How is the ILO advocating for the inclusion of marginalized and vulnerable groups in skills development programs to ensure equitable access to quality training opportunities in the face of evolving labor market dynamics?
«The new ILO Strategy on Skills and Lifelong Learning 2030 outlines ILO’s approach towards making skills systems more inclusive, with special attention to women, youth, migrants and refugees, and other disadvantaged groups. Through this strategy, the ILO emphasises the role skills systems can play in overcoming inequalities faced by disadvantaged groups and achieving social justice.
The ILO develops and disseminates tools and guidelines to support its constituents to build more inclusive skills development systems, which effectively tackle the diverse barriers to training and decent work encountered by vulnerable groups. For instance, the 2020 “Guide on making TVET and skills development inclusive for all” helps decision-makers and TVET practitioners assess to what extent their TVET system is currently excluding certain individuals or groups, identifies underlying reasons, and provides practical ideas on what could be done to redress inequalities. The guide includes several self-assessment tools to initiate reflection and learning
Another tool is the “Upgrading informal apprenticeship – A resource guide for Africa“. Informal apprenticeship refers to the system by which an apprentice acquires the skills for a trade or craft in a micro or small enterprise learning and working side by side with an experienced practitioner. Apprentice and master craftsperson conclude a training agreement that is embedded in the local norms and traditions of a society. In some African countries, informal apprenticeships, constitute up to 90 per cent of national skills provisions. ILO’s approach is to preserve successful practices while addressing shortcomings including various interventions to enhance training quality, working conditions, skills recognition, financial arrangements, and promote gender inclusivity.
The ILO also provides technical assistance for improving skills financing as it believes tailoring skills financing mechanisms for disadvantaged learners is crucial for their full participation in skills development. For instance, in 2020 the ILO published a Review of Skills Levy Systems in Countries of the Southern African Development Community that makes country-specific, high-level recommendations and provides national training funds reviews.
Furthermore, the organization promotes gender action plans to increase the number of women in STEM careers, and the share of men in care occupations, as well as interventions to eliminate violence and harassment by skills providers or workplaces. The Women in STEM Programme is one such initiative that has empowered women in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand to gain technical skills and transition to STEM-related careers in ICT, IT-BPO, and electrical and electronics industries respectively.
Moreover, the ILO seeks to aid individuals in rural areas by linking employment opportunities with the necessary community-based vocational training through its Training for Rural Economic Empowerment (TREE) programme.
Another significant area of focus is the ILO’s work to combat forced labour through quality skills development. To address this challenge, the ILO has produced Global guidelines on the prevention of forced labour, as well as the economic reintegration of victims of forced labour.»
How is the ILO collaborating with EEA/EU states and stakeholders to foster social dialogue and promote inclusive labor market policies that address the changing nature of work and facilitate the fair and equitable distribution of the benefits of skills development?
«Effective governance of work relies on social dialogue among governments, employers’ organizations and workers’ organizations. The ILO’s unique tripartite structure fosters collaborations and consensus-building between the different stakeholders in skills systems, thereby promoting social dialogue. The International Labour Conference (ILC) is a key part of ILO’s commitment towards engaging in social dialogue, wherein experts from government, workers’ and employers’ groups develop recommendations on labour market policies. The EU and its Member States contribute actively to these standard-setting practices as well, as evidenced in the Recommendation concerning quality apprenticeships that was adopted at the 111th session of the ILC in June 2023.
To further advance its work in skills development, the ILO undertakes different partnerships with EU states, with one such example being the collaboration between ILO and the Government of Norway for skills and lifelong learning for the Future of Work. This agreement aims to skill, reskill, and upskill individuals, contributing to the ILO Global Programme on Skills and Lifelong Learning.
Another recent example comes from the formation of the Inter-Agency Working Group on Career Guidance between the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP), the European Commission, the European Training Foundation, OECD, the ILO, and other international organisations that work on access to lifelong learning solutions for all workers.»
What initiatives and partnerships is the ILO undertaking to anticipate and address emerging skills gaps and promote lifelong learning in the context of the future of work, ensuring that individuals can adapt and thrive in an evolving labor market?
«The ILO helps constituents align skills development with labour market demands, taking into account challenges arising from industrial, sectoral, trade, technology, and environmental policies. To address the changing nature of the world of work, the European Training Foundation, CEDEFOP, and the ILO have partnered up to produce guides on Skills needs anticipation by using labour market information, developing skills foresights, scenarios and forecasts, working at the sectoral level, the role of employment service providers, developing skills surveys, and finally on running tracer studies.
The ILO has also developed the Skills for Trade and Economic Diversification (STED) program that aims at offering sector-level technical assistance to identify the necessary skills development strategies for achieving future success in international trade.
ILO’s technical support enables countries to anticipate skills needs, minimize mismatches, and enhance systems and institutions. It also produces relevant research such as the Skills Innovation Facility that presents innovative solutions for handling dynamic labour market and societal changes. Another goal of the ILO is to facilitate just transitions through skills development, evident in projects undertaken for green and digital transitions. For example, the ILO has developed a guidance tool for Greening TVET and skills, supporting countries in enhancing their Greening TVET agenda and transforming training practices.
Additionally, ILO’s report on the Digitalization of national TVET and skills systems provides a comprehensive approach towards digitalization across different functions of skills systems and introduces key frameworks and tools to deploy a strategic approach at the country level.
Lastly, on an UN-wide level, the ILO participates in the global initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth which seeks to improve decent work access for youth worldwide. Through these various initiatives and collaborations, the ILO continues to contribute to the advancement of inclusive skills development for all and achieving social justice.»
Christine Hofmann, Skills and Employability Specialist, Team Lead Skills for Social Inclusion, Skills and Employability Branch, ILO
Julien Varlin, Project Technical Officer on Skills for Social Inclusion, Skills and Employability Branch, ILO
Supported by Ipsa Banerjee, intern in the Skills and Employability Branch, ILO
Credits: ILO
