Doc. 9658

16 January 2003

Training of workers in the use of new technologies

Recommendation 1559 (2002)

Reply from the Committee of Ministers

adopted at the 823^rd meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (9 January 2003)

1.       The Committee of Ministers has considered Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1559 (2002) on training of workers in the use of new technologies, and, sharing a number of the concerns and points of view of the Assembly, decided to bring it to the attention of the Governments of its member states. The Committee of Ministers has also asked the opinion on this recommendation from its Steering Committee for Higher Education and Research (CD-ESR), its Steering Committee for Education (CD-ED) and Advisory Council (CC) on Youth Questions. These opinions, which broadly coincide with the position of the Assembly, appear in Appendices I and II, respectively, to this reply.

2.       The Committee of Ministers recalls that training in the use of new technologies, adult education and social cohesion are an important part of the work of its Steering Committee on Higher Education and Research (CD-ESR). The project “Lifelong learning for equity and social cohesion” was concluded with the adoption in May 2002 of Committee of Ministers’ Recommendation Rec(2002)6 on higher education policies in lifelong learning. The same Committee, in cooperation with the Steering Committee on Education (CD-ED), launched, in 2001, a new project “Teaching and Learning in the Communication Society”.

3.       This latter project is a follow-up to the Committee of Ministers’ recommendations concerning European policy on new information technologies and notably, matters related to “citizens’ acquisition of competences in using new technologies, in particular through appropriate information and training”. The goal of the project is to develop concrete guidelines for education policies in member states as a response to new social demands, created by the global transformations of European companies, especially taking into account the impact of new technologies.

4.       As for activities designed to compare experience and identify best practice (paragraph 9.i of the recommendation), the Committee of Ministers would inform the Assembly that the CD-ESR deals also with matters related to the training of adult learners, conditions for access to such training, equality of chances and, in general, to the challenges faced by communication societies both to education and social cohesion.

5.       The Committee of Ministers supports calling on the governments of the member states to:

      -       step up their efforts to support and promote the education and training of workers in the use of the new technologies;

      -       provide incentives to ensure that companies offer training even to the least stable categories of their workforce;

      -       involve trade unions in the design and implementation of such training programmes

      (items ii a, c and d of paragraph 9 of the Assembly recommendation). However, it would remark that promoting education and training of adults in the use of information and communication technologies should be a part of a lifelong learning programme. The integration of the Committee of Ministers’ Recommendation Rec(2002)6 in the education strategies of the member states will satisfy, to a great extent, the recommendations of the Parliamentary Assembly.

6.       It should also be noted that training in the use of technologies is also a particular concern for young people. The Council of Europe Directorate of Youth and Sport has, together with its partners, dealt with this issue in the framework of the activities run at the European Youth Centres. These include the 1999 Training Course on Youth Information and Counselling, run in co-operation with the European Commission and the European Youth Information and Counselling Agency (ERIYCA), and various study sessions organised on this theme by a number of youth organisations. In general, training outside the formal education system – non-formal education – is one of the main work topics of the youth sector of the Council of Europe.

Appendix I

Opinion adopted by the CD-ESR Bureau and the CD-ED on Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1559 (2002) concerning the training of workers in the use of new technologies

The CD-ESR welcomes Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1559 (2002) concerning the training of workers in the use of new information technologies (NTIC) expressing its satisfaction with the fact that education related issues form part of the Assembly’s concerns to the same extent as for the CD-ESR itself.

The acquisition of competences in the use of new technologies, adult education and social cohesion constitute some of the important issues within the framework of the CD-ESR’s programme activities in recent years. The activities concerned are “Lifelong learning for equity and social cohesion”, which concluded with the adoption on 15 May 2002 of a Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers [Rec(2002)6] and an activity launched in 2001 in co-operation with the CD-ED on “Teaching and Learning in the Communication Society.”

Whilst fully supporting the recommendation of the Parliamentary Assembly, and in particular items ii a, ii c, ii d of paragraph 9, the CD-ESR believes that promoting education and training of adults in the use of information and communication technologies should be a part of a lifelong learning prospective programme. By stimulating this type of learning, the governments give a global response to both the evolution of citizens’ needs and the new demands of the labour market. The CD-ESR considers that the application or the integration of Recommendation R (2002) 6 in the education strategies of European countries will satisfy, to a great extent, the recommendations of the Parliamentary Assembly.

The CD-ESR, in co-operation with the CD-ED launched a new project on “Teaching and Learning in the Communication Society” in 2001. This is a follow-up to the Committee of Ministers’ recommendations concerning European policy on new information technologies and namely matters related to “citizens’ acquisition of competences in using new technologies, in particular through appropriate information and training”. The final goal of the project will be the development of specific proposals and orientations of education policies of the member-countries as a response to new social demands created by the global transformations of European companies and especially taking into consideration the impact of new technologies.

The CD-ESR fully agrees with paragraph 9.i of Recommendation 1559 of the Parliamentary Assembly. The CD-ESR project deals also with matters related to the training of adult learners, conditions for access to such training, equality of chances and, in general, to the challenges faced by communication societies to education and social cohesion.

Appendix II

Opinion of the Advisory Council on Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1559 (2002)

on the training of workers in the use of new technologies

1.       In accordance with Decision No. CM/845/15052002 of the Committee of Ministers, the Advisory Council on Youth Questions of the Council of Europe has adopted the following opinion on Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1559 (2002) on the training of workers in the use of new technologies:

2.       The Advisory Council welcomes this recommendation as a valuable contribution to the very important issue of the training workers in the use of new technologies, a subject of particular concern also to young people. This is demonstrated by the fact that a number of partners of the Directorate of Youth and Sport have dealt with this issue in activities run at the European Youth Centers, including the 1999 Training Course on Youth Information and Counseling, run in co-operation with the European Commission and ERIYCA, and various study sessions organised on this theme by a number of youth organisations. The issue of valuing training outside the formal education system is particularly welcome as it coincides with the main working method (non-formal education) employed by the youth sector of the Council of Europe and by its non-governmental partners.

3.       The recommendation rightly points out that workers should not only be trained in the workplace, but also before they become full-time workers, i.e. during their basic and, as the case may be, higher education. However, the present text does not mention the period in between any two working experiences, i.e. periods of unemployment; the Advisory Council notes that training should be offered to unemployed people as well.

4.       With reference to Paragraph 9.ii.c of the recommendation, in which incentives for companies are envisaged, the Advisory Council considers that, as a number of people are employed in non-profit organisations (as opposed to profit-making companies), it would be appropriate to extend these incentives for training to all potential employers. Moreover, the meaning of worker should be sufficiently wide as to include both paid staff and those working on a long-term, organised, voluntary basis (see for example the European Voluntary Service programme of the European Commission).

5.       Finally, even if the recommendation focuses on training programmes, in some cases these alone are not sufficient (although essential) to reduce the “digital divide”. In particular, small-sized companies and non-profit organisations often find it difficult to provide the appropriate modern equipment to their workers. It is not efficient to train disadvantaged workers and unemployed people who do not, or will not, have access to the equipment they have learnt to use. For these reasons, the Advisory Council would recommend that support be given to small companies, NGOs and other relevant institutions in acquiring and modernising their equipment, and in enabling them to provide subsidised access (e.g. in community centres, public libraries, etc.) to those with reduced incomes.