November 20, 2022

Lifelong Learning needed for All Workers, All Ages, Every Year: Report

By

 

LIFELONG LEARNING SHOULD BE FOR ALL WORKERS

The Knowledge Economy in Canada: Adult Education and Lifelong Learning

 

Research and Written by Martina Gordon, Researcher

under the direction of Andrew Cardozo, President

 

 

Table of Contents

1 – Summary

2 – Introduction to Lifelong Learning

3 –  The Knowledge Economy in Canada

4 – Types of Formal Learning

5 – Challenges and Critiques of Lifelong Learning

6 – Recommendations

 

 

Executive Summary

We need a change in culture so that all workers from the CEO to the newest hire all undertake some form of learning constantly, every year.  That is the only way we will have a workforce that is constantly fresh and up to date.

An increasingly important skill in today’s fast-changing technological era is the ability to learn and adapt to new skills and training. The globalization of the economy and the rapid change of the knowledge economy mean that people must upgrade their skills repeatedly over their lifetime to afford to live a fulfilling life, not only at work, but also in their personal lives.

In 2018, Canada was ranked by the OECD as the most educated country in the world, a ranking that has been maintained ever since¹. Approximately 57% of Canadians has obtained a post-secondary degree, leading to the most educated workforce in the world². With this trend likely to continue, it is essential to address how this country can proactively introduce lifelong learning as a tool to enhance the economy.

 

As part of setting up a new learning culture, helping people meet the challenges of the 21st century is essential. This report examines the principles of lifelong learning plan and the different policy options to be implemented²:

1. The Learning Economy in Canada
2. Types of Educational Learning
3. Challenges to Lifelong Learning

 

Canadians place a high value on education, and considering the highly skilled population this country has, it is important to look at what the future holds for learning in this economy.

 

 

Introduction

Early in the 21st century, education institutions saw the need to expand both within and outside their countries in order to accommodate growing market demands³. As societies become more global and knowledge economies grow, people must upgrade their skills throughout adult life to cope with modern life at work and in the personal sphere⁴. It is becoming increasingly important to gain and apply the skill of learning and adaption in order to navigate the ever-changing technological universe⁵.

Lifelong learning is the process of continuously developing the knowledge and skills needed for employment and personal fulfillment through formal and informal methods⁶. The term may also mean learning that is achieved through lifelong pursuits. This process involves the pursuit of knowledge voluntarily and independently, whether for personal or professional reasons.  Learning is therefore part of life which takes place at all times and in all places. Lifelong learning relates to several educational concepts beyond the formal education system, such as adult education, training, continuing education, permanent education, etc. In addition to enhancing social inclusion, citizen engagement, and personal development, it enhances competition and employment opportunities⁷.

 

Canada has been gradually embracing lifelong learning as a national policy since the 20^th century⁸. According to Knowledge Matters: Skills and learning for Canadians, the Canadian government explicitly states that Canada must continually upgrade the skills of its workforce to remain competitive and keep up with the pace of technological change⁹. In state policies, lifelong learning is often viewed as a means of up-skilling individuals in the post-industrial, knowledge-based economy⁸ but researchers and educators agree that it has much wide scope for its implementation. The human capital formation narrative dominates the lifelong learning policy discourse⁸.

 

Lifelong learning is based on four pillars of education for the future⁵:

• Learning to know: mastering learning tools rather than acquisition of structured knowledge.
• Learning to do: equipping people for the types of work needed now and in the future including innovation and adaptation of learning to future work environments.
• Learning to live together, and with others: peacefully resolving conflict, discovering other people and their cultures, fostering community capability, individual competence and capacity, economic resilience, and social inclusion.
• Learning to be: education contributing to a personal development: mind and body, intelligence, sensitivity, aesthetic appreciation and spirituality.

 

Through a lifelong learning program, people can demonstrate adaptability to post-industrial society by developing skills for managing uncertainty, communicating across and within cultures, and responding to challenges.

 

 

 

The Knowledge Economy in Canada

The concept of knowledge economy includes factors of production, intellectual property, the skills based economy, national innovation systems, knowledge bases, knowledge-driven economies, knowledge management, knowledge transfer, the learning economy, and the learning regions². The Canadian workforce is one of the most educated in the world. There are numerous reasons as to why this is happening:

1. The government is committed to helping youth obtain the education and training they need to enter the job market²
   6. 3 million Canadians have a RESP and have received government grants. A total of $4.1 billion was withdrawn from RESPs in 2018 to support the post-secondary education (PSE) of 442,700 beneficiaries. As well 629,000 full and part time students received 1.4 billion Canada Student Grants and 3.4 billion in Canada Student Loans in 2017 to 2018.
   7. The Canadian government has carried out initiatives to align skills with the demands of the labour market. The student work placement program created 3,670 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and business work-integrated learning opportunities for young Canadians
   8. 3% of these opportunities for students from groups under-represented in the labour market or first-year students. Budget 2016 target: within 10 years, every young Canadian who wants a work-integrated learning opportunity should get one.
   9. From 2017-2017, 82,087 youth benefitted from gaining work experience, skills development, and training opportunities due to the youth employment and skills strategy program.

 

2. The government has tools in place to retain people after being laid off².
   2. 2 billion dollars has gone into funding the Labour Market Development Agreement (Employment Insurance (EI)), $797 million has gone into the Workforce Development Agreement and $98.1 million has gone into the Skills boost program which is a Canada Student Grant top-up for adult learning and EI support for adults who want to return to training and education.

Lifelong learning is important because despite differing estimates regarding the pace and magnitude of coming changes, there is consensus that automation will disrupt many jobs, including those that require high skill levels². Consequently, most Canadian workers will need to update their skills, and employers can do more to assist their employees with the process. There are many barriers that employees currently face that deters them from participating in education and/or training². The three largest barriers reported were Too Busy at Work, Too Expensive and Childcare or Family responsibilities (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Source: OECD (2017), “Education at a Glance 2017: OECD Indicators”, Table C6.1b using data from the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) from²

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2019, based on the OECD Employment Outlook Report the people who are least likely to participate in adult learning are those who are most vulnerable in society. Less than 30% of those who are considered low skilled workers engage in adult education, versus 75% of those who are considered high skilled workers engaging in adult education.

While post-secondary institutions are adapting to meet Canadians’ changing education and training needs, more can be done and barriers to participation persist for many individuals. According to the World Economic Forum report in 2018, Canada ranked 20^th with a score of 4.9 out of 7 for the extent to which companies invest in training and employee development¹⁰. In comparison to other OECD countries, Switzerland ranked 1^st and The United States ranked 2nd in this category².

Currently government programs such as the Canadian Education Training Benefit are helping to address three conditions for success²:

• Funds
• Time (off work)
• Permission (to return to their jobs after completing the training )

However, this is still not enough and those most vulnerable are at risk of not having access to²:

• General information about quality training opportunities and courses inked to emerging workplace needs
• Customized information: personalized pathways that fit the learner’s skills, interest and needs
• Motivation: required by the individuals to continually upskill independently can be hard to cultivate

Therefore, it is important as we begin to shape the modern learning economy, we understand how current policy supports education and our modern learning economy.

Canada currently has a federal lifelong learning policy available¹¹:

Lifelong Learning Plan : A policy which enables Canadians to withdraw from their RRSPs 12 up to $20,000 over four years to participate in higher education and training.

Individuals withdraw from their retirement funds for at least three months to be able to participate in training or education programmes, suggesting a need to acquire skills that cannot be acquired through short-term training programs that are not related to knowledge-based jobs. As part of this programme, no fund is provided to support an education system that is essential for supporting a knowledge economy. It is unknown if the courses taken by those using this option meet learners’ educational needs to the level necessary for a high skill society.

The LLP grants an active role to the citizen and a passive one to the government: “Canadians know that earning ability depends on the ability to learn”¹². This means that the government will provide passive funding (in loans and basic funding) to individuals, while they will actively engage in their education to improve employment potential¹³.

 

Types of Educational Learning

To create a lifelong learning framework, it is important to understand the types of educational learning that take place in institutions. Adult education and training encompass both formal and non-formal learning. They both fall under the umbrella term organized learning. In contrast, informal learning is viewed as an unorganized form of education.

1. Formal¹⁴

A formal education program refers to a structured, organized process of education, administered according to a set of laws and norms, and presenting relatively rigid objectives, content, and methodology.

Generally, it is the kind of education process that is used in our schools and universities. Teachers and students must adhere to a program in formal education that consists of intermediate and final assessments that are conducted to advance students to the next level. This type of learning leads to a certification and is considered intentional from the learner’s perspective.

1. Nonformal¹⁴

In general, an education system is considered non-formal if it is not present most of the time, and if it does not constitute continuous communication.

In addition, non-formal education characteristics can be observed when the adopted strategy has no requirement of students’ attendance, which reduces the number of contacts between teachers and students, and when most activities are conducted outside of the classroom.

Non-formal learning opportunities may be provided in the workplace and through the activities of civil society organizations and groups. It administers curricula and methodologies for education that are flexible to the needs and interests of students, while conforming to the student’s pace, and therefore do not require pre-determined time constraints. Non-formal learning is intentional from the learner’s perspective.

1. Informal¹⁴

Although informal education is quite different from formal education and, particularly, from non-formal education, it can maintain close ties to both.

Education in the informal system does not correspond to an organized and systematic view of education, nor does it incorporate the traditional curriculum’s objectives. It is intended for students as much as the general public, and it imposes no obligations of any kind. learning that results from daily life activities related to work, family, community, or leisure.

As informal education generally lacks formal standards, it generally does not provide degrees or diplomas, and merely supplements both formal and informal education. This type of learning is not seen an intentional from the learner’s perspective.

 

Challenges to Lifelong Learning

Identifying barriers to lifelong learning is an important and necessary step for proper policy implementation. These challenges are as follows:

1. Situational Barriers

In addition to work and family commitments, a person may feel too busy to take time to learn. Other situational barriers include financial hardships, transportation issues to and from learning sites, and health problems.

The most common problem facing working adult students is time. For adults in Canada, many feel as though education is not accessible (30%)². According to the OECD Skills report, lack of time was also reported as the largest obstacles to participation in lifelong learning. Due to their full-time work and the needs of their families, adult learners are often involved in school part-time and must find innovative solutions to fit their schoolwork around their schedules. Finding a program with a more flexible structure is the answer.

As careers become more demanding, this leaves less opportunities for the working class to engage in lifelong learning programs. If we are to implement lifelong learning, we need to address this issue to ensure that everyone who wants to participate in lifelong learning has the time and resources to. To make lifelong learning more accessible, utilizing technology through informal learning would be useful. By making classes online and asynchronous, more of the workforce would be able to participate. As well, teaching methods must be carried out at different difficulty levels to ensure that everyone can go at their own pace. Hybrid and digital modes of instruction for learning can provide more opportunities to those willing to learn.

 

2. Institutional Barriers

A barrier to learning is a practice imposed by institutions that provide educational opportunities. There are a number of barriers to participation, such as tuition fees, rigid scheduling, and location requirements. It is also possible to view the act of offering learning opportunities as undesirable.

The perception of individuals and their attitudes towards learning is important for cultivating Canada’s current learning society. Though this country a does have a highly educated population, the number of people participating in adult learning has declined rapidly over the years. Individuals are starting to engage less in learning as they age and become less involved in career-related learning. In 2008, 34% of Canadians aged 56 to 60 engaged in adult education versus only 20% now within that cohort¹⁴. Over 80% of those who did engage in adult learning financed their education through non-employer sources¹⁴. According to these results, adult learning does not cease abruptly as Canadians leave the labour market; rather, as the reason for, and subject of, learning shifts, the intensity of the participation gradually decreases¹⁴.

 

3. Dispositional Barriers

A learner’s attitude towards learning is a dispositional barrier. There may be feelings that people are too old, not smart enough, or do not fit in with the group.

Participation in adult education is directly correlated with educational attainment – the more education one has, the more likely one is to participate. In all provinces and territories, this relationship holds true. There is the strongest correlation in Newfoundland and Labrador, where university graduates were 10 times more likely to engage in adult education than those without a college degree¹⁵. Also evident were large gaps between those with higher education levels and those with lower education levels in New Brunswick, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Nunavut¹⁵.

In spite of the lower participation rate in education programs among older Canadians, they were substantially more likely to receive support from their employers. The number of employed Canadians aged 35 and older who attended education events with employer sponsorship was nearly twice that of employed youth aged 18 to 24¹⁵.

Diversity

A culture of life long learning can ensure that we focus on underrepresented groups are as trained as all workers, be they Indigenous, people of colour, new immigrants, workers with disabilities and women in non-traditional fields.

Recommendations

Many countries have created lifelong learning frameworks to enhance the skills and increase the knowledge within their learning economy. If Canada is to create such a framework, here are some policy recommendations taken from various OECD countries looking to create a new educational order¹⁶.

1. Improving adult education coverage and inclusion¹⁶
   1. Educate, train, and provide one-on-one career guidance to adult learners in order to identify possible new jobs, assess their skill gaps, and learn about the training options for making transitions.
   2. We can address barriers to participation by offering online and modular training courses to reduce time and distance barriers, providing training leave for employees to take time off from work, providing financial incentives to make training more affordable, and recognizing prior learning prior to entry to lessen entry barriers. Promote employer engagement in adult education and training by providing better information about their benefits; enhancing HR capacities to provide training; and supplying financial incentives.
   3. Increasing the link between the higher and adult education systems: promoting transformation of universities and colleges into adult-friendly institutions.
   4. utilizing human resources and facilities of universities and colleges to provide localized learning opportunities for citizens.
   5. validating and offering accreditation to non-formal and informal learning; and promoting recognition of prior learning.
   6. Develop online lifelong learning systems and consolidate lifelong learning policy implementation and support systems: manage the lifelong learning system to provide e-learning,

 

 

2. Aligning the training content more strongly with the skill needs of the labour market¹⁶
   1. Information about current skills needs and future skills requirements is collected and used as evidence for developing adult education policies.
   2. Providing individuals and providers with information about labour market demands and working to encourage them to develop courses based on those demands.
   3. Design targeted programs to train workers whose skills will soon become obsolete, such as in automotive manufacturing, transport or finance

 

3. Providing training that is of better quality and more impactful¹⁶
   1. Gather data on training providers and programs’ effectiveness.
   2. Facilitate quality assurance system implementation among providers.
   3. The sharing of quality and effectiveness information, such as certifications and quality labels, among providers and programs.

 

4. Developing a federal/provincial finance structure that is adequate and sustainable¹⁶
   1. Publicly finance adult learning systems in alignment with the benefits they produce.
   2. Incentivize employers to contribute to the cost of adult learning through tax incentives, subsidies, and loans, rotation schemes for job seekers, and some other training initiatives.
   3. Provide subsidies, tax incentives, individual learning accounts, paid training leave, and loans to adult learners who confront barriers to training, such as foregone wages, transportation, and childcare costs.

 

 

References

 

1. Education at a Glance 2018 (Summary in English). OECD Indic . September 2018. doi:10.1787/6F3FD969-EN
2. Supporting lifelong learning – Canada.ca. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/corporate/reports/briefing-binder-2019/book-1/supporting-learning.html. Accessed July 19, 2021.
3. Field J. Lifelong Learning and the New Educational Order.; 2000. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED462589. Accessed July 6, 2021.
4. Medel-Anonuevo C, Ohsako T, Mauch W. Revisiting Lifelong Learning for the 21st Century. United Nations Educ Sci Cult Organ Hambg (Germany) Inst Educ. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED469790.pdf. Accessed July 6, 2021.
5. Chiţiba CA. Lifelong Learning Challenges and Opportunities for Traditional Universities. Procedia – Soc Behav Sci. 2012;46:1943-1947. doi:10.1016/J.SBSPRO.2012.05.408
6. McCombs BL. Motivation and Lifelong Learning. http://dx.doi.org/101207/s15326985ep2602_4. 2010;26(2):117-127. doi:10.1207/S15326985EP2602_4
7. Laal M, Laal A. Challenges for Lifelong Learning. Procedia – Soc Behav Sci. 2012;47:1539-1544. doi:10.1016/J.SBSPRO.2012.06.857
8. Ng R, Shan H. Lifelong learning as ideological practice: an analysis from the perspective of immigrant women in Canada. Int J Lifelong Educ. 29(2):169-184. doi:10.1080/02601371003616574
9. Human Resources Development Canada. Canada’s Innovation Strategy: Knowledge matters skills and learning for canadians. Hum Resour Dev Canada. 2002.
10. Annual Report 2018–2019 | World Economic Forum. World Economic Forum . https://www.weforum.org/reports/annual-report-2018-2019. Published 2018. Accessed July 19, 2021.
11. Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) – Canada.ca. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/rrsps-related-plans/lifelong-learning-plan.html. Published January 28, 2021. Accessed July 19, 2021.
12. Gibb T, Walker J. Educating for a high skills society? The landscape of federal employment, training and lifelong learning policy in Canada. http://dx.doi.org/101080/026809392010520744. 2011;26(3):381-398. doi:10.1080/02680939.2010.520744
13. Gibb T, Walker J. Educating for a high skills society? The landscape of federal employment, training and lifelong learning policy in Canada. http://dx.doi.org/101080/026809392010520744. 2011;26(3):381-398. doi:10.1080/02680939.2010.520744
14. Adult learning in Canada: Characteristics of learners. Statistics Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/81-004-x/2008001/article/10560-eng.htm. Published 2008. Accessed July 19, 2021.
15. Participation in education and training. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/81-595-m/2009079/participation-eng.htm. Accessed July 19, 2021.
16. Future-Ready Adult Learning Systems.; 2019. https://www.oecd.org/employment/skills-and-work/adult-learning/Policy-Brief-Future-ready-adult-learning-2019-EN.pdf. Accessed July 19, 2021.

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