Page 52 - Ekonomija i Biznis_noemvri 2015.indd
P. 52
In the focus
With this background in mind, the Employers’ voice needs to be heard in
question is how do we best engage em- order to increase both relevance and ef-
ployers? And to do what? fectiveness of education programmes.
The ‘whY’: emploYers As shown in the graph below, employ-
provide A reAliTY checK ers and educators are both interested
in skills, knowledge and competences
Education authorities need employ- – employers when hiring workers for
ers in order to educate new generations specific job positions and educators
for life. Every framework law on educa- when providing learning for specific
tion in the Western Balkan countries qualifications. In this graph, supply of
has a minimum of two general objec- skills and competences by the educa-
tives. One, to provide opportunities for tion system and the demand for skills
learning to each young person in order and competences by employers is illus-
to maximize their individual potential trated using two circles with a partial
and, secondly to ensure they are well overlap – suggesting that the higher the
equipped for real life challenges follow- overlap, the better alignment of skills
ing completion of schooling – including and competences between two sectors.
successful transition from school to The two extreme ends where the per-
work. However, youth unemployment spectives of employers and educators
continues to be extremely high in this do not meet are represented by the re-
part of the world with many barriers maining parts of two circles where ei-
to labour market entry for the young ther (i) schools supply skills that are not
. The reasons are many and have been in demand in the labour market or (ii)
discussed extensively in the past years. employers demand skills that are not
They range from the widespread per- taught in schools.
ception of employers that young people
leave school with inadequate skills, to Bringing together employers and
the fact that, with high unemployment educators can help mend such mis-
rates, employers choose to hire more matches and lead to continuous align-
competitive experienced workers rath- ment of occupational standards with
er than the ‘new entrants’ to the labour qualifications and, consequently, in-
market. crease chances for better labour mar-
52 November 2015
