GENEVA (ILO News) - The International Labour Office (ILO) will hold a Roundtable on "Learning and Training for decent work" on 30 May at 3 p.m. at the Palais des Nations, room XVI.
Opportunities for continuous education and training have been insufficient and only few workers, even in the developed countries, have had access to them. Countries therefore need to generalize, and increase investments in lifelong learning and effective and equitable training markets.
Besides such a proactive labour market policy, the social aims of education and training must be pursued with equal vigour to promote economic and social inclusion of displaced workers, particularly the unemployed and at-risk workers, women and youth.
Slow economic growth, economic restructuring, and structural adjustment are among the reasons for high unemployment in many developing countries. Developed countries have generally invested heavily in labour market training for the unemployed, but many programmes have been ineffective in reintegrating them into stable jobs. Careful targeting of training on individual needs and labour market opportunities, provision of quality training, strong links with production systems and a consensus on training between the social partners characterize the more successful experiences in this respect.
In most countries, a 1 per cent increase in the adult unemployment rate tends to be accompanied by an increase of closer to 2 per cent in the youth rate. Efforts to increase young people's employability by raising their educational levels, and providing vocational education and work-based training in labour market programmes have been uneven.
A growing number of people are unable to access the training they need and when they need it. Major structural reforms are needed in many countries to adapt training continuously to the changing nature and dynamics of labour markets.
The Committee on Human Resources Training and Development of the International Labour Conference will start its deliberations on a report entitled "Training for employment: social inclusion, productivity and youth employment" on 31 May 2000.