WorldSkills Leaders Forum 2005

"Much more than just a conference"

After its inauguration in Seoul 2001, its successful follow up in St.Gallen 2003 and in conjunction with the 38th WorldSkills Competition, we are hosting the Helsinki 2005 WorldSkills Leaders Forum in the Helsinki Fair Center on 25-26 May 2005.

This event provides an excellent opportunity to learn new strategies and methods and to build partnerships and networks focussing on specific aspects of Technical Vocational Educational and Training.

Due to the growing importance of Education, Training and Skills Development Programmes worldwide and among all stakeholders, we invite you to join this WorldSkills Leaders Forum to build bridges, initiate the TVET cross national dialogue, set new standards and above all: to come and see the best practices of Vocational Education and Training at the 38th WorldSkills Competition!

A special welcome from Ms Eva-Riitta Siitonen, Lord Mayor of Helsinki

Dear Visitor,

I have the pleasure to warmly welcome you to Helsinki.

Helsinki is very proud to have been chosen to host the 38th WorldSkills competition. This is an excellent way for our city to strengthen our profile as a centre of know-how with high professional expertise. The timing is excellent, as we are celebrating the National Year of Vocational Skills in Finland in 2005. The Competition also provides visitors with an excellent opportunity to familiarise themselves with different vocations, education and the expectations of working life.

Besides attending the WorldSkills competition, I hope you will find time to get acquainted with our city. Helsinki has an urban cosmopolitan lifestyle that exists in harmony with nature. Surrounded by the sea and an exotic archipelago, Helsinki offers visitors an endless number of ex-periences.

Today's Helsinki is also a city of the future. Its modern architecture, cutting-edge design and high-technology have attracted international recognition for the city. Unique lifestyles and urban subcultures are all a part of this international metropolis.

I wish you every success for the WorldSkills competition and hope you enjoy your stay in Helsinki!

Eva-Riitta Siitonen
Lord Mayor

 

Speakers

The speakers at this WorldSkills Leaders Forum are excellent and their presentations promise to be stimulating and insightful.

Mr Chris Humphries CBE

Director General, City and Guilds of London Institute

Title of presentation: Skills in a Global Economy

Trends in knowledge and knowledge management, new information and production technologies, and demographics are all combining to place major pressures on the skills base in both developed and developing economies. Emphasis in recent years on university education has diverted young people towards academic learning on a massive scale, and yet the demand for high quality skills in technical and craft trades continues to be a critical success factor as the existing workforce ages and the youth cohort in many countries begins to shrink. 

At the same time, the pace of change in occupational skill sets, technologies and business and management practices are requiring adults to seek regularly upskilling, or even reskilling, in order to maintain their future employability - and forcing companies to adopt much more comprehensive all-age workforce development strategies in order to maintain their national or global competitiveness. In some nations, the scale of demographic change is such that and access to skills training for adults are undergoing major reviews.

These developments are driving substantial agendas for change in many nations' vocational education and training strategies and infrastructures, as well as national policies on retirement and pensions.  This presentation will analyse the nature of these changes and various national responses, and then consider the opportunities for, and benefits of, transnational collaboration.

Biographical notes:
Chris Humphries was appointed Director General of the City and Guilds of London Institute, the leading UK awarding body for vocational qualifications, from 2 April 2001. He is an acknowledged champion for Vocational Education in the UK, working to increase the profile and accessibility of learning and qualifications.

Prior to that, he served as Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce from 1998 where he significantly raised the status and credibility of the national network of accredited Chambers of Commerce through their campaign against regulatory and tax burdens on business, moved the network on-line through an award-winning Internet site and National Intranet, and led the establishment of Enterprise Insight, a collaborative national campaign to promote entrepreneurship between the British Chambers of Commerce, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Institute of Directors (loD)

Chris first arrived in London from Australia in 1974 and worked for five years as a Media Resources Officer with the Inner London Education Authority before setting up a small but successful independent television production company with two partners. He was Information Technology Programme Manager and then Assistant Director, for the UK-wide Council for Educational Technology, before periods as production manager for computer based training at ICL, and then education business unit manager for Acorn Computers in Cambridge until 1991.

Appointed as Chief Executive of the Hertfordshire Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) in 1991, Chris went on to become the founding Chief Executive of the TEC National Council from 1994 until his appointment to the British Chambers of Commerce in April 1998.

Whilst working for the British Chambers of Commerce, Chris also served as Chairman of the Government's Skills Task Force from March 1998 to July 2000. Appointed by the Secretary of State for Education and Employment to advise on changes to the English further education and training system to better serve the future skills needs of UK employers and the UK economy, the Task Force produced four main reports, and over 20 research and sectoral analysis reports, as part of the most substantial review of skills and training for many decades. Chris was appointed as a member of the Government's Skills Strategy Steering Group in December 2002, and will continue in this role as the Strategy is implemented during 2003-05.

Chris served as a founder member of the National Learning and Skills Council from 2000 to 2002, and continues to be an active member of the National Adult Learning Committee. He is also Chairman of UK Skills, the organisation responsible for the national network of 70 skills competitions, UK participation in the WorldSkills Competitions, and the UK's prestigious National Training Awards, and was appointed as a Director of the NHSU from 1 December 2003.

He was awarded the CBE for services to training and enterprise in June 1998. Chris lives in London with his wife Hazel, and two daughters, Samantha and Kate, aged 17 and 15.

Mr John Williamson

Senior Vice President of Global Operations in charge of supply chain, logistics, information technology, and manufacturing for all Fluke facilities worldwide (N. America, Europe, Asia)

Title of presentation: An Industry Perspective of the Challenges of Change and Global Competition.

Office location: Corporate Headquarters, Everett, WA  

Education:  Bachelor Science Degree – California State University at Fullerton
Major – Business Administration with a concentration in production and operations management

John Williamson has worked for the Danaher Corporation (the parent company of Fluke Corporation) since 1989, serving in progressively responsible executive positions.

John joined Fluke Corporation, Everett, WA, October 2000, as the Vice President of Operations, and today serves as the Senior Vice President of Global Operations, as well as the manufacturing board representative for the Danaher Corporation’s China Management Board, which directs the business activities of the company’s 4,000-plus employees in China.

John has over twenty years of international experience, having started businesses in Central America and in China, and managing businesses worldwide.  His experience includes negotiations with labor unions, and governments.

In addition to his management responsibilities, John leads the Fluke continuous improvement efforts, lending his leadership and experience to the goal of making the organization a world class manufacturing company.

Dr Muriel Dunbar

European Training Foundation

Title of presentation: European support for Human Resources for Sustainable Development: an example from the Mediterranean Region.

Deputy Director of the British Council in Indonesia, has been chosen to be the new Director of the European Training Foundation, the EU agency based in Turin, Italy.

Following a public recruitment procedure, the ETF's Governing Board chose Dr. Dunbar from a short list of five candidates put forward by the European Commission.She will succeed Peter de Rooij, whose mandate as Director comes to an end on 30 June 2004 and who has managed the ETF since it was established in 1994.

Dr. Dunbar, who is British, has spent her entire 30-year career working in the field of vocational education and training. She is currently senior consultant in education and training at the British Council in Indonesia working on a variety of education reform projects, and has advised on many donor-funded projects in vocational education and training in developing and transition countries.

Before moving onto the international scene, Dr. Dunbar was Assistant Director at the Scottish Qualifications Authority (formerly the Scottish Vocational Education Council).

Dr Dunbar holds a Master's degree and a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Sheffield.

Mr. Antonio Carlos Brito Maciel

Executive Director of Brazil’s CNI

Title of presentation: Technological Evolution and Vocational Education.  

Mr Antonio Carlos Brito Maciel,  Brazilian, 59 years old, is currently Executive Director of Brazil’s CNI (National Confederation of Industries) for the term 2002-2006 and advisor to its President in matters such as: setting up of administrative and financial policies for the CNI System, management follow-up, analysis of contracts, processes, covenants and projects. Also as part of his duties and responsibilities, he articulates and promotes actions of SESI (Social Service for Industry), SENAI (National Vocational Education Service), and IEL (Institute Euvaldo Lodi).

Office location: SENAI Headquarters, Brasilia, Brazil    

Education:

•  Bachelor Science Degree – Federal University of Pernambuc – Major: Financial Law.
•  Upgrading Degree – Law College of Pernambuco – Major: Fiscal Law.  

Mr. Maciel has extensive experience in areas such as: Administration of Private Enterprises, Strategical Administration/Planning, Organizational Updating, and Advisory for Business Training.  

In addition to his management/technical responsibilities, Maciel leads SENAI’s continuous improvement efforts, lending his leadership and experience to the goal of making the organization a world-class vocational education  agency.

Ms Sylvia Allen

Director of Human Resources Group, Cisco Corporate Responsibility

Title of presentation: Strategies for Bridging Technology and Skills Gaps

In her role at Cisco, Sylvia Allen is responsible for Philanthropy, Worldwide operations of the Cisco Networking Academies and Corporate Citizenship initiatives. She is the chairperson of the Citizenship Council, which is responsible for providing leadership and guidance around corporate responsibility practices. She is on the Cisco Foundation board. Sylvia is a strong advocate for diversity/inclusion as a way of life both in the workplace and in the community, and was previously the Chief Diversity Officer for the company.

Sylvia’s prior experience includes strategic, global roles in Human Resources, Customer Services and Finance for Silicon Graphics, Inc, Ameritech Telecommunications, Siemens, and Digital Equipment Corporation. Some of her key accomplishments include developing global learning strategies, organization consulting and change management solutions that improve business performance.

Sylvia has been a speaker for many professional and community organizations, and is active as a member of the Conference Board Council, TRIO/Council on Education. She is also one of the founders of Women of Color Action Network and has received several awards for her civic and professional efforts.

Her passions include increasing the representation of women and minorities in the economic growth venues in our society; she is presently working on a global initiative involving women & girls in technology.

Sylvia has an undergraduate degree in Business from California State University and an MBA from Pepperdine University. She is a native of Chicago, Illinois and enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and reading. The topic :- Strategies for Bridging Technology and Skills Gaps

Sylvia will present the Cisco Session at the WorldSkills Leaders Forum. Below is part of the proposed synopsis:

Cisco Systems believes that the Internet and Education are the two great equalizers in life, the Cisco Networking Academy program is one of the ways that Cisco seeks to address the global challenge of rapidly changing technology and the need for people with the relevant skills. With a program that is currently active in over 160 countries with over 10,000 academies and nearly 450,000 students participating, the program is helping to address the real needs of students seeking to become skilled in IT and Networking technologies all over the world both in developed and developing countries . In this session Sylvia Allen will outline why Cisco invests in the program and the benefits it brings to countries, society and individuals.

Ms Annette Nijs

former Vice Minister of Education, Netherlands

Title of presentation: Tackling the Challenges of Change and Global Competition

As micro economist Annette Nijs is interested in international and Dutch economical developments: what makes an economy grow, how does the government influence the industry and what are the consequences for entrepreneurs and consumers? 

Before Annette Nijs became Vice Minister of Education, she gained experience in the energy industry for 10 years. She worked for Shell in the Hague, London, Muscat (Oman), Houston en Manilla in several positions (such as consultancy, strategy, marketing, sales management, B2B-commerce, financial management en global bottom-line management).

After her position as Cabinet Minister for Education, she became member of the Council of Commissioners of DRS, a Chinese enterprise in the energy sector and member of the Advisory Council of the European Association of International Education (EAIE). She is currently MP for the Liberal Party in the Netherlands. 

Mr Patrick (Paddy) Morgan

Training Services Manager at FAS (the Irish National Training and Employment Authority)

Title of Presentation - Training without walls, transparency of qualifications and mobility of labour.

An experienced training manager with twenty years experience in the management of training centres, he obtained his Masters degree in the Design of Interactive Training Systems from the University of Surrey and is a member of The Irish Institute of Training and Development.  

Prior to taking up a senior management post in the organisation he was a Council member of AnCo, the National Training Authority. He has participated as both partner and main contractor in European projects under various funding programmes, with a particular focus on Multimedia, e-Learning and Interactive Training Systems. 

He obtained major EU funding to research and develop a Model for Flexible Industrial Training and piloted the model in partnership with Hewlett Packard (Ireland) and a transnational partnership including FESTO.  This project has now received additional major funding under the Leonardo da Vince Programme, to mainstream the model throughout the twenty FAS Training Centres, two Colleges of Further Education in Northern Ireland and two Universities in Poland and Romania.  

He is currently Chairman of a working group set up to integrate e-Learning and blended solutions into the work practice of staff in FAS Training Services, implement a Key-Trainer Programme and develop a Community of Practice involving Curriculum Specialists and Training Centre Managers in this process.

Programme - 25 May 2015

Welcome and Opening by Jack Dusseldorp President of WorldSkills and Timo Lankinen President of Skills Finland

Keynote Speaker 1 - Mr Chris Humphries
Skills in a Global Economy
 Download presentation

Keynote Speaker 2 - Mr John Williamson
An Industry Perspective of the Challenges of Change and Global Competition.
 Download presentation

Keynote Speaker 3 - Dr Muriel Dunbar
European support for Human Resources for Sustainable Development: an example from the Mediterranean Region
 Download presentation
 Download transcript of speech

Keynote Speaker 4 - Mr. Antonio Carlos Brito Maciel
The Technology Evolution and Vocational Training Process

Keynote Speaker 5 - Ms. Sylvia Allen
Strategies for Bridging Technology and Skills Gaps
 Download presentation

Keynote Speaker 6 - Ms Annette Nijs
Tackling the Challenges of Change and Global Competition
 Download presentation

Thurs 26.05.05

Keynote Speaker 7 - Paddy Morgan
Training without walls, transparency of qualifications and mobility of labour.
 Download presentation

Opening of Global Skills Village

•  Ms Tuula Haatainen, Minister of Education, Finland
•  Mr Ján Figel', Member of European Commission, Education and Culture 
•  Mr Jack Dusseldorp, President, WorldSkills 
•  Ms Kirsi Lindroos, Director General, Finnish National Board of Education