Sectoral situation and problem analysis

The development of the Internet and mobile telephony, along with other new technologies, privatization and deregulation, has completely transformed the telecommunications industry in the past decade. Further changes are under way, such as the growth of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). All these phone technologies are coexisting and beginning to converge in Next Generation Networks (NGNs). These developments imply that telecommunications enterprises will have to adapt rapidly to changes in their market, while their workforces will need to develop new competencies that can ensure their continued employability. Technological change is also likely to have a significant impact on employment, labour relations and work organization in telecommunications services. In Africa, these developments will have a major impact in the next few years, as efforts to bridge the digital divide are helped by the boom in mobile telephony, but hampered by the lack of infrastructure necessary for high-speed Internet connections.

Lifelong learning and employability approaches to training are to be found in some enterprises in the selected countries, but are likely to be more widely adopted by employers and workers alike if promoted. Success in the industry is dependent upon developing significant, future-oriented skills, in which ILO constituents could cooperate in a positive approach towards training for employability and change. Lifelong learning can help avoid skills shortages, improve job quality and satisfaction, enhance opportunities, meet consumers’ requirements and improve quality of service. The ILO can encourage dialogue on the content of training, commitment by workers to their own skill development, and equal opportunities in access to skills development.