Author Description

This study of policies, strategies, and practices designed to create a learning and training culture focuses on Britain, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United States. Part I provides an overview of key contextual changes influencing development of policy for building a learning culture in the countries; sets out the approach adopted towards culture; indicates major themes in the interaction between contextual imperatives and culture in the countries; and gives an overview of general approaches to policy coordination as background to specific policies adopted. Part II analyzes two dominant themes in the general directions for policy in building a learning and training culture: building infrastructure, partnership, and community and developing active access strategies in a lifelong learning perspective. Part III focuses on five policy areas significant in national strategies to build a learning and training culture that relate to ensuring that foundations, incentives, information and marketing, role of technology, and private sector practices are linked. Part IV is a summary of main findings and implications for Australia that point to the need for a new phase in vocational education and training development that addresses the imperatives of the new economy, strengthens linkages between VET and other sectors of education and training, and has an overall demand-side orientation in policy. (Appendixes include 117 references and country overviews.) (YLB)