MEHE KODU ON MAAILM, NAISE MAAILM ON KODU? - Tartu Ülikool

HARIDUSE PEEGELDUS TÄISKASVANUEAS REFLECTION OF EDUCATION IN ADULTHOOD
REFLECTION OF EDUCATION IN ADULTHOOD
Karolin Kõrreveski
Introduction
Nowadays, learning does not end after graduating from high school or university, but people
continue learning at work and in their spare time. Continuous self-education is needed in order to
successfully compete in the labour market. The demand for educated workforce has increased
and the supply of educated workforce has grown as well. Similarly to other countries with a lot of
educated workforce, the Estonian labour market is highly competitive. Approximately 90% of
Estonia's labour force has at least secondary education and 37% has higher education.
Compared to men, women’s educational level is higher, which is a well-known fact. How is it
reflected in working life and can women’s more active participation in education be noticed also in
adult learning?
The article concentrates firstly on whether men’s and females’ educational level corresponds to
the requirements set for their jobs and whether they are either over- or undereducated for their
jobs. Previous research has shown that around 13% of the employed work in a position that
requires a lower educational level (Paulus 2007; Lamo and Messina 2010). The second half of
the article deals with lifelong learning of adults. It analyses whether the mismatch between
educational level and job can be reduced by participation in adult learning. It can be assumed
that men would try to compensate for their lower level of education by attending work related
courses more often than women. What do the results of the Labor Force Survey of 2010 show
us?
Under- and overeducation in the labour market
Lots of jobs with low qualification requirements have disappeared due to technological
development, while lots of new jobs have increasingly higher requirements for specialised
knowledge. It is estimated that, by the year 2020, higher education will be required in
approximately 30% of all jobs in Europe and one third of labour force does indeed meet this
criterion (Skill … 2010: 1). In the light of this forecast, the future does not seem that bleak.
However, the challenge of modern society lies elsewhere. It is difficult to find employees with
adequate skills and knowledge for particular jobs from this educated labour force
(Skill … 2010: 1). Educated persons do not necessarily have the knowledge or skills desired by
employers, leading to discrepancies in the labour market (Kutseoskuste … 2010). Approximately
37% of Estonian labour force currently has tertiary education. At the same time, foreign investors
in Estonia have complained in public discussions about the lack of good professional skills
(Pilvinski 2010). Similarly, the labour demand forecast until 2017 of the Ministry of Economic
Affairs and Communications indicates a slightly higher future demand for workforce with
vocational education (Tööjõuvajaduse … 2010).
Job-education mismatch creates a lot of important negative consequences for employees,
employers and the society in general. If a person’s job is not adequate for his or her abilities, this
could lead to dissatisfaction and a drop in motivation, which is manifested in a lack of productivity.
Similarly, work performance suffers when job duties exceed a person’s abilities. Overeducation is
often associated with wage penalty, while undereducation requires higher investment in
employee training from employers. Such a situation facilitates labour turnover and increases the
risk of unemployment. An estimated 30% of European workforce is overeducated
(Skill … 2010: 1). The high educational level of workforce is not a problem in itself, but a problem
emerges when people are unable to utilise their skills and knowledge effectively and to an
optimum extent. If highly educated persons do not find jobs corresponding to their education, they
often accept positions requiring lower educational level in order to avoid unemployment.
However, this complicates the situation for people with lower levels of education, who are forced
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MEHE KODU ON MAAILM, NAISE MAAILM ON KODU? MAN’S HOME IS THE WORLD, WOMAN’S WORLD IS HER HOME?