Decent work & vocational training

II.3  Vocational training and the ILO strategic objectives

19. As already indicated, the ILO has been identifying its strategic objectives with some of the components of decent work. It seems clear so far that training is a prerequisite and component of decent work, but all the same it might be useful to point out briefly some special and additional links training has with the ILO objectives.

We have already dwelt on the very close ties between training and the fundamental rights of man, that indeed make of training one more of those rights. We could add here that, as indicated before, equality in non-discriminatory treatment, which is one of the principles of the 1998 Declaration, depends, among other things, on access to education and vocational training. In many relegated or disfavoured groups a training deficit is apparent. Inversely, discrimination is less frequent or extreme among workers who have better quality jobs.

As stated in paragraph 6 of the Resolution on the Development of human resources, 2000, "education and high quality training are powerful instruments to improve general economic and social conditions, and to prevent and preclude social exclusion and discrimination, specially in connection with employment. To be efficient (those instruments) must reach all persons, including less favoured groups. Consequently, they should closely fit in with the needs of women and persons with special requirements...".

Regarding specially the gender matter, it has been said that the segregation of women has been determined, or to a great extent promoted by shortcomings in their vocational training (both initial training and ongoing learning)(44). In some concrete cases it has been shown that their access to training is irregular and a source of inequity, as those best trained are the ones who demand – and get – further training. Although women’s participation in training has been growing steadily, it is still insufficient, usually concentrating at the lower occupational levels or in concrete activities that are too specific(45). Moreover, the recent digital divide that we mentioned before compounds gender difficulties. For instance, it has been shown that typical users of the Internet in the world are male, under 35, with a college education and high income, English speaking and city dwellers.(46)

From the above we may conclude that promoting gender equality at work can be equated with training action focusing on women’s employability, so that they also may have access to decent work.(47) Vocational training can indeed contribute to upgrade the educational opportunities of both men and women, taking into account their different needs and removing the social factors that contribute to women’s discrimination at work. For example, the role of education (including training) is essential for giving new value to female tasks in the care of children and elderly persons, and for promoting effective sharing of family responsibilities.

20. We need not insist on the role of training in the promotion of employment, particularly good quality employment, and employability. We may, however, comment on training as an instrument for social protection.

The introduction of social protection as an objective of social policies and as a juridical principle can be considered one of the achievements of humanity in the 20^th Century. All persons are thereby afforded a minimum level of security vis-à-vis the so-called social risks or contingencies, such as sickness, accidents, old age, unemployment or exclusion. Social protection - which includes social security and goes beyond it - consists of the collective intervention of society in order to guard its citizens against various hazards and vulnerabilities, to maintain their welfare and strengthen their capacity to face such risks. Training is an essential element in this concept of social protection, insofar as it must foresee the rehabilitation of workers affected by cutbacks in personnel, offering retraining and unemployment insurance to those that have been laid off.(48)

Important here are training modalities connected with social eventualities, particularly unemployment: retraining of laid-off workers, ongoing training, the retraining of adults and the training of young people can be mentioned as examples.(49)

21. Social dialogue, the fourth ILO strategic objective and also a component of decent work, has in vocational training an appropriate meeting ground where the interests of the different players come together. In effect, the dual nature of vocational training (a right of workers on the one hand, a corporate instrument on the other) makes it adequate for a dialogue about traditional bargaining points, that in times of adjustment policies and keen business competition tends to turn sour and difficult.

The Resolution on Development of human resources –quoted here several times- devotes several long and very apt paragraphs to social dialogue and vocational training.

Among other provisions, Paragraph 18 states that "trade unions and employers’ associations (...) should contribute to training by setting up their own institutes and offering education to their members" and thereupon adds: "collective bargaining may provide good opportunities for organising and delivering training, especially within sectors and enterprises". Paragraph 19 points out that "the social players should strengthen social dialogue on training, share responsibilities in the formulation of training and educational policies and strike up accords among themselves or with governments to invest in planned training and implement it". It goes on: "governments should provide a framework for establishing associations and an effective social dialogue in the field of training and employment".

Then, paragraph 20 finds that "the scope and efficiency of social dialogue and associations in the field of training is at present limited by the capacity and resources of the respective players", which leads on to the ILO strategic objective of buttressing the social actors in order to promote dialogue.

In what seems to be a significant conclusion, paragraph 20 of the Resolution ends up by saying that: "in its capacity of tripartite organisation, the ILO should take the lead in international co-operation for the creation of capabilities with a view to social dialogue and associations in the field of training". It finally adds that "additional efforts would have to be made for the benefit of developing countries"

Pursuant to this mandate, in co-operation with other ILO offices, departments and programmes, Cinterfor/ILO has promoted the implementation of a number of studies on the subject, and has started publication of a Series on "Contributions to Social Dialogue and Training"(50)

 

44. ILO, Decent jobs for women. An ILO proposal... cit. p.14.
45. VALENZUELA, María E., Calidad de empleo de las mujeres en el Cono Sur, mimeographed paper submitted to the international seminar on "Social Dialogue, Tripartism and Equality of Opportunities in the Mercosur", Santiago, Chile, 2000.
46. SILVEIRA, Sara, Políticas públicas de equidad de género en el trabajo en los países del Cono Sur www.cinterfor.org.uy. See also, by the same author and at the same site, La política formativa con dimensión de género: avances y desafíos para el nuevo siglo, presentation submitted to the First Latin American Seminar on Gender and vocational training, Panama, 2000.
47. Another relevant matter is whether decent work is the same for men and women, although this is not the place to discuss it.
48. Report of the UN Secretary General, Improvement of social protection and reduction of vulnerability in the present process of globalisation, Committee of Social Development, 39^th period of sessions, 13-23 February 2001, cit. by BARRETO GHIONE, Hugo, Diálogo social y formación...cit. para. 3.
49. See supra. para 11.
50. The following titles have already been issued: ROSENBAUM RÍMOLO, Jorge, Negociación colectiva sobre formación en el Mercosur, Montevideo 2000; CAPPELETTI, Beatriz and others, Actores sociales y formación en Argentina, Montevideo 2000: DIEESE, Diálogo social sobre formaçao no Brasil, Montevideo 2000; REYNOSO CASTILLO, Carlos, Diálogo social sobre formación en México, Montevideo, 2000; CÉSPEDES, Roberto, Diálogo social sobre formación en Paraguay, Montevideo, 2001; and ROSENBAUM RÍMOLO, Jorge, Diálogo social sobre formación enUruguay, Montevideo, 2001. No 7 of the Series is currently in press: BARRETO GHIONE, Hugo, Diálogo social y formación: una perspectiva desde los países del Mercosur y México.

 

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