#LearningConnects: Talking about inclusion in education and society

Old/new polarised situations have emerged around the world, coupled with the breakdown or poor performance of social welfare systems and traditional social safety. Divisions marked by geography, ethnicity, gender and age are accompanied by deepening income and social disparities, creating various forms of deprivation and segregation, including inequities in access, quality and participation in education, training and employment. Some countries are having difficulties in coping with global competition and generating wellbeing for individuals, groups and the population at large, resulting in an erosion of social fabric and social capital that poses threats to the shared values of freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination. Recent developments such as technological advances, the knowledge society, globalisation and regional integration, coupled with demographic shifts, environmental destruction, zones of armed conflict and social rifts, will have major implications for skills development in the coming years. All these come at a time of rising income inequality, mounting social and political tensions, COVID impact and a general feeling of uncertainty about the future.

ETF “Unlocking Youth Potential in South Eastern Europe and Turkey”, link: https://www.etf.europa.eu/en/publications-and-resources/publications/un…

All these call for joint ACTIONS! Skills for socio economic inclusion and cohesion is one of these joint policy and action pillars: Delivering on the European Pillar of Social Rights https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1226&langId=en

Based on the countries' innovative and forward looking strategies and actions, new emerging models of public and private cooperation, various research and literature highlight that education and training in a life long learning has a potential for making multidimensional contributions:
1. the skills dimension, by providing skills for employability in a lifelong learning perspective, thus enhancing economic inclusion in the labour market and society. This dimension is very important but has been over-researched and overexposed in the literature, to the extent that it tends to dominate the public discourse about VET and social inclusion and to give rise to narrower or reductive approaches and policy measures. It therefore needs to be counterbalanced or complemented by broader considerations anchored in the civic, social and cultural roles of VET. Furthermore, this function of VET is often prone to stereotyping (gender and others) and cultural biases, leading to stigmatisation, as well as to differentiated and separated institutional and/or curricular provision, which have an adverse impact on social cohesion;
2. the social mobility dimension, by enhancing participation in education and reducing educational inequalities. VET thus helps to diminish social inequalities and improve the social mobility potential of less advantaged students. While this function of VET is more feasible and realistic for marginalised learners, its viability for middle-class learners tends to be enhanced if VET provides pathways for progression towards tertiary education;
3. the socialisation dimension, through the development of a sense of professional identity and of belonging to a professional community, while also internalising the respective professional values, standards and ethics;
4. the civic dimension, by developing knowledge and skills for accessing and participating in the labour market. VET also promotes trust in social institutions, institutional integrity, and solidarity, as well as individual willingness to build, participate in, and sustain communities. Thus, VET prepares learners for a pro-social way of life and behaviour and for active citizenship;
5. the equity dimension, by opening learning pathways for disadvantaged and marginalised individuals and groups in society and helping young people to take responsibility for their own lives.