In most countries universities, without doubt, are the institutions with the greatest training and research capacity. Thus it seems illogical that universities do not play a central role in the provision of continuing education – all the more so when this kind of education is increasingly important in society. This article sets out the main results of surveys carried out in Spain and Belgium, and analyses the reasons why companies in Europe still make only limited use of universities to meet their training needs. It also analyses the reasons why universities have not fully incorporated continuing education into their operations, as one of their main societal goals.
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References
1.
An analysis of the salient features of models of continuing education in some countries of the European Union is to be found in University Continuing Education in Europe, Socrates Programme, Thematic Network on University Continuing Education (THENUCE, project under the Socrates programme), Interim Report. Part I – European Report, EUCEN, Liège, 1997.
2.
Une formation permanente universitaire répondant aux besoins de l'entreprise, Fondation Industrie–Université, 1994.
3.
ParelladaM.SáezF.SanromàE.TorresA., La formación continua en las empresas españolas y el papel de las Universidades, Editorial Civitas, Madrid, 1999.
4.
Fondation Industrie–Université, op cit, Ref 2.
5.
Parellada, op cit, Ref 2.
6.
In fact, this is a reasonable hypothesis, given the data, since on average across the one thousand responding companies, managers and technical staff account for 22% of the total workforce. Of these 18.5% have had a university education.
7.
Here the comparison is based on Spanish data for the total company workforce.
8.
In fact, the first item mentioned by Spanish companies is training in safety, health and the environment, a result that is probably attributable to the impact of related regulations at the time the survey was carried out.
9.
In-depth interviews conducted with twenty or so Spanish companies validated the use of this typology for Spain.
10.
In December 1992 employers and union organizations signed the National Agreement on Continuing Education (1993–96), which has been extended with a second Agreement (1997–2000). In addition, FORCEM was created to oversee the agreement and distribute the financial resources allocated by the Spanish government to continuing education (about $500 million). These funds arise from the social contribution for professional training of 0.7%, which is divided equally between training for the unemployed and training for those in employment.
11.
Parellada, op cit, Ref 2.
12.
Fondation Industrie–Université, op cit, Ref 2.
13.
Memorandum sur l'enseignement supérieur dans la Communauté Européenne, Commission des Communautés Européennes, Brussels, 1991.
14.
BecherT., Meeting the Contract: The Role of European Universities in Continuing Education and Training. A Report of Stage I of the MEET Project, European Centre for the Strategic Management of the Universities, Brussels, 1992.
15.
La formation continue des personnes hautement qualifiées, OECD, Paris, 1995.
16.
THENUCE, op cit, Ref 1.
17.
Fondation Industrie-Université, op cit, Ref 2, Second part.
18.
ParelladaM., La formación continuada y el papel de las universidades. Carencias y potencialidades, paper presented at the symposium ‘Volver a la Universidad. La formación en la enseñanza superior’, Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo, September 1997.
