Developing Skills for the New Economy

 

Note: Conference proceedings are now available. Please click here to view the conference proceedings.

 

Summary

Our society is continuously moving towards a knowledge-based economy: an economy in which the application of knowledge replaces capital, raw materials, and labour as the main means of production. The synergy of combining new information and communication technologies with human skills has dramatically altered job content and skills requirements at the workplace. Good jobs have become technologically complex and are demanding sophisticated work skills. Simple, routine and low-level functions are diminishing. The perception of the role of human interventions in the economic transactions has also changed. The potential contribution that an individual can make in acquiring and applying knowledge for improving processes, products and services is becoming more important than the physical labour. The knowledge embodied in a product has become a key element of production.

It is apparent that our future requires education and innovation to develop and maintain an efficient, competitive and successful workforce. Today's youth has a critical role to play in fueling the New Economy. As tomorrow's workforce, today's youth will have to compete in an increasingly knowledge-based society. To succeed in today's ever-changing global economy, today's youth must be exposed to the necessary skills and knowledge the New Economy demands and the abundant professional opportunities it has to offer.

To engage all key stakeholders in a discussion regarding skill development for the New Economy, the Canadian Vocational Association (CVA) and UNEVOC-Canada, the Canadian Centre for UNESCO’s International Project on Technical and Vocational Education will co-host an international conference:

DEVELOPING SKILLS FOR THE NEW ECONOMY
October 17-19, 2002

Conference Venue:
Delta Winnipeg
350 St. Mary Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3C 3J2 Canada