Ⅰ. Background and Purpose of Research
□ Examine research footprints since KRIVET’s establishment and prepare for a new turning point
◦ As a research institute that supports human resources policy and peoples’ lifelong vocational skills development, since establishment, KRIVET has played a role of connecting education and labor market as vocational education and training(VET) and a human resources policy think tank.
◦ KRIVET advised on human resources policies based on predictions and response measures for the future society and established a support base for national policies related to people’s careers and jobs that would cover “from career design to retirement.”
◦ In addition to celebrating the 20th anniversary of the establishment, the opportunity was used to recall and critically reflect vocational skills development policy supports, as well as to prepare for the next 20 years.
□ Vocational skills development strategy establishment is urgent for quality improvement of jobs
◦ Need to intensify research capacity by taking ex officio part in the ‘Presidential Committee on Jobs’ to solve problems for the first presidential order ‘Jobs.’
◦ Vocational skills development not only improves the quality of jobs by increasing the value and social utility of human resources but also contributes to nurturing future human resources required for the fourth industrial revolution.
6. Vocational Skills Development Advancement Strategies in Response to Future Jobs
Development
▸Lead Researcher: Cheol Hee Kim, Senior Research Fellow Tel: 044-415-5056 / e-mail: [email protected]Summary
Reviews outcomes of research projects(policy support) and changes in government policies since the establishment of KRIVET, examines cases of vocational education and training in response to changes in the job environment, such as through the fourth industrial revolution, and suggest measures for job quality improvement and ‘human resources development(HRD) strategy’ for nurturing future talent
▸Keywords: Research Achievements, Jobs, Vocational Skills Development
Ⅱ. Main Research Contents
1. Research Contents
□ Reviews research project(policy support) outcomes and changes in government policy
◦ Provides periodic background, planning and key contents of research, and suggestions for future development.
□ Shares examples of vocational education and training in response to ‘future jobs’
◦ Review of international trends for future jobs appearing from changes in the job environment, such as the high value-add to existing jobs, the segmentation and specialization of jobs, the emergence of convergent jobs, and the creation of new science and technology-based jobs.
□ Proposes ‘HRD strategies’ for improving job quality and nurturing future talent needed in the era of the fourth industrial revolution
□ Recommends vocational skills development system establishment that considers the accumulated economic/social structural challenges including the entry into the fourth industrial revolution, low birth rate, and aging
2. Research Results
□ Achievements and challenges by vocational skills development policy areas
◦ KRIVET was established in September 1997, and for the past 20 years has continuously led research in the nation’s HRD and lifelong vocational skills development .
- Since its launch in October 1997, policy research and program development were conducted in the field of education and employment needed in the daily lives of the citizens. Areas of research include policies for specialized high schools, Meister high schools, and junior colleges, employment expansion/workforce mismatch reduction, and development of national qualifications system.
- Recently, KRIVET has been making efforts to create a social atmosphere in which young people can become a proud member of the society who brings out their various personalities and skills and learn the skills and competencies that are used in actual workplaces, rather than keeping themselves busy adding specs1). In addition, KRIVET has suggested objective standards for
1) Specs(specifications): a term used in Korea for adding educational achievements, experience, certificates, etc. for the sake of getting hired
university evaluations by adding students’ skills assessments.
□ Outcomes and future challenges of current research, including △ human resource development △ lifelong vocational education △ employment and skills evaluation △ national and private qualifications △ lifelong career development, are suggested.
Area Outcomes Challenges
Human Resources Development
(HRD)
∙Comprehensive policy alternatives suggested for nurturing and utilizing national and regional workforce through converging various fields around education and labor market
∙HRD policy for the permanent goal of
‘improving quality of life’
- Humanity respecting HRD - Strengthen higher level VET
- Linkage of sector, industry, region, school, levels
Lifelong Vocational Education
∙Proposed policy alternatives in areas of lifelong vocational education to build a lifelong learning system for smooth transition between education and labor market
∙Reorganizing lifelong vocational education system that everyone needs, respond to lifelong vocational era
- Reform of curriculum and education methods
- Strengthening higher-level vocational education and training
- Provide universal lifelong vocational education
Employment and Skills Assessment
∙Suggestion of vocational skills development policy alternatives reflecting various social demands from research on vocational training as a social safety net for the unemployed
∙Active response to digital environment using core competencies
- Training-welfare linkage(maintaining a livelihood–new technology acquisition) - Providing integrated and linked training program
- Promoting social integration and social movement
National and Private Qualifications
∙Proposal of policy alternatives for enhancing credibility of qualifications system by reflecting job tasks of the industry to guide learning, and linking vocational education with vocational training
∙Enhance the application and use of future qualifications for evaluating and recognizing competencies to respond to the fourth industrial revolution
- Operation of NCS-based qualifications system
- Establishment of early recognition system for skilled demand
- Infrastructure establishment to introduce KQF
Lifelong Career Development
∙‘Career and jobs’ which was included as a component of home education, to become an electives subject, and then further leading a movement which integrates comprehensive career education to general subjects
∙Secure career transfer skills for all citizens throughout lifetime
- Career education and Free Semester System linkage
- Creating personalized career curriculum
- Empowerment of career development throughout lifetime
<Outcomes and Challenges of Key Research Areas>
□ The direction of VET in the fourth industrial revolution era
◦ Need to seek HRD policies that can effectively respond to the job crisis caused by the fourth industrial revolution, in which the convergence of technology through robots, AI(artificial intelligence), and IoT(Internet of Things) is expected.
- Host international seminars with experts from OECD, ILO, and BIBB on the theme of ‘The Future of Work and TVET.’
◦ (OECD) Now is the time to start career guidance when labor market entry is difficult - Many young people in OECD countries, including Korea, are considered to be highly valued
human capitals but have difficulty in stably entering the labor market.
- Opportunities for more specialized career guidance throughout school life as well as internships through the support of employers, job experience programs, part-time work opportunities are very important, and education, which is a form of investment, needs to be based on credible information.
◦ (ILO) VET Challenges: skills mismatch and employment
- It is easy to think of the lack of/deteriorated VET system and as the cause of skills mismatch.
But mismatch can also occur from reasons such as by the demand adjusted from rapid labor market changes, types of jobs workers want, preferred locations, and working conditions.
- In most countries, the level of education(general education) is improving, but this may not necessarily lead to improvements in the level of vocational education and training provided. So in some cases, overeducation can bring worse problems.
◦ (BIBB) Opportunities and challenges for Industry 4.0
- As a result of analysis of the impact of Industry 4.0 and digitalization on vocational education, VET for SMEs was found important. Attractive VET is possible only when educational program contents are upgraded, and methodological changes using digital media are accompanied.
- In addition to the learning competency that can be developed by IT-related education, the importance of social skills(core competencies) such as soft skills, problem-solving skills, responsibilities is heightened.
◦ Job automation possibility and risk inequalities
- The risk level of inequality caused by job automation from the fourth industrial revolution differs by countries as well as by the size of companies, education level, and skill levels of each country.
- In the case of a country with well-balanced labor-management relations, inequality gaps according to the size of the enterprise are not large. This means that not only the technological innovations of the workplace but also the resolution of inequality in decision-making structures, and active social dialogue should be connected.
◦ The direction of VET in response to the fourth industrial revolution
- It is a matter of social perception that students’ desired jobs are not diverse. Policy efforts are needed from a mid- to long-term perspective, and career development support should be strengthened to help citizens experience various career exploration and career design opportunities from infancy.
- In addition to the existing method of encouraging companies to develop skills for incumbents,
it is necessary to prepare measures to strengthen individual education and training options.
- In addition to the existing reading, writing, and numeracy skills, digital IT competency is required as a fourth vocational skills element, so they need to be integrated into the VET system from the bigger social perspectives.
- Social dialogue is very important to resolve the job automation risk caused by the fourth industrial revolution.
Ⅲ. Policy Recommendations
□ Government shifts for economic growth and development paradigm to
‘income-driven growth’ and ‘job-centered’ one
◦ Economic policies are centered on human life and basic life, and the increase of household income is considered as a new driving force for growth.
◦ Human capital investment is an element that strengthens the foundational base of household income by increasing access to jobs and contributes to ‘income-driven growth’ through the development of lifelong job skills that enhances the value and utility of human resources.
□ (Strategy 1) Flexible and stable lifelong learning by life stage
◦ Skills development-utilization-vitalization is a series of processes that must be pursued continuously throughout an individual’s life cycle: education-labor market-retirement.
◦ Keeping a two-track strategy of maintaining income and improving lifetime employment skills throughout transitions from education to the labor market, transitions to better jobs, and transitions to new jobs after primary retirement.
◦ HRD policy seeking a combination of social security and skills improvement policy measures to ultimately enhance the chance of employment throughout the lifetime of individuals.
□ (Strategy 2) Advancement of vocational skills development for nurturing convergence skilled talents
◦ It is more important to nurture core talents who can actively respond to technological changes utilizing core competencies in various technology and organizational sectors.
◦ Continue to nurture talents with foundations on creativity, sociality, and cooperation at the elementary-secondary-higher education levels.
◦ Reorganize the qualifications system and vocational skills development system to nurture convergence technology talents at higher education, non-formal education, and lifelong vocational skills development stages.
◦ The innovation of the production methods for the fourth industrial revolution is realized through a platform revolution. Vocational skills development policies should be sought to create a creative
space and start-up ecosystem to link new products and business models.
□ (Strategy 3) Inclusive vocational skills development for the protection of the socially disadvantaged
◦ As the acceleration of technological change has led to diversification in employment patterns, acquisition of new skills determines the entry to the labor market, and the ability to secure higher income. Such change raises concerns on the increased risk for youth job seekers, non-regular workers, and socially underprivileged groups.
◦ Vocational competency development must go beyond the narrow frame of nurturing workforce on special skills and needs to be reorganized to be compatible with various social systems.
□ (Strategy 4) Corporate education and training paradigm shift
◦ Rather than SME training support policies that prioritize the employment of the vulnerable, plans on facilitating growth based on human capital, and customizing training that SMEs need, are more preferred.
◦ It is necessary to establish a customized site-based workforce training system which links to quality jobs, to satisfy both workers and companies, the main consumers of vocational skills development.
◦ It is necessary to reinforce the role of companies in operating on-the-job training programs for specialized high school students and university students, and in strengthening their social responsibilities for job creation.
□ (Strategy 5) Governance, delivery system, and infrastructure innovation
◦ In the era of the fourth industrial revolution, as demand for new capacities is expected to increase rapidly due to disruptive innovation in production methods and the expansion of the shared economy, workforce and skills demand monitoring system such as monitoring skill-sets required for future core talent is necessary.
◦ The establishment of a national skills system is needed to link the education and labor market.
◦ Implement vocational skills development policies around stakeholders such as employers, unions, and local governments.
◦ Recognize the limitations of central government-centered job strategies that face difficulties in information linkage and coordination of cooperation, and establish
<industry-education-employment> integration center at the regional level for balanced development.
◦ Establish a national trust process through social capital expansion for efficient and successful implementation of national policy.
∙ Related Ministries: Ministry of Education, Ministry of Employment and Labor
