Session Information
23 SES 04 A, European Lifelong Learning and the Challenges of Global Recession: Realities and Prospects for Efficiency, Equity and Cohesion (Part 2)
Symposium, continued from 23 SES 03 A
Time:
2009-09-28
16:00-17:30
Room:
HG, HS 28
Chair:
Sheila Riddell
Discussant:
Terri Seddon
Contribution
This paper focuses on how effectively Russian employing organizations (particularly SMEs) support their employees’ participation in lifelong learning and on how their educational strategies are changing in the face of current economic crisis.
SMEs in Russia have been especially hard hit by the global recession. Many have reacted by reducing the quantity of personnel. As a result, Russia is now facing the threat of mass unemployment. The government suggests that publicly provided retraining along with adult education supported by the enterprises should be the priority directions of the present active employment policies.
However, empirical evidence casts doubt on the effectiveness of these measures. First, even in the recent context of relative prosperity the educational strategies of SMEs, if any, were often incoherent, lacked formal regulations and were hampered by the insufficient development of educational services market. Second, many branches that had demonstrated higher rates of employees’ participation in adult education (financial sector, real estate, marketing) have suffered particularly deeply from the crisis and currently have no funds to invest into HRD. Third, the enterprises consider educational and training activities as lumber rather than a stabilization and adaptation resource and cut down the educational expenses in the first place.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
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