<

DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 332 052 CE 058 111

TITLE Not Aid, Cooperation. European Congress on ContinuingEducation and Training (3rd, Berlin, Federal Republicof Germany, March 14-15, 1991).

INSTITUTION European Centre for the Development of VocationalTraining, Berlin (West Germany).

PUB DATE Jun 91NDTE 13p.PUB TYPE Collected Works - Conference Proceedings (021) --

Collected Works - Serials (022)JOURNAL CIT CEDEFOP Flash; nl Jun 1991

EDRS PRICE NFO1/PC01 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS Adult Education; *Continuing Education; *Educational

Cooperation; *Educational Trends; Foreign Countries;Futures (of Society); *International Relations; *JobTraining; Postsecondary Education

IDENTIFIERS *Europe

ABSTRACT

A congress on continuing education and trainingattended by participants from more than 20 Eastern and WesternEuropean countries is summarized in this document. Topics discussed:At the plenary sessions, panel discussions, and nine workshopsincluded the following: cooperation between Eastern and WesternEurope; the role of the social partners in continuing education andtraining; continuing education for managers; new ob;ectives and tasksfor trainers; employment and training projects for unskilled andsemiskilled workers; qualification strategies for women; continuingeducation at the regional and local level; work, the ecologicalcrisis, and continuing education; cooperation between Eastern andWestern companies; and continuing education and training withoutfrontiers. (KC)

***********************************************************************

Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be madefrom the original document.

*******,***************************************************************

Responsible editors:Ernst Rohl, DirectorCorrado Po lib. Deputy DirectorEnrique Retuerto de le Torre. Deputy Director

Not aid. womersition

u DIPARTMENT OP SOMAT1041.Oft-. a tomemoAdm RsommtA IVO itnerOvementE)MCAnONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION

CENTER IERfor11%4 ru born f &produced In,fteiaract own Pi e. person of oiNtmrvonungNkt.noMAO' CdtiroD1111 hihe COW, mime re offtre.nproCNCT20 GRIMM(

Pam of pow 0. co nrons, stmechn cklcmoult Cf0 ^01 necessarn Ncnt ourcomOEM ranthe,, voucr

3rd European Congress onContinuing Education and Training

Berlin, 14 - 15 March 1991

=On 14 and 15 March 1991 the "European Congress onr..-1Continuing Education and Training" was held for the thirdmmitime in Berlin, this time under the impact of the poli-

tical and economic changes in Europe.

"Perspectives for Continuing Education and Training -Cooperation between Eastern and Western Europe"

was the subject of the Congress which was attended byalmost 2,000 participants from over 20 Eastern andWestern European countries. It was accompanied by anInformation Fair at which some 100 continuing traininginstitutions presented their work. The Congress wasorganized by the Berlin Senate Department for Labour andWomen's Affairs in cooperation with the European Centrefor the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP), theFederal Institute for Vocational Training (BIBB) and theEuropean School of Management Studies (EAP), it wassupported by the EC Commission.

The Congress had the exceptional merit of uniting thehighest and most renowned representatives of politics,practice and research in the field of continuingeducation and training. Ministers responsible forvocational training from several Eastern and WesternEuropean countries came to Berlin including Mr. MarcFischbach, the Luxembourg Minister of Education andacting President of the EC Council of Ministers, Mr. IgorP. Smirnov, Vice-President of the State Committee forNational Education of the USSR, Mr. Rainer Ortleb,Federal Minister for Education and Science in Germany,and Mr. Petr Miller, Minister of Labour and SocialAffairs in the CSFR.

The Congress was inaugurated by Mrs. Vasso Papandreou,the member of the EC Commission responsible forvocational training, and Mr. Johannes Peters, Vice-President of the European Parliament.

1

1133 111 .4#

1k)i11.111 Rsoldnact4 von riga dose( VerOffenetrourciri oblates tool rnaluilernanopatsasegostooltRemproton it whole of in pod of Ifs mantis of

on ern* ots on panic. am cliflon 0 Oft(tOln PM* Pubbkizialle Pub RINIdoltn. antliTaInlann Mo. WOWS MINNS1

S. mono to rootopoociOn total o poscist del censorial) do NU Pitiboacietn. StImPre GPO SS MOORS IS Unto. Der tofileintnoo odor ausnotsweiso

lig le Ma OWL

BEST COPY AVAILABLE 2

-PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THISMATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY

C bTO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."

It

IN/

But the 3rd European Congress on Continuing Education andTraining was by no means an event just for the politicalleaders. On the contrary. It was mainly addressed toexperts And practitioners from industrial companies andcontinuing education institutions and to representativesof employers' and employees' organisations. This Congressprovided the very first opportunity of getting manyexperts from the EC Member States and from Eastern andCentral Europe to meet at a "round table". In the plenarysessions, panel discussions and nine workshops problemswere presented, possible solutions were outlined and newand creative initiatives for the qualification of workersin Eastern and Western Europe were discussed.

A Part otALtapiik _cone trgt

When, in October 1988, at the end of the 2nd EuropeanCongress on Continuing Education and Training, thequestion of "Cooperation between Eastern and WesternEurope" was suggested by CEDEFOP as the subject of theCongress this year, no one could have even remotelyimagined the political conditions under which this 3rdEuropean Congress on Continuing Education and Trainingwould be held. The catchword at that tine was the"Internal Market" and it was considered to be the onlygreat challenge facing continuing education and training.Since then radical changes have occurred in Europe. InCentral and Eastern Europe a profound urge for democracyand freedom has had a fundamental impact on the politicaland economic structures. From the very beginning theEuropean Community expressed its intention of helpingthese countries to stabilize their resurgent democracyand to ameliorate their ruined economies throughinvestments.

Investment in an economy does not only mean the supply ofmodern production equipment and the construction of newproduction facilities, it also means investment in humancapital. Men and women must be trained to use the newtechnologies, to supply modern services and to takeeconomic decisions whict are geared to future require-ments. On the one hand, vocational qualification is anessential pre-condition for the anticipated increase ofproduction and the expected economic expansion of acountry. On the other hand, it represents the assetswhich men and women can contribute themselves to securetheir means of living and to improve the quality of life.Without education and training, as Minister MarcFischbach from Luxembourg, acting President of the ECCouncil of Ministers said, a human being is not in aposition to come to terms with himself, and without this

No. 1/91 - June 1991 3

se wenn Is teenesecoon tow a most pat cooed) de eata pubticacitik sawm que ea arcane la bout Der vollstaxtipe oda auszooseselaeNeendruck von Deibleen dieser bereasedlicburie ill koalas tad met Quenenacabe eistatteL Devenduction in whole a in part at Die contents otthis *Italian te maenad. provided Ms source is acknoialeed. Les texts, persisilant dans tette publication patent ere reptodutts libarnent,en miff ou so parla. avec Matte de lea algae. Le present* pubbbcatione pub mere %indult& integramente od in pate. can pow citationsdila forte.

3 -

inner peace all other forms of peace are futile.Continuing education as a link between Eastern andWeetern European countries, said Christine Bergmann,Mayor in Berlin, is a part of Utopia come true,especially when the different social systems learn fromtheir cultural and social values how to approach oneanother Torthout violating the sensibilities of the other.

The aid given by the Western European states should notbe confined to the mere supply of goods. There are andcan be no intentions of dictating what the Central andEastern European countries should do on their way back toEurope, to democracy and a market economy. This wasalready emphasized by Jacques Delors last year. Conti-nuing in this spirit, Mrs. Vasso Papandreou, inauguratingthe Congress, stressed that the idea was not to give goodadvice as if we know everything to be known much betterthan these countries. The aim was to give as muchassistance as possible.

Assistance certaink15 but how

No answer was found in the Congress discussions to thequestion of what concrete shape this support for Centraland Eastern Europe could take. The initial situations aretoo divergent, the problems too numerous, and knowledgeof one another still too inadequate to have enabled thenine workshops in the Congress to work out directlyapplicable solutions. Even though the 300 experts fromCentral and Eastern Europe expressed the urgent need forassistance from the West, it was clear that the mereimitation of Western European continuing trainingpatterns was not a feasible approach. At the same time,these discussions also made the Western European partici-pants more aware of the shortcomings and limitations oftheir own systems.

The following sections are based on the reports of thenine workshops. As they have to be brief, they cannotpresent a complete picture of the deliberations, but theydo describe the leading issues and show the atmosphere inwhich the discussions took place.

The role of the social partnersin continuing_education and training

Employers and employees should participate with equalrights in the definition of the goals and content ofvocational training and continuing training. Thisparticipation of the social partners is acknowledged in

No. 1191 June 1991 4

Se sultana la reproduccian total o parcial del contendo de esta pubhcacion. stemma clue se mencione la fuente. Dec volistandige oder auszugswaseRacking* von Benign dieser Verattentlichung vat Nestenles und mit Ouelrenangitbe pestattet. Reproduction in whole or in pan of the contents ofthis pubtication es authorized. Wended the source is acknowledged. Les testes pankaSant dans cede pubhcation aouvent She reprodults Wawa.eft other ou en pante. avec citation de leen engine. La Present* pubhlicaziOne Dub essay* nerodotta. infeiralmante od in Pane. can previa citationedella tonte.

=1=1.

all Western European states and corresponds to theunderstanding of democracy in our society. However, theforms of participation still vary greatly in the indivi-dual EC Member States. If the pre-conditions for theimplementation of decisions do not exist, there is adanger that this will remain a pure ritual. Many diffe-rent agencies and institutions must first of all beequipped with the necessary instruments and research andoperational resources. Social dialogue has been estab-lished in the field of continuing vocational training butthere is still -nom for improvement at the enterpriselevel. Western .:urope can give the countries of Centraland Eastern Europe "help for self-help" only through tLeestablishment of a democratic economic order and educa-tional systems which are committed to democracy. None ofthis can be achieved without the active participation ofthe social partners. In this context cooperation cannotmean the imposition of one's own models. The call is not"Go West" but "Go East"! There is a need here to havegreater accessibility and a broader expansion of existingEC educational programmes (LINGUA, COMETT, PETRA, FORCE,PHARE, TEMPUS, and others).

Continuing education and _training for managers

The Central and Eastern European countries are trying,almost with brute force, to change from a centrally-planned economic system to the principles of a marketeconomy. However much he would like to go to bed oneevening and wake up the next morning in a market economy,said the Soviet Minister, Mr. Smirnov, in a Congresspress conference, this was nothing but a dream. A marketeconomy cannot simply be decreed or acquired immediately.The problems of conversion to a market-oriented manage-ment are too complex to be solved more or less overnightby the industrial companies. What is involved is not onlya lack of understanding of simple technical terms andconcepts (accounting, fiscal law, foreign trade,financing, etc.), but also the lack of knowledgemarket processes and of the importance of own initiativeand how it should be handled. An improvement of themanagement situation under these conditions requires,even more than in Western Europe, a high level ofmotivation in the managers of Eastern Europe. Very often,this does not correspond to a willingness to learnbecause many managers are not aware of gaps in theirknowledge and the nature of these gaps.

There is little point in transplanting managem.nttraining which has been successful in Western Europe orthe USA. The qualification needs of the Eastern European

No. 1/91 - June 1991

5Se autonza ii reproduccton total 0 Parmal del eantemdo de esta publicamen. peeve clue $e menciont Ia tuento Der vellstandrge Oda austugmvemeNachdruck von Bestragen dieser Ye/chorine:hung 1st kostents und mit Quellensepabe gestattet. Reproduchon in whole or h. part ot the contents atthre publication is authoniort provided the source rs acknowledged. Les testes paraissant dans cede publIcation peuvent etre reprodues (remnant.e.. MPH ou en Wit avec (dation de lour engine La preserne pubetcanone mkt name hprodotta. integratmente od in Dane, con preys COMOdella tonte.

1141m

manabers are of a different nature. "No development aid",said the experts from Eastern Europe, because this wouldmean a "descent to the level of developing countries".They were looking for partners with whose assistance theycould solve their own problems. In this connection itwould be very useful to take concrete cases from themanagement of Eastern European companies for use inmanagement training. The use of exemplary "joint venturecases" as examples of continuing management trainingwould be of great value.

New oblectives and tasksfor trainers

Vocational training of a high standard requires qualifiedtrainers and continuing education trainers. They play anespecially important role in the establishment andexpansion of educational systems. They are the pioneersand multipliers whose work will have a decisive effect onthe future of educational systems in East and West. Nowthat training and continuing training can no longer beconfined to the teaching of technical expertise andtechnical skills, the roles of the trainer and the con-tinuing education trainer also change. They can no longerjust demonstrate the actions which the trainee has tolearn, they must be a credible example themselves in thetraining process of the patterns of behaviour and skillsthey are trying to teach the trainees. Training foroccupations in a society oriented to the principles ofmarket economy can only be given by persons who have beentrained for and have personal experience of this economy.Therefore, the main requirement at present is to qualifytraining and continuing training staff for this change inEurope.

Employment and training projegtsfor unskilled and semi-skilled workers

There are some groups of employees who up to now havebeen neglected by the continuing training systems in theEuropean Community, namely, the unskilled and semi-skilled workers. However, a change of consciousness isemerging. Because of the growing demand for skilledworkers, the unskilled and semi-skilled workers are alsobeing recognized as a potential source of qualifiedmanpower. Successful continuing training concepts forthese groups will have to be based on independent workingand learning, participation and autonomy.

No. 1/91 - June 19916

Se autoriza a reproducalm total ci permit & contenido de esta pubhcaciOn. siempre que se mencsonc la Weide. Der vollstandige oder auuugsmseNachdruck von Batmen dieser Verotteneichung 1st kostenlos und mit Ouehenangabe gestatlet. Reproduction in whole or in part ot the contents atthis publication is authorized, previded the source is acknowledged. Les testes panossaist dans cette publication peuvent Obit reprodurts !Medina*en antral Ou en pane, avec citation de Nor *mime. La presente pubbliCabOne pub Mere nprodotta. mtegralmerne ad in pane, con previa cameodella tonte

IMMO

Li

. 0 -

The situation in the countries of Central and EasternEurope is quite different. The difficulties to beovercome are not only those of modernizing the economy,they stem from a radical alteration of the system whicheach worker is experiencing as a profound economic andpsychological crisis. Metaphorically speaking, societywill have to be turned upside down to get the people backon their feet. The role of continuing training in thisprocess has still not been clarified. In the Central andEastern European states an attempt is being made to buildup continuing training systems without the existence of afunctioning market which can serve to indicate the goalsand the tasks of continuing training. Continuing trainingshould show the workers the road to be followed into thefuture, but it runs the risk of becoming a substitutesystem for employment. A Congress participant put thisvery aptly: "Our situation is completely different toyours. We do not even know whether we should trainengineers or hairdressers."

Under these circumstance continuing training conceptsstressing group learning, in-company training, owninitiative and autonomy will, in the eyes of the Centraland Eastern Europeans, either appear to be the jadedUtopias of yesteryear or the unreal dreams of the future.Mutual learning and cooperation require a much moredetailed knowledge of conditions on the other side.

Qualification strategies for women

For the first time in a European Congress on ContinuingEducation and Training the subject of qualificationstrategies for women at work and for the reintegration ofwomen into working life, was explicitly selected as aworking theme and dealt with in a workshop. The womenrepresentatives from East and West agreed that thistransnational exchange should be institutionalized andgiven some form of continuity. A single workshop dealingwith subjects specifically related to women is notenough, especially when, as in this Congress too, menalone determine what goes on in the other workshops andplenary sessions. The views and the experience of womenhave to become an integral part of the entire process ofinternational congresses because women represent one-halfof humanity.

There is a danger that an attempt will be made to solvethe economic and social problems in Central and EasternEurope at the cost of women's jobs. Women are beingdisplaced on the labour market, they are being pushedinto less-qualified jobs and the training they receive is

No. 1/91 - June' 1991

7Se auto= la reproduce*, total o WW1 del contenido de esta putnicacien. wine one se mencione la Invite Eler vonstandige oder Amman,Nactidnick von Beitnigen dieser %%Meet Winng tat kosteolos und mit Omit ienangabe gestate. Reproduction in whine or tri pen or the contents oftIns SUSSCatiOn IS antlionzed. prOvided the source es acknowledged. Les tellies pannssant clans cane putrlicalton peuveftt etre reproonns garment.en archer ou an Wok avoc citation de leur ozone. La fifteen* INIDNICIW011e pub awe nprodotta. integralmenie od in pane. con previa citanonedella tante.

ME=

totally inadequate. This process has to be stopped bothin the East and the West. It is necessary to developschemes and strategies which will give women theopportunity to participate equally in training andqualification processes and equal opportunities on thelabour market. This development has to be encouraged atthe different levels. Furthermore, Community resourcesshould be distributed in such a way that work projectsfor women are also equally nupported. The imbalance inthe ratio of men to women on the labour market should notbe viewed as the specific problem of a "marginal group",it is a problem affecting society as a whole and has tobe solved by men and women together.

Continuing education at regional and local level

The quality of an educational system can be judged by theway in which it treats the weakest members of the system.Continuing education and training in Europe should beavailable even in regions in which living conditions arecharacterized by deprivation and neglect. Here, jointefforts by the people living there and the associationsand institutions working in that area are required. Workis only one aspect of the projec:t "life" which has to begiven a new shape. Therefore, the contents and objectivesof continuing education and training cannot be prescribedby a central body. The autonomy of the individual and theregion should be respected. Continuing education andtraining is a process for mobilizing regional and humanresources.

If continuing education and training are organized on the"free market" many interested persons will have no chanceof getting it. Women and migrant workers belong to thesedisadvantaged groups in the regions and municipalities.Up to now the EC has not been energetic in promotingtleir interests. In every region there are also otherpersons who are excluded from continuing education faci-lities. Special efforts have to be made on their behalfbecause their interests are often masked.

At regional and municipal level cooperation and exchangein planning and continuing training are as indispensableas respect for autonomy. Regions, towns and rural munici-palities with similar problems all wish to have exchangeprojects, also with partners over large distances; all ofthem are interested in mutual visits. However, if coope-ration with Western European partners is to befacilitated, the countries of Central and Eastern Europewill require assistance in setting up language courses.

No. 1/91 - June 1991

Se autoras ta reproducaOn total a moat del centered* de este pubbcactin. weinpre nue so mencione la tuenta. Der vultstandige oder ausiugswerseRachdruck von %elm dim Ifereffenttichung WINN und rmt Cluellensmishe Matta Reproduction in whole or in part at the contents or

this publication is authorized. provided the source is acknowledged. Les textn pariassant dans cat's publication Deliveryt etre reproduits librement.en enber au en parte, avec citation de leur engine. La presents pubblicaloone pub Mire nprodotta. integratmente od in parte. con previa Moonedella fonts.

coWpm

- 8 -

Work. epological crisis1 continuing education

In the last twenty years continuing education andtraining played a decisive role in helping to overcomestructural problems, especially in the highly indus-trialized countries. A number of employees affected bythe re-structuring of industries, rationalization andspecialization could find jobs in new areas throughcontinuing training and re-training. Compared to thesedifficulties, the problems arising from the ecologicalcrisis today are putting a much greater strain on theemployment system. Although much thought is now beinggiven to the environmental crisis, this has not had muchimpact on the structure of continuing training in thecompanies.

Almost all sectors of the economy are confronted with new(ecological) demands which will entail differing degreesof change in existing production processes and services.Awareness of ecological problems is growing and there is

a rising demand for measures to protect the environment.Existing occupations are being broadened to includeenvironmental protection qualifications and in individualcases, new occupations are even emerging. However, it isstill an open question whether all this will suffice tomaster the crisis.

If the issue at stake is not only remedial measures torepair the damaged environment, but measures to save itfrom new damage, then the traditional forms of continuingeducation and training no longer suffice. If destructionof the environment is remedied with technical measuresalone, there is a danger that people will think that theproblem has been solved, as if, for instance, the instal-lation of a device to filter flue gas suffices to solvethe real environmental problem. It is also not enough togive people in certain occupations environmentalexpertise. There is an urgent need for a change in thepatterns of behaviour of all members of w,r...lety. Here, acompletely new system (or rather "non-system") ofcontinuing education with new teaching structures (notlinked to certificates) could assume this altered task.Television, video and citizens' initiatives have shownfor some years now that learning can take place indifferent ways and can also be fun.

East-West COMPADY cooperation or"How_to learn market economy"

The development of East-West company cooperation isproceeding at a breath-taking pace at present. There are

No. 1/91 - June 1991 9

se einem le reeradoecian rerer e metal det oontenide de este publimcien, sena qua se MentiOne la fuer*. Der voltstandipe oder auszudsvmseNatixtruck von Beitrapsn dieser Verenentiochund ist *Detentes and ind Quellenengabe destattet. Reproductia., in *bore or in pan at the contents atnue golabon 4 itabOnX4. Proinded tat source is edinenaladed. Les testes panossant dans cell* publication peuvent etre reprOdt04 01414$104.on antler ou en parte, ovele Mien de few own" La present* pubblicazione pub @sore riprodatte, integratmente od in pane. con pram monodella We.

LU

LU

- 9

probably some hundreds of cooperation agreements betweenWestern European firms and Central and Eastern Europeanpartners, and more are being signed every day. Thiscooperation ranges from joint ventures to the estab-lishment of new industries. There is virtually no countrywhich is not involved in one way or another.

The Western companies are faced with the difficulty thattheir Central and Eastern European partners operate ineconomic areas which are still oriented to centralplanning or are just taking the first steps towards amarket economy. The staff in these companies, above allthe management team, are faced with completely newdemands. But how can Western principles of management betransposed to state-controlled centrally-plannedeconomies? How can internal reforms be introduced againstexternal barriers? Continuing education can certainly notconfine itself to teaching only the technical skills ofmanagement and business administration.

The "ideal businessman" in a market economy has somespecific characteristics: creativity, ability to intro-duce innovations, ability to get his ideas accepted,willingness to take risks, etc. All this is required tomake up a "true" entrepreneur. But how can such keyqualifications be acquired or taught? Even in the Westthere is no agreement on this. The only certainty is thatentrepreneurial skills and market-economy-oriented actioncannot be taught in seminars and courses alone. Thisapplies even more so to Central and Eastern Europe.

What happens to people when the orientations and valueconcepts which they have acquired over decades, suddenlyno longer seem to be valid? What achievements - not onlyeconomic - are they capable of and how will they copewith a social order whose central values are so differentto the ones which prevailed up to then? If continuingvocational training is not to be reduced to the mereacquisition of formal qualifications, the human beingwill have to be viewed in his overall life situation.Therefore, consideration of thi3 life situation is one ofthe pre-conditions for the development of adequate quali-fication schemes.

New structures, whether in the company or in society as awhole, must grow gradually, they must mature within thehuman being and be mentally integrated. They cannot justbe "transplanted". This makes it clear that continuingeducation and training programmes for the Central andEastern European countries are long-term and broad-basedpropositions. There is no quick and easy way of achievingthis.

No. 1/91 - June 199110

Se automs Is reproduce*, KO 0 parcel del contenido de esta pubbeacitin. simple clue se mencione is tuente Der volistandige oder auszugswaseNactidruck von Bestrewn dieser Verdttentlichung ist kOstenlos und mit Duedenangebe geotaflet. Reffroduchon In emote or m pan of the optima ofthis pubtication is authanzed. provided the source is acknowledged. Las testes parawsant dens cette flutlifrahOn DOOverfl ems reprodurts orernerken enter ou en mite. awe CM IlsOn de leur ongine La presente putralicanone pub entre nprodotts. integralmente od in parte. con previa efts:lonededs tante.

- 10 -

Continuing_ education and training without frontiers...

Anyone who tries, from Central and Eastern Europe, tofollow developments in Western educational technologies,will be astounded: DELTA, COMETT, EUROPACE, SATURN,OLYMPUS, EUROSTEP, INTERMAPS - just to mention a few ofthe "high tech acronyms" whose content is a mystery tothe non-initiated even in Western Europe. They representEC research and development programmes, educationtechnology projects, communication satellites, openlearning systems, and they show the present developmentlevel of new technological learning. As in the West, thecomputer has long found its way into Central and EasternEuropean schools and classrooms, not however as a mediumof education technology to improve learning efficiency,but as an essential piece of equipment, as a "tool" forfuture occupational activities. There was no electronicsindustry to discover a new and promising market incontinuing education and training with the result thatthere is a technological, i.e. "instrumental" lag behindthe West.

41

4g

41

4g41 4C

4g 4x 41

41

The situation is quite different in the field of distancelearning which still uses "traditional" media (appren-ticeship certificate, etc.). Here the Central and EasternEuropean countries have a rich reservoir of experience.Both elements must be united, Western educationaltechnology and Eastern distance learning systems, to meetthe tremendous demand for qualification as quickly and asinexpensively as possible. Cooperation means mutualadvantage. At the 3rd European Congress on ContinuingEducation and Training, however, the educational techno-logists from the West were alone. Their colleagues fromthe East, if any, could not attend. Thus it was notsurprising that the results of the discussion in thisworkshop were not any different from the results of othermeetings and only repeated recommendations which hadalready been repeated elsewhere: More research! Morecooperation!

Hang the wagon on the moving train

"The European Community train is on the move. We have totry and couple a large number of wagons on to this train.Normally, the train would be halted for this operation.But we are trying to do this while it is in motion andare even accelerating the train in the process. Thisoperation produces a sense of anxiety, perplexity,sometimes hectic activity or, even worse, the courage ofthe desperate. At the same time everyone is trying toconceal these emotions."

No. 1/91 - June 1991 11

Se autonsa U reproducciOn total o parcel del contend° de Eta publicacion, venue qua se mencsone la fuente Des vollstandtge odes auszugsweseNacktruck son Bettragen chases Vesobenthchung tel kostentos end nut Cluenenangabe gestate' Reproduction en whole Of tn pan of the contents ofthis pubacaboo es autborued. pseinded the Uwe is acknowledged Les terifes paraessant dans cone publication perrent etre reprocluds /Orient,en enter ev en patus, awe csatten de leer engine. La presente pubblicarto e put* esprit rituodOtta. integraimente ed in bane. con prey.' abeamdella tante.

NNW

t 1

- 1 1

This is how Hans Joachim Rieseberg, one of the rappor-teurs, described the current problems in Europe, and theyemerged in the same form in the Congress.

The 3rd European Congress on Continuing Education andTraining - a two-day mammoth meeting with almost 2,000participants, more than 300 from the countries of theformer Eastern European block, a Congress with almost 100speakers in working groups with extremely diverse sub-jects and a crowded programme - what was the outcome?

Firstly, the realization that the continuing educationand training instruments available in the West arepossibly not - to retain the metaphor of the trainsuitable for coupling!

The main experience in this Congress was the "wordless-ness" of the Central and Eastern European participantsand the "helplessness" of the experts from the West.Western European educational experts know each other byfirst name, they meet regularly, speak different tonguesbut still the same language, have eloquent turns ofphrase and show what is going on in the Western world.But, the mere knowledge of what is going on in the Westdoes not help a manager from the East. The realizationthat urgently needed advice is not forthcoming leads to afeeling of insecurity. So does the inability to give thisadvice, despite all expectations. For the first time in a"Manager Congress", said the Chairman of a workshop, didhe hear the word "fear" used so often by both sides. Fearof what is going to happen, fear of change which willeffect not only one part of Europe. For this reasoncontinuing education and training in the EuropeanCommunity should be critically examined to see whether itis capable of coping with the present changes in Europe.

The 3rd European Congress on Continuing Education andTraining was not an East-West event. It was an EC-Congress with a large participation from Central andEastern Europe. Perhaps its most important outcome wasthe atmosphere which reigned. A Czech participantexpressed this very eloquently in a brief statement atthe end of the Congress. He did not come to Berlin, hesaid, in the hope of finding financial donors who wouldhelp him to finance all the urgent reforms in hiscountry. No, no one could promise financial aid. Butstill he was not returning home empty-handed. What he hadexperienced at the Congress in Berlin was the manifesta-tion of solidarity and partnership between all the parti-cipants from East and West, and this was as important asany form of material assistance.

No. 1/91 - June 1991 12Se atoms Is reproducobn total a partial clet cooterndo de esta puhiscacgon. swarm quo se mercers ia ruente. Dei voitstandige odes ausrupsweisetfachdruch von Boirigan chew verettentiochuno rst kostonlos und nest Oueltenangabe aestattet. Rem:di:00n m wh* or in part at the contorts ofthis pubikatiOn IS Surnamed, provided the source Is acknowledged. Les tortes penmantdans cone punk:Mon Domani Ore roprodurts libremunt,en otter ou en pante. Vet OM= de leer mono. La present pulthhcazione pub essere ruprodotta, integramente ad in pane, con owe amenMa tont..

lb=

- 12 -

The wish was expressed that a future Congress should move

towards Central and Eastern Europe in order to have morecommunication with the actors there. Thus the idea was

born to organize a "EURO TRAIN r1R TRAINING" BERLIN -

WARSZAWA - PRAHA - BUDAPEST - WIEN, an idea which wasspontaneously welcomed in the final panel Aiscussion and

the subsequent meeting of CEDEFOP experts ton 16 March

1991). This new and very complex form of Ettropean en-

counter is being examined at present by the responsible

bodies in Berlin and Brussels and is also being studied

in the other European cities mentioned. There is good

reason to hope that the 4th European Congress onContinuing Education and Training will be held in autumn

1992 in a new form.

No. 1/91 - June 1991

13Se aunties la reproducadn tata a moat det conteindo de este puDicaosiln, sena cue se =name Is Ionia Der volistandice ode auszucmomse

Noe RITMO yen Being( len diner Verottentlichund tinkostenlos und mit Clueflemangsbe castanet Reproduction in mune or in pan ot the commits at

this publication is authorized. provided the source is acknowledged. Les testes PVIIISIVII dans cette publication cement atm mondani pbremsnt.

en enter ou en metre. avec citation de teur engineLa prcante pubbbcavone pub essere Modena. Kampala/mite od in parte, con Previa Wanes

delta fonts.

rim

0.API%NEW