The future of education and training systems

Discover the systemic approach rooted in six pillars to build effective, future-ready lifelong learning policies.

• Governance
  
  Establishing strong frameworks to coordinate and guide education and training reforms.
• Financing
  
  Developing sustainable funding mechanisms to support lifelong learning initiatives.
• Labour Market Information
  
  Leveraging data to align skills development with current and future workforce needs.
• Qualifications
  
  Modernizing qualification systems to reflect changing job roles and recognize all learning.
• Skills Development
  
  Promoting targeted training programs to equip individuals with adaptable and relevant skills.
• Support to Transitions
  
  Facilitating smooth transitions across careers and sectors through lifelong career development.
• Color-Coded Economies
  
  A new framework exploring the intersections between economic and occupational trends, such as sustainability, digitalization and ageing.

This Keynote highlights the critical need to reform education and training systems to address the growing skills gap caused by rapid technological advancements, globalization, and evolving labor market demands. It emphasizes a systemic approach based on six pillars—governance, financing, labor market information, qualifications, skills development, and support for transitions.

Policy-makers and practitioners in the field of education and training, companies’ management looking to engage in skills development of their employees, development partners designing and implementing projects in the field of education and training, researchers in the field of skills anticipation.

Stefano Merante, from Italy, is an expert in Skills Development, Certification, and Technology-powered learning. As Manager of the CATALYST initiative at the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITCILO), he focuses on policy coherence and systemic approaches and is known for organising innovative events using 2D and 3D technologies.

Education

Stefano holds three Master’s degrees in diverse fields. Starting with Humanities in Milan, focusing on ancient Greek and glottology, he then studied Development Economics at the University of Pavia and later specialised in Employment and Training Systems at ENSFEA, Toulouse. A committed lifelong learner, he continually expands his knowledge.

Experience

Stefano Merante is a skills development expert with a systemic thinking approach shaped by 20 years of professional experience, split between Programme Management and Technical Assistance in NGOs and team leadership in the UN system. Husband and father of three, he credits family life as the source of many key skills. With over a decade spent working in developing and emerging countries, mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa, and missions across the globe, he’s also become an avid collector of flags from his travels.

Booking a keynote is simple. Fill out the booking form with your details and our team will get in touch with you via email to confirm the next steps. We’re here to help tailor the session to your needs and ensure a smooth process from booking to delivery of the Keynote.