youth skills training programs, digital skills acquisition, self-employment and start-up business, youth NEET internship programs, etc.)
b / Promoting and expanding the services of the Employment Agency targeting young unemployed.
Services for youth activation (NEET) to support integration of the labor market (job search assistance, counseling and guidance, preparation of individual action plans, monitoring, etc.).
Measures to strengthen the capacity of Employment Agency to implement the Youth Guarantee services, ie. structural and organizational reform.
c / Promotion and reform of the education system, with particular emphasis on the quality and content of vocational education and training and its relevance to preparing young people for easier transition and integration into the labor market
Establish regional centers for vocational education and training especially in municipalities where young people are at greater risk of becoming NEETs.
Reforming the teacher training system to increase the quality of education at all levels (improving teacher training methodologies).
Expand VET Second Opportunity Programs.
d / Introduce and implement effective mechanisms for the validation of non-formal and informal learning
Piloting Validation of Informal and Informal Learning
e / Upgrading and upgrading of existing models and information systems in order to create more relevant policies for education and employment of young people
Strengthen the Education Information Management System (EMIS) in order to enable monitoring of the outcomes of students in the labor market and to ensure that EMIS identifies young people who have left the education system prematurely; and combines education information with other administrative data to identify excluded young people.
f / Identifying, informing and mobilizing young people to participate in labor market inclusion programs and increase employability
Outreach activities to motivate and motivate NEET to include them in the Youth Guarantee. Promoting the dissemination of data and information to young people, their families and the general public so they can assist in the selection of opportunities and directions for youth education and employment. Strengthening the capacity of field workers (trainings) for field work
g / Strengthening the local approach to improving youth employment
Further strengthen the capacity of all relevant stakeholders at local level to more successfully design and implement employment programs, measures and initiatives tailored to the real local challenges and needs, in particular of young people.
Improvement of the functioning of the established 15 Local Economic and Social Councils (LESCs) will be undertaken. The development of four Local Employment Pacts will be supported, with a particular emphasis on supporting youth employment.
Implementation of specific, targeted youth employment measures and programs that will be tailored to local needs and conditions in accordance with the local Employment Covenant will be financially supported.
Reduce the unemployment of long-term unemployed and other vulnerable groups
a / Preparation and implementation of annual Labor Market Service Operational Plans and active employment programs and measures, with a focus on designing a set of diverse services and measures tailored to the needs of the various specific vulnerable groups of unemployed
Based on the labor market needs, experiences and results of the implementation of services and active employment measures, in consultation with all relevant entities, the annual Operational Plans for Active Programs will be prepared and implemented annually and employment measures and labor market services.
b / Develop and implement specific measures to activate and support the employment of socially disadvantaged persons (Beneficiaries of Guaranteed Minimum Assistance, Roma, etc.), to encourage their active participation in the labor market, job search and employment.
Encouraging employment and activation by engaging in active employment programs and services for people at social risk (poor, welfare recipients / GPs, Roma, etc.). The measures also serve to reduce the incidence of informal work among this category of persons.
Implementation of measures to strengthen inter-institutional cooperation in providing support to these people, engaging mentors for field work, counseling and motivation in the process of user activation.
c / Supporting employment of persons with disabilities
Implementing existing and designing new measures to include people with disabilities in the labor market (such as subsidies and other benefits to support the employment of persons from this vulnerable group, as well as the measure / program for self-employment of persons with disabilities, the development of effective cooperation between relevant institutions, organizations and associations working with persons with disabilities and the use of an individual approach to motivate persons to register their own businesses).
d / Development of social entrepreneurship, in view of job creation and inclusion of the most vulnerable categories in the labor market
Implementation of activities for development, promotion and support of social entrepreneurship in the country, by establishing and finalizing the necessary regulatory framework, finding appropriate mechanisms and instruments for financial and other support to social enterprises, raising public awareness on these topics, etc. The implementation of the new public procurement rules for the award of reserved contracts will also be supported. The activities for promotion of social entrepreneurship will contribute directly to the creation of jobs for socially disadvantaged categories of citizens within social enterprises, as well as to increase the opportunities for their inclusion in the labor market through participation in established social-entrepreneurial programs. centers for social and professional (re) integration.
e / Regular and continuous monitoring and evaluation of the performance of active employment measures and labor market services, setting targets and monitoring their fulfillment.
Further measures will be implemented to further enhance and strengthen the processes and mechanisms for regular monitoring of the implementation and evaluation of the success of labor market measures and services.
The main objective is to contribute to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the measures being designed and implemented, to improve the utilization of available financial and other resources for this purpose, to improve targeting and coverage of users, to provide the necessary information on any necessary modification and improvement of the measures themselves, etc.
It is important that in these activities of regular monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of employment policies, in addition to state institutions, social partners are actively involved, which will greatly
contributed to more efficient and effective creation of new ones and modification of existing (where needed) labor market policies and measures.
Promoting integration of women in the labor market and mitigating gender gaps
a / Encouraging women's participation and employment and reducing the gender gap in the labor market
Specific measures and activities will continue to be implemented in the coming period aimed at improving the employment situation of women and their participation in the labor market to further reduce gender disparities. Among other things, the equal participation of women in active employment and labor market services will be encouraged and considered, and the design and implementation of measures for women belonging to specific vulnerable categories, such as women from rural areas, women from certain ethnic communities, women with or without education, inactive and unemployed young women, women from rural areas.
b / Reconciling private and professional life
Introducing new legal solutions for parental, maternal and paternity leave, introducing a legal obligation for employers to promote issues related to reconciling employees' work and family obligations, working with employers to raise their awareness, raising awareness of better work and life, exploring opportunities to promote and introduce more flexible work arrangements, specific measures to facilitate women's family responsibilities, such as caring for children and other family members (developing community services for people with disabilities, the elderly, etc. whose care is usually taken by women), increasing the availability and access to childcare and education services (expanding the network of children preschools), development of measures to improve the status of women after parental leave, development of alternative forms of childcare, etc.