European Round Table of Industrialists

MISSION :

This Working Group was active from 1987 until 1999.

It was led initially by Kari Kairamo (Nokia) and subsequently by Olivier Lecerf (Lafarge Coppée), Bertrand Collomb (Lafarge) and François Cornélis (Petrofina).

Given that skilled and well-educated people are vital for success in business, the Working Group aimed to identify the main problems related to European education and training from industry’s point-of-view and to draw up practical recommendations for how they could be improved to keep pace with a constantly changing competitive environment. Many of the themes addressed by this Working Group continue to be taken up in ERT activities, especially the Industrial Relations / Social Policy and Competitiveness Working Groups.

The early work initiated by Kari Kairamo and resulting in the report “Education and European Competence” (1989) set a pattern for ERT’s education reports: a short brochure outlining the policies and recommendations for decision-makers and a longer more detailed publication presenting the same messages to the academic world. The impact of these reports was helped by an alliance linking ERT through the University-Industry Forum with the Conference of Rectors of European universities, launched in Bologna in September 1988.

Under Olivier Lecerf, the Working Group focused on how to deepen cooperation between universities and industry to foster life-long learning. When Olivier Lecerf retired, Bertrand Collomb took over the Group and presided at a joint meeting with the US Business Higher Education Forum, when it visited Brussels in summer 1992.

ERT's concern for educational issues was to reach a wide audience with the report issued under François Cornélis entitled "Education for Europeans - Towards the Learning Society" (1995). More than 30,000 copies were distributed, establishing it as one of the most influential of all ERT papers. It presented the concept of the "education chain" whose various stages needed linking, from nursery school to adult training. Computer technology, benchmarking and professional financial management could all be helpful for establishing a "lifelong learning" process that must begin with helping children "to learn how to learn". ERT subsequently published "Investing in Knowledge" (1997), calling for the full integration of new information technologies into the education chain and launching the first ERT Knowledge Management seminar.

KEY MESSAGES :

Investing in knowledge - The integration of Technology in European Education

February 1997

Building on the ideas in the previous report "Education for Europeans", calling for an Education Chain that could develop well-rounded individuals with a wide knowledge and skills base, trained and motivated to keep on learning, this report focused on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a means to achieve this objective. It argues that ICT opens new ways for learning. It enables individuals to develop knowledge and skills at their own pace, independent of time and place. ICT is a tool to combat social exclusion, making high quality education available throughout society. It facilitates re-entry into the Education Chain and allows learners to update and upgrade their skills. For this to happen, the report argues that major investments are needed now. Everybody involved must learn to work together in new partnerships.

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Education for Europeans: Towards the Learning Society

March 1995

The report links all stages of education - from nursery school to adult education - together in an Education Chain. It argues that people should be educated as well-rounded individuals, always able to learn more. Teaching itself should be revolutionised by the massive introduction of multimedia and computers into educational institutes at all levels. All teachers should benefit from proper human resources management. Other techniques such as quality management, financial management and benchmarking should be introduced to improve the performance of all Europe's educational systems.

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Education and European Competence

January 1989

This ground-breaking report, also published in book form by Butterworths, the British publisher, originated from a survey of training practices in ERT companies and called for an accelerated revitalistion of education and curricula throughout the education system to better equip citizens to live and work in the 21st Century. In particular it stressed the need for greater co-operation between industry and educational institutions, as well as the importance of technical and professional education and lifelong learning.

Changing Scales

June 1985

Very soon after its foundation, ERT began to address education issues, some of which were reflected in its report "Changing Scales", arguing for improved science education at university level and for more resources for European centres of learning.

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