Lifelong Learning and the Local: Context and Questions Peter Lloyd Consultant and Ecotec Associate

Interesting Times Change as the norm: A Schumpeterian Gale of Creative Destruction; Global Shift; Diffusion stage of digital era; Post-Fordism and Flexible Specialisation; Flexibility, adaptability, innovation needed to surf the wave (Employment Guidelines + Lisbon)

Labour Market Restructuring National/regional markets for labour and goods continually responding to technology change and global competitive pressures; Rolling process of restructuring and sectoral shift (MG Rover) – forward demand elusive; Labour market segmentation becoming extreme Collapse of old dualism of good jobs/bad jobs Complex time, wage, gender, geographical flexibilities;

ACTIVE LABOUR MARKET MEASURES THE SECOND LABOUR MARKET Changing Skill/Competency Demands THE FIRST LABOUR MARKET Unemployment Duration 1234 ROUTES TO LABOUR MARKET ENTRY Changing Skill & Competency Demands

Demographic Ageing Increased life expectancies; falling mortality rates; falling fertility rates Rising average age of the population; Rising proportion of older people (50+); Falling proportion of population in the active age group (16-65); Rising absolute numbers of older people;

Percent of Population over 65 Years

Percent of Population over 65 by Region

Strong Local/Regional Differences TYPE A Demographically young, fit, dynamic, asset rich, credit worthy, high skilled, high achiever people with low claims - open and flexible; TYPE G Demographically old, unhealthy, risk averse, indebted, low skill, low achiever people with high claims -dependent and risk averse VARIANTS

Life Course Transitions Not just a process of ageing but of shift from fixed life phases to complex interacting transitions; Formal education to work/family transition extended; Work/family transitions vastly more complex; Work/family to retirement transition longer; More transitions than stable phases;

Education Work/family raising E 0 Cease work Years of age Education Work/family raising Retirement E Education Training Work/family raising Phased retirement E 0 The Changing Life Course in Britain, Education Training Work/family raisingRetirement Many anticipate next stage Many continue previous stagePhased – no dominant E 0 is average life expectancy at birth

Transitions Felt differently by SEG or occupation; Felt differently by gender, ethnicity, disability, age etc; Felt differently locally Localities differently influenced by change processes; community transitions; Sensing them locally should improve response;

Lifelong Learning Continuous and developmental; Dynamic and reflecting change; Engaged and empowering; Sensitive and inclusive; The antidote to a traditional education and vocational training perspective; Fits the context of New Times;

The Rising Profile of the Local Macro-scale measures for competitiveness and cohesion seen as necessary but not sufficient; Growing voice of the local contesting the central policy process; Local capacity building promotes new forms of social capital and participative democracy The local more sensitive to needs and capacities; The local can find new sources of jobs;

Gaps and Strategies A local approach can sense gaps better; A local approach can weigh the complexities in ways that reflect cultural and life course aspirations as well as market forces; A local strategy can map the age, skills, aspirations, gender complexities into the matrix of needed competencies;

The Seminar The starting proposition: Lifelong learning developed through a local partnership can strengthen competitiveness and cohesion What we are looking to explore: How far is lifelong learning a critical tool for local employment development? How best to add it into strategies?

The Strategic Questions What does LLL mean in practice when applied at local level? In whose interests should it dominantly be applied? In a dynamic context should it focus on raising the quality of life as an attractor to newcomers or to preserve that of the present occupants?