A Plan for a New Qualifications System in the Knowledge and Information Era

Abstract

The knowledge and information era does not involve only a progress in the informing data based on IT technologies but also refer to a new society with complex mega-trends including globalization, rapid technological changes and growth of the service industry. As technologies used at the industrial fields evolve drastically, it is difficult for qualifications to reflect on-site needs. Also with fast transformation of external circumstances which highlights the necessity of lifelong learning, learning should essentially be pursued on a constant basis and linkage between its result and qualifications. In an environment where labor movement is inevitable with the advent of the globalization trend, more weight is given to the functions of qualifications to facilitate labor movement. Against this background, this study focuses on the rising need of preparing strategies for a new qualifications system by re-identifying functions and roles of qualifications.