State Secretary Martina Hirayama attends OECD Skills Summit in Brussels
Bern, 23.02.2024 - The OECD Skills Summit, Skills for the Future, was held on 21 and 22 February in Brussels. Education delegations from around 40 countries came together at the event to discuss how policy measures can be used to develop learning and career pathways that meet the needs of workers and employers alike.
The 21st century has been shaped by rapid technological, socioeconomic and environmental change. These changes also bring opportunities, and countries wishing to exploit them must strategically position themselves and further develop their education systems. Cooperation and coordination will be crucial both at various policymaking levels as well as among education providers, employers and the business community. Against this backdrop, the 2024 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Skills Summit in Brussels was built around the theme Skills for the Future: Building Bridges to New Opportunities.
In her presentation, State Secretary Martina Hirayama showed that education, research and innovation (ERI) in Switzerland make an important contribution to personal development and the competitiveness of companies. She emphasized the advantages of the federated structure of the Swiss education system, in which numerous public and private stakeholders are involved in service provision as well as in funding, legislation and governance. In this context, Ms Hirayama stressed the importance of permeable education systems that offer numerous education and training opportunities at every level, thus meeting individual interests and providing the economy with qualified skilled workers and managers. In addition, the State Secretary highlighted the importance of the equivalence of vocational and general education, which helps to boost the employability of professionals while also fostering a diverse mix of skilled workers.
State Secretary Hirayama held bilateral talks alongside the event, including meetings with her counterparts from Spain and Romania.
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State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI
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medien@sbfi.admin.ch
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State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation
http://www.sbfi.admin.ch
