Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698058109691.pdf (Liberia)
45th congress of ASÍ ASÍ priorities 2022 – 2024 Education ASÍ priorities • Ensure everyone’s access to education, irrespective of economic status or place of residence.

• Map the entire educational system1, with respect to courses on offer, target groups and financing.

• Simplify the formal accreditation of immigrants’ skills and education.

• Strengthen vocational training at all educational levels and ensure that students in • vocational and craft subjects can do their studies contiguously.
Increase the supply of vocational training, with a view to the needs of the individuals and the labour market of the future.

• Ensure that continuous and re-education supports a development of the labour market toward a more sustainable economy.

• Emphasizing knowledge and skills useful to the economy and individuals in the future.

• Ensuring that innovation and entrepreneurial thinking are among the educational system’s top priorities.
• Ensuring that everyone in the labour market enjoys equally the positive effects of new • technology and climate change on the economy.

Increase access to universities for those with vocational training, e.g.

with a formal vocational university level.

• Ensuring access to skills assessment at the appropriate educational levels and to the following studies/training.

• Ensuring equal opportunities for all and decrease inequality and methods of work which engender discrimination.
ASÍ tasks • Participate in the mapping of the educational system to make a plan for a comprehensive educational system for both formal and informal education.

• Make education, continuous- and re-education, accessible to all, regardless of place of residence, e.g.

by interactive digital studies.

• Work on ensuring that the supply of education reflects the needs of individuals and the economy.
• Urge the government to meet the needs of those living far from educational institutions, and which have limited access to education in their region, focusing on the needs of immigrants and other vulnerable groups.

1 Including kindergartens, elementary schools, secondary schools, universities and the adult education system.

• Work to allow everyone to have access to resources to develop their skills to be able to change jobs or fields of work.
• Work to establish recognition for cultural diversity and gender equality in the labour market.

• Guard everyone’s equal access to continuous- and re-education.

• Sufficient provision of vocational training at the secondary school level must be ensured, and funding to the workplace education fund (Vinnustaðanámssjóður) increased to better utilize the fund and secure the situation of apprentices.
• Support economic activity which is based on a healthy labour market, a just transition, sustainability, initiative and innovation.

Report The labour market has changed, and will change, substantially, alongside rapid technological developments, innovation and the effects of climate change.

These changes will involve new societal challenges and opportunities for individuals, companies and society as a whole.
It is important for the educational system to reflect this development and ensure that individuals can upgrade their knowledge and skills as needed.

One of our main tasks is to ensure that everyone, regardless of where they live and other social factors, has access to education.

Everyone in the labour market should enjoy equally the fruits of new technology, and be able to adapt to a changing labour market.

The continuing-education system (framhaldsfræðsla) is a resource with many opportunities.
The system has been the channel for thousands of working individuals back into the education system in collaboration with the public sector, vocational training funds and social partners.

Many have also strengthened their position in the labour market and attended workplace courses with skills assessment with business guidelines.

A lot has changed since the law on continuing education was passed in 2010, and the system has developed at lightning speed.
It is time to review the system, formulate policy and set up a competency-based education system.

It is important to look at the education system as a whole and acknowledge that the continuing education is one of its foundations.

It should, however, maintain its special status of servicing adults with little formal education.

To reach as many groups as possible, the education should be varied, with in-school as well as remote studies, and interactive digital studies.
Perhaps, regional continuous education centres could specialize in future.

The supply of studies should also be looked at, and kept in line with the economy at each time and future prospects.

Skills assessments are among the most powerful tools developed to evaluate the skills of workers and encourage their further education.
Along with a strengthened skills assessment in many fields, it is also important to ensure the development of a professional university level, easing the access of people with vocational training to university studies.