Publications

Patiño G. C.A.; Orjuela Góngora C.; Roca Rojas C.
Social dialogue for vocational training in Colombia

Montevideo: Cinterfor/ILO, 2005
155p. (Contributions to Social Dialogue and Training, 13)

ISBN: 92-9088-187-9

(Full text available only in Spanish pdf format)

 

INTRODUCTION

This paper describes several instruments that exist in Colombia for social dialogue and the different actual or potential scopes for the agreement of policies and measures regarding vocational training (VT).

The analysis has been conducted within a broad understanding of social dialogue that enables, in one way, to go further in training contents found in collective conventions and agreements, and, in another way, to understand discussions and agreements that are produced in the higher social dialogue instrument called Commission of Agreement on Labour and Salary The types of mechanisms used for such purposes and the concepts that support them are explained in Chapter 2.

Chapter 3 provides information on certain indicators about the social and economic situation and several quotations from recent studies on poverty and human development.

After a tight account about some of the characteristics of the main actors of social dialogue (Chapter 4), some of the most outstanding features of training found in a sample of collective conventions and agreements are presented after explaining the legal and historical general framework of collective bargaining in the country (Chapter 5).

The broadest instrument of social agreement -that is, of economic, labour and salary policies- is analysed in Chapter 6, where the regulations that created and modified it, since the fifties, are described as well as its structure, functions and operation of the current Permanent Commission of Agreement on Labour and Salary Policies.

Chapter 7 goes further in the field of labour regulations regarding vocational training, by describing the legal framework of the right to work in Colombia, and then provides a more specific description of recent changes in the legislation about the Learning Contract.

Chapter 8 offers a more general overview of the supply of vocational and technical training as well as a detailed account of the evolution and current situation of the main training institution of the country: National Learning Service (SENA). Afterwards, Chapter 9 provides a description of the group of programmes and management and orientation bodies of the institution, that are continuous scenarios for social dialogue about a wide range of key aspects for the development of training, such as the National Training for Work Service and the national and regional Boards of directors.

To further expand on the details exposed throughout the previous chapters, Chapter 10 includes a summary of recent opinions of actors about the need and convenience of social dialogue, and about current innovation processes of SENA and about the changes carried out through Decrees in its structure and functions.

Finally, Chapter 11 presents a collection of final considerations -some of which may be understood as suggestions for the different actors - about the types of instruments analysed throughout the paper.

 

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. WHAT DO WE UNDERSTAND BY SOCIAL DIALOGUE?

1. Mechanisms
2. Concepts

3. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONTEXT

4. SOCIAL DIALOGUE ACTORS

1. Trade union organisations

1.1 Some events in the development of unionism in Colombia
1.2 Central organisations and the 'Comando Nacional Unitario'

2. Entrepreneurial organisations

2.1 National Trade Union Council
2.2 ACOPI ('Colombian Association of Small and Medium-sized industries)
2.3 ANDI (National Association of Entrepreneurs)
2.4 FENALCO (National Federation of Traders)
2.5 SAC (Colombian Farmers' Association)

3. Government (Executive Branch of Public Power)

4. Congress of the Republic (Legislative Branch of Public Power)

5. Another actor: specialised knowledge

6. NGOs, foundations and international organisations

5. VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN COLLECTIVE BARGANING

1. General framework
2. Background and trends in collective bargaining in Colombia
3. General characteristics of collective bargaining of work
4. Some characteristics of collective agreements of work
5. Vocational training in collective conventions and agreements

5.1 Who is required to train
5.2 Workers' requirements of training
5.3 Training objectives
5.4 Who provides funds for training
5.5 Who determines training contents
5.6 Facilities to train

6. Other instruments for training public employees

6. SOCIAL CONCERTATION, ADVANCED MECHANISM OF DIALOGUE AND PARTICIPATION

1. Previous experiences of social agreements in Colombia
2. Current Permanent Commission of Agreement on Labour and Salary Policies

2.1 Structure and functions
2.2 Tripartite Agreement of 2000
2.3 Permanent Commission through current period (2002-2004)

7. LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF THE RIGHT TO WORK AND HIRE LEARNING IN COLOMBIA

1. The Constitution of 1991
2. Learning Contract

2.1 Learning Contract until 2002
2.2 New legal system of the Learning Contract

8. VOCATIONAL TRAINING OFFER IN COLOMBIA, AND AN INSTITUTION BASED ON SOCIAL DIALOGUE: SENA

1. General view of the VT supply in Colombia
2. National Training Service (SENA)

2.1 Some events of its history
2.2 SENA nowadays

2.2.1 Diversification and renovation
2.2.2. Other figures of 2004
2.2.3 Institutional renovation

9. SENA SCENARIOS FOR SOCIAL DIALOGUE ON VOCATIONAL TRAINING

1. The system and some of its instruments (Discussion tables, Networks and Continuous training)

1.1 National System of Training for Work (SNFT)
1.2 Sectoral tables of agreement on labour competencies
1.3 Network of training for work organisations
1.4 SENA continuous training programme

2. Tripartite management and orientation bodies of SENA

2.1 National Board of Directors of SENA (CDN)
2.2 Regional Councils of SENA
2.3 Technical committees of SENA centres
2.4 National Commission of Competitiveness Projects and Productive Technological Development

2.4.1 SENA framework of action of innovation and technological development
2.4.2 Structure and functions of the National Commission of Competitiveness Projects and Productive technological development

2.5 National Committee of Vocational Training (CNFP)

10. ACTORS' OPINIONS

1. On social dialogue in general

1.1 CUT (Central Workers' Trade Union)
1.2 ACOPI (Colombian Association of middle-sized and small enterprises)
1.3 ANDI (National Association of Entrepreneurs)
1.4 A Department governor
1.5 Some considerations from the seminar of Cali

2. About the Vocational Training System and SENA's restructuring

2.1 About the government to SENA's management
2.2 About unionised workers
2.3 About an employers' union, ACOPI

11. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

12. ANNEXES

Annex 1. List of collective conventions and agreements analysed in the sample that have regulated vocational training aspects
A. Collective conventions
B. Collective agreements

Annex 2. Decree 933 of 2003, which regulates the Learning Contract and other regulations

Annex 3. Decree 2585 of 2003, which regulates the Learning Contract and adds to Decree 933 of 2003

Annex 4. Decree 934 of 2003, which regulates the operations of Fondo Emprender

Annex 5. Law 278 of 1996. Permanent Commission of Agreement on Labour and Salary Policies created by article 56 of Political Constitution

 

 

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