21세기 영국 평생학습제도의 혁신동향과 평가 = Current Trends and Assessment of Lifelong Learning System Policies of the United Kingdom in the 21st century

국문 초록 (Abstract)

영국은 21세기의 지식기반사회를 맞이하여 급변하는 경제사회환경에 대응하고, 다른 서유럽국가들에 비해 근로자들의 낮은 기술 수준으로 인한 낮은 노동 생산성을 극복하여 국민의 고용가능성(employability)을 향상시키고, 국가 경쟁력을 높이기 위하여 평생학습제도를 혁신하였다. Tony Blair 정부가 집권 초기부터 시작하여 In Demand: Adult Skills in the 21st Century (2001), In Demand: Adult skills in the 21st Century - part 2 (2002) 보고서, 21st Century Skills: Realizing Our Potential (2003) 백서와 The Future of Higher Education (2004) 백서 등에서 제안한 일련의 정책을 통하여 2010년까지의 미래에 대한 인적자원 개발 비전을 제시하였고, 국민 모두에게 평생학습의 기회를 확충하고 그들의 잠재된 능력을 충분히 계발시키려는 목적으로 모든 단계의 교육과 훈련의 제도와 재정의 개혁을 성공적으로 실천해오고 있다. 영국의 평생학습제도 개혁의 목표와 비전은 개인은 자신이 원하는 일자리를 갖고, 삶의 충만감을 가지는 데에 필요한 기술 수준을 계속 높이고, 기업인은 자신의 사업을 성공시킬 수 있는 적합한 기술을 지원 받는 것을 보장하여 근로자의 노동 생산성을 높이는 것이다. 고용주와 근로자들의 요구에 따르는 수요자 중심의 교육훈련체제(demand-led system) 전략을 제안하고 이를 실천하기 위하여 막대한 예산을 투입해오고 있다.
21세기 영국의 평생학습제도 정책 개혁이 우리나라에 주는 시사점은 다음과 같다. 첫째, Learning and Skills Council과 같은 기구를 신설하여 한 추진기구가 종합적으로 국민들의 교육훈련의 기획과 재정지원을 하게 한다. 둘째, 정부, 기업과 민간의 통합적인 협력시스템(Skill Alliance)을 구축하여 각각의 파트너십을 수행한다. 셋째, 16세 이상 연령층의 계속교육 참여를 증대하고 Modern Apprenticeship과 같은 청소년을 위한 도제제도를 개발하고 그에 상응하는 기술자격을 준다. 넷째, 전문대학의 교수·학습수준을 높이고 현장중심(work-based)의 학습을 강화한다. 다섯째, 전국에 모든 성인 학습자들을 위한 기초 기술 교육과 기업이 요구하는 교육 훈련을 수행하는 평생학습기관(예.University for Industry/learndirect) 네트워크를 만든다. 여섯째, 대학과 기업이 다양한 산학협동을 개발하여 기술력을 향상시킨다. 일곱째, 국가자격제도를 통합하고, 수준을 더 세분화하고, 학문과 직업계열 자격간의 호환성을 높인다.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain(UK) has made revolutionary reform of the lifelong learning system for all educational levels of people in order to respond to the challenge of rapidly changing economic and social environment in the 21st century's knowledge-based economy. The U.K's economy has suffered from the country's low labor productivity due to the low level of skills compared with other Western European countries. The key policy objective for its lifelong education system is to upgrade individual's skills and supplying abundant qualified human resources to the employers toward enhancing individuals' employability and national competency respectively. since the beginning of the Tony Blair Government in the late 1990s objectives, vision and strategies of the lifelong learning system have been suggested in the government's reports, In Demand, Adult Skills in the 21st Century(2001) and In Demand: Adult skills in the 21st Century-part 2: an action plan for adult skills in the 21st century(2002), and two white papers, 21st Century Skills: Realizing Our Potential(2003) and The Future of Higher Education(2004). The Blair government successfully accomplished the reforms of lifelong education system reflecting the demand-led system in which the government did not take the initiative in providing the education and training for the individuals, rather individuals and employers took them to meet their needs. In short, the objective of the lifelong human resources development of the U.K. was to help individuals find their job they want and to fulfill their life by enhancing the level of their skills while the employers improve the productivity of labor for the success of their business entities. For this purpose, the government has had allocated its enormous budgetary resources to implement its lifelong educational policies. The recent policy reform of lifelong learning system of the United Kingdom in 21st century provides useful implications for Korea as follows: 1) establishment of such central organization as 'Learning and Skills Council' so that a single organization can comprehensively devise plan, oversee and financially support further education & training for the population beyond age sixteen; 2) building a comprehensive Skill Alliance System in order for pursuing partnerships among the central & regional government sectors, employers, individuals, and education & training providers, etc; 3) expanding continuing education opportunities for the age group beyond sixteen and develop the apprenticeship system such as Modern Apprenticeship particularly for the youth which can endow the technical certificates; 4) advancing the instruction & learning standard of junior colleges and reinforcing the work-based learning; 5) setting up the national networks of lifelong learning institutions (e.g. University for Industry/learndirect) which executes adults' basic knowledge and skills and the courses employers demand for their business/industries both on-line and off-line; 6) enhancing the skills through various types of universities/colleges and business/industry cooperation; and 7) raising the standards, and integration of the national vocational qualifications framework for enabling the adults, employers, and institutions to understand the framework better for employment and further education.

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