Lessons from the Old School. European Workforce Development Strategies for Oregon. A White Paper Based on a German Marshall Fund Tour of European Education and Job Training Systems.

Overview & Synopsis

A German Marshall Fund tour of education and training systems in Denmark, Sweden, and West Germany generated ideas that Oregon could use to evaluate and improve its own educational systems and programs. Four principles define the European model: (1) government policy and programs promote employment; (2) business and labor are powerful partners in education; (3) on-the-job training is an integral part of school programs; and (4) vocational education is highly regarded and highly developed. Although not every European education or work force development program could be adopted wholesale in the United States, a number of ideas could be adapted to benefit workers and make Oregon businesses more competitive: (1) for the unemployed--extended unemployment compensation, centralized training and placement services, and subsidies to employers for hiring the unemployed; (2) for businesses--business and labor partnerships and an employment training fund; (3) for vocational education--raising the profile and quality of vocational education, supporting employer-driven vocational education, and creating a modularized training program design; (4) for adult education and training--job training protection and study circles; and (5) for schools--cooperative work experience, early learning about the workplace, and youth transition centers to ease the school-to-work transition. (KC)