1 Education and Training World Business Council for Sustainable Development Geneva, September 2007 Doing Business with the World - The new role of corporate leadership in global development

 The global view  Global literacy Overview

3 The global view Plot of national adult literacy rates vs. GDP/capita Data source: Human Development Report 2006 There is a positive correlation between the literacy rate of a country and economic growth.

4 Global literacy Adult literacy rates around the world (% of total population, ) Source: UNESCO. EFA Global Monitoring Report Women comprise almost two-thirds of those who are illiterate. 1

 Where are the gaps?  What is needed?  What are the challenges? Needs & Challenges

6 Where are the gaps? Source: World Bank. EdStats. According to the World Bank, the secondary curriculum in many developing countries is not relevant to students’ social and economic needs. Although secondary enrollments are increasing, the transition between primary and secondary school still poses a significant hurdle Source: World Bank. EdStats.

7 What is needed?  Diverse and flexible learning options for upper secondary and higher education  Relevant curriculum  Teachers need to be prepared  Connect school to work  Innovative partnerships to meet financing needs Second chances are critical Learning opportunities need to be provided for all, including young people who failed to acquire basic skills the first time around. -World Bank, World Development Report 2007

8 What are the challenges? Main challenges include:  Additional expenses Transport to and from schools (especially in rural areas), school uniforms, supplies (textbooks, writing materials) often make school attendance relatively expensive  Quality of education Lack of qualified and often absent teachers  Poverty and disincentives Child labour, armed conflict, brain drain  Funding Low levels of government expenditures on education Poverty restricts governments’ capacity to provide education and drives children into the labor force.

 How can business contribute?  Key messages Opportunities

10 What can business do? More opportunities  Provide financial assistance  Foster relationships with universities and secondary schools in order to ease the transition from university to workplace Curricula development E.g. offering feedback from the labour market Offering lectures Creating apprenticeships  Core services 1 : Public-private partnerships for educational infrastructure Offering adult education and skills training for company staff and suppliers Private sector administrative and curriculum support Private management of public schools Government contracting Core and Non-core services  Non-Core services 2 : Food services School transport Facility maintenance What is needed for public-private partnerships to work? 3  Public institutions need sufficient autonomy and resources to manage for results  Private institutions need well-defined quality standards  Government needs accreditation programs

11 Key messages Public-private partnerships can alleviate fiscal restraints and improve learning outcomes and efficiency 1 For large corporations, investments in education and training can: Create a healthier, better trained, more qualified work force Create a larger pool of local labor with the appropriate skill sets and knowledge Lead to improved capacity and performance of local suppliers Strengthen the business license to operate Make an important contribution to curriculum development For governments, an effective policy framework for training and education can: Create higher level of human development within the population Create a better qualified workforce Lead to improved levels of overall health and more control on population growth Enable local businesses to grow by becoming viable economic partners for larger companies

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