From June 10 to June 12, 2021 the city of Zagreb in Croatia hosted a seminar about „Education and lifelong learning – What brings a "new normal" time?“, organized by HKD Napredak (Hrvatsko kulturno društvo Napredak), supported by EZA and funded by the European Union.
Due to the conditions caused by the COVID-19 virus pandemic, the seminar was organized as hybrid seminar. However, even with these difficult conditions the seminar was attended either physically or online, by representatives of workers’ organisations from 10 different countries including the host country.
At the beginning of the seminar Nikola Čiča, President of HKD Napredak, welcomed everyone and said that despite this time of the coronavirus pandemic, he is pleased that participants from other countries were able to physically come to the seminar. He said that he believes that this is the beginning of a return to “normal” times and that we will soon gather in large numbers again at such and similar seminars.
The seminar participants were also greeted by Piergiorgio Sciacqua, Co-President of EZA who due to participation in another seminar in Rome could not be at the seminar but addressed the participants via video link. He pointed out that he hopes and believes that all organizations, members of EZA, will influence to the forming of young people, that we will be able to give them new tools to develop their competencies. These competencies will help them successfully confront with all the things that affect them at this time. He hoped it would steer them towards a "green economy", one of the pillars of the European Union's future. He stressed that despite the coronavirus pandemic, some things have been overcome thanks to the tools provided to us by the European Union. One of the main principles is mutual solidarity. We were based on personal and professional formation. Napredak is one of the organizations that have emphasized this principle of personal formation in all seminars and in its work. The formation and education of young people who will soon enter the labour market is a very important element. We need to be aware of the fact that this situation will have major implications for the labour market especially on personal crafts and small businesses.
Regarding education in this "new normal" time, the participants in their presentations and discussion put the emphasis on lifelong learning. In order to achieve the best possible quality, it is necessary to have an external evaluation of the achieved results. Only through lifelong learning the availability of some professions can be ensured in the labour market.
It is also necessary to ensure the quality of work of educational institutions, and problems arise with ensuring quality staff in education, which is related to the level of salaries of teaching staff.
Additional problems arose during the covid 19 epidemic due to working on distance because older staff were less able to cope with online teaching and encountering new technologies.
Some of the participants stated that with new technologies, the acquired knowledge quickly becomes obsolete, so it is necessary to constantly conduct new education and adapt to new scientific and technological achievements. The results of the work are disappointing because high knowledge of new technologies is required, and many do not even have the basics.
Attention should be paid to the social needs of employees who are often overburdened and do not have a separate private and business life, and thus frustrations arise with consequences in poorer work at work, as well as poor family and private life. It was said that some EU countries, for these reasons, provide the possibility to cut off communication with work after working hours. This can be a good way to overcome these problems related to working from home.
Some of the participants cited examples of changing jobs through learning, not as a necessary need to preserve an existing place, but to improve personal quality of life.
One of the conclusions is that today, due to the rapid development of technology, there is no knowledge for all life. The development of creative abilities is increasingly required, and it is necessary to maintain critical thinking and develop it. It is important to increase student exchange during their studies in order to get to know different cultures of living and different approaches in the way of thinking, which further enriches the acquired knowledge. Through the development of education, a better position is achieved in the future for both society and the individual.
In the part of the seminar and discussion related to institutional and legal anti-pandemic measures, a number of examples of measures from different countries implemented by different government institutions to preserve jobs during the covid 19 pandemic were given. The conclusion is that the measures, especially those at the level of EU countries, have certainly contributed to the preservation of jobs, but some shortcomings in practice and implementation have also been mentioned.
One of the problems that arise in the relationship Government - employer - worker where often the employer seeks protection for himself through the way of showing the preservation of jobs which is ultimately not implemented. In times of crisis employers want to share the risk with the other social partners and when they have a profit then they keep it to themselves. In some states, subsidies is paid to employers by the state were delayed towards workers, so workers were harmed in these situations as well.
One of the conclusions is also that a big problem with working from home is due to the lack of definition of working from home and all the elements that go with it. The legislator should more clearly define some elements of this way of working.
It was also pointed out that with the problem that arose with the outbreak of the covid 19 pandemic came the problem of violations of worker’s rights.
Big problems arose also with the transition to online teaching in schools because a large number of students did not have the appropriate equipment or wi-fi network to be able to follow the lessons. Especially, vulnerable populations as Roma children were left deprived in this form of teaching because they did not have adequate equipment. The real problems will be felt in the future.
Some positive examples in the organization of work and learning during the pandemic, such as the one via Facebook, were also pointed out. It was said that it is positive because learning in this way is not limited to the place of residence, and in higher education, lectures from other universities can also be used in this way. Active learning is very important because with the help of new technologies better results are achieved, and some knowledge can be acquired through unconscious learning "through various forms of play". The revolution in the use of new social networks is increasing the quality and quantity of acquired knowledge.
One of the problems is that technology in many schools is outdated; and practical work has been neglected in vocational schools. In lockdown times during the pandemic, practical work was even completely neglected due to the circumstances.
In the end, the common stance of all the participants in the seminar was that education and lifelong learning is the key to success of young people, and without it the future especially in these times of crisis is very uncertain.