Committee looks closer at reform of further training and education

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A committee which is currently looking into the question of further training and education will propose that all Norwegian employees should be given a right to unpaid leave of absence for training and educational purposes. Employees who only have nine years of education (primary and secondary school), should be given the right to further education. The committee's proposal will be presented on 1 October 1997.

According to Næringslivets Ukeavis (on 15 August 1997), the weekly newspaper of the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO), the committee which is currently considering the question of further training and education will present two main proposals. The committee, which comprises members from the largest labour market organisations, will present its recommendation on 1 October 1997.

Firstly, the committee will propose that all employees should have a statutory right to unpaid leave of absence to pursue further training or education. Secondly, the committee is recommending that all adults who only have nine years of formal education (primary and secondary school) should be given a right to further education funded by the state. However, the newspaper emphasises that there is still some controversy in the committee, both with regard to making the right to leave of absence a statutory right and with regard to the employers' prerogative to define the content of the training or education. Nonetheless, both sides of industry are keen to arrive at a common understanding and a proposal which both sides can support.

It therefore appears that the reform of further training and education will gradually be introduced in close cooperation with the labour market parties. Employers will be obliged to give their employees leave of absence, but they will not be obliged to cover the educational costs. The question of how the reform is to be financed is therefore highly likely to feature on the agenda for the 1998 collective bargaining round, and on the political agenda.