The role of the social partners in developing and implementing lifelong learning policies

Rapport

The social partners have an important role to
play in developing and implementing the Lisbon
objectives on lifelong learningi
. At the European
level, the social partners themselves have adopted
a framework of actions for the lifelong development
of competencies and qualifications,
affirming their joint responsibilities at all levels
to promote competencies development and
emphasising a close cooperation with public
authorities and education institutionsii.
While there is a relatively broad consensus that
the social partners have a role to play, there is a
lack of discussion and analysis of the consequences
of different approaches to social partner
involvement. The purpose of this paper is to
describe and discuss the roles of the social
partners, and the interplay between the social
partners and the state, in developing and implementing
a Norwegian reform of lifelong learning
during the period from 1993 to 2004. While in
many ways the tripartite concertation undertaken
during these years stands out as an
exemplary policy development process, the
paper does point out a number of challenges for
the social partners as well as for public authorities
in terms of moving from policy development
to policy implementation.
The paper describes how lifelong learning was
put on the political agenda though a trade union
initiative (in the mid-nineties), how a broad
national reform emerged through a process of
dialogue, public policymaking and collective bargaining
at the national level (during the late
nineties), and the roles the social partners have
played during the implementation phase, at the
industry and local levels (from 2000 onwards)iii.
Finally, these experiences are discussed in the
light of European experiences and policy recommendations.