Achieving Industrial Democracy: via non formal education

Abstract

In this article we deal with the implications of rapid technological change for the individual at the place of work in particular, but also somewhat more generally with regard to the extension of his leisure time. We argue that rapid technological change is inevitable, and that employees must develop some means of coping with such change. We suggest that there are two such means: one is through an extension of industrial democracy; and the other is through an entirely new initiative to extend education to the place of work. Moreover we also argue that these two means are not mutually exclusive but intimately linked. Industrial democracy is not likely to be achieved, excepting through an extension of education at the place of work, and secondly, the concept of education per se should be given particular sensitive treatment. We are dealing with recurrent education at shop floor level in industry and, as such, an important assumption we make is that recurrent education does not mean “more of the same thing”, for example, by simply increasing the number of non‐vocational classes in Adult Education Centres, vocational courses in Further Education Colleges and ITB training at the place of work. It means that engaging in education intermittently throughout life is accepted as relevant to people of all classes and occupations, and that work and learning can recur naturally during an adult's life span. It emphasises the individual's capacity to organise his own learning and requires much greater flexibility and responsiveness from formal education than it shows at present.

Citation

Chell, L. and Fielden, D. (1980), "Achieving Industrial Democracy: via non formal education", Employee Relations, Vol. 2 No. 1, pp. 20-24. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb054942