Institute for Holistic Learning Based on Montessori Education

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26 Dyomin, Viktor M. - Russia - Koek@comcor.ru
VET Developments in Russia in the Context of Lifelong <strong>Learning</strong>
The concept of lifelong learning is currently entering the rhetoric and practice of Russian education. On the policy level
the concept is declared as a goal <strong>for</strong> education development. Life-long learning is regarded as a factor and an inherent
element of a knowledge-based economy that is currently taking root in Russia accompanied by building an in<strong>for</strong>mation
society. There is a growing recognition of the close links between education, training and growth in the knowledgebased
economy.
In this context the role of VET is considered focal in the production of highly skilled work<strong>for</strong>ce adaptable to the changing
requirements of the economy, technological progress and the world of work.
The major developments in VET cover:
decentralization of VET governance, to better address the regional and local needs of the economy and the
population;
work towards building a market-oriented VET;
extension of the remit of VET schools to offer their services to new target groups (adult population, including upskilling
and re-training of workers under contracts with enterprises; courses <strong>for</strong> the unemployed population; courses <strong>for</strong> adults
seeking personality development, etc.), thus fostering continuing VET ;
gradual re-orientation of VET towards competences development (under the impact of international projects), with a
special focus on “basic/core skills” and learning to learn.
As a result the network of VET schools is being revisited, to encourage <strong>for</strong>mation of regional education complexes that
would be used as regional VET resource centers.
Following the lead of the higher education sector, VET is aiming at European integration and is currently considering
measures to join the Copenhagen process.
Constraints on the way to VET modernization include: shortage of public financial support; inadequate social
partnership mechanisms; conservatism of the VET system in accepting innovations; and aging of the teachers’ corps.
27 Eisenriegler, Sepp - Austria - sepp.eisenriegler@rusz.at
Social Economy as an important means of Vocational Education and Training focussing the networking
experiences of Repair and Service Center R.U.S.Z., Vienna.
“R.U.S.Z. provides an impressive international model of how economic projects can be of environmental benefit and
also socially beneficial.”
Repair and Service Centre R.U.S.Z.. was set up in 1998 as part of the Viennese European Union Community Initiative
project URBAN Gürtel-Plus. Its aims are to:
Provide vocational training <strong>for</strong> the long-term unemployed over 45 and to assist them to find work through contacts,
personal support and career development.
Reuse and recycle electrical and electronic waste that would otherwise go to landfill or incineration.
It combines social, economic and environmental objectives, and has proved to be highly successful.
Repair and Service Centre R.U.S.Z started in 1998 with dissembling old household appliances from Vienna’s waste
sorting centres and quickly turned into the first stop <strong>for</strong> repair services. It has unleashed a massive demand <strong>for</strong> repair
services since then, and its services have changed considerably.
It has expanded into other areas of electrical goods repair, to include Hi Fi’s, TVs, videos, and more recently