Modernization in Vocational Education and Training in the Latin American and the Caribbean Region

III. Participation and decentralisation

The changes in the organisation, management and conception of vocational training that we have outlined in this document are directly related to the transformations that have taken place in their respective contexts.

Such is the case of the phenomena underlined in Chapter II, on training scenarios, where we showed that training has been adapting to the new concept of lifelong education, to the ways and the speed at which the processes of innovation, development and transfer of technology are occurring, and to the emergence of different and complex labour relations systems.

In our approximation, in Chapter I, to a typology of regional training, we noted that training is currently endowed with a more varied and heterogeneous cast of players, which has notoriously influenced the organisational arrangements that are being adopted.

It seems obvious, on the other hand, that educational, technological and occupational transformations as well as those relating to the roles of historic players in training, and the advent of new players, in turn stem from changes of a more global kind. They govern not only the new reality of training, but practically all areas of political, social, economic and cultural activity in our societies. In that respect, we cannot but mention the progress of globalisation and internationalisation of economies; the frequent modifications of the development strategies of countries of the region and the speedy growth of information, knowledge and technology flows, and their influence on the new forms of production and work.

This scenario of multiple and interdependent transformations includes other dimensions that also point to the changes experienced by the training dispensed in the region. Two of them are fundamental and complementary: a) there are today greater decentralised levels than before in the management of programmes and institutions; b) this situation stimulates and enables higher levels of participation by greater numbers of more diverse players.

Decentralisation of training management has at least two main approaches: delegation of administrative, financial or operational tasks to territorially scattered units; and focalisation of efforts, personnel, resources and infrastructure on specific productive sectors.

Whatever the type of predominant arrangement in a given country, we can always find many cases of territorial decentralisation. Many vocational training institutions have begun to hand over higher levels of responsibility to their regional, state or provincial departments. Likewise, policy guidelines laid down by the specialised bodies of Labour Ministries, are interpreted and adapted in accordance with active employment policies that include training components at regional or federal state level. In Brazil, employment and occupational education plans sponsored by several state labour secretariats are an example of this. Another example is the degree of autonomy enjoyed by the regional departments of SENAI, SENAC or SENAR vis-à-vis their respective national departments. Also in the INA of Costa Rica, the SENA of Colombia and INTECAP of Guatemala, among others, administrative and operational responsibilities have been handed down to regional departments. are in some cases the result of the federal structure of countries like Brazil or Mexico, they also take place in other countries with a historically centralist tradition. In any event, it allows training bodies to get closer to the specific cultural, social and economic characteristics of territorially limited districts and facilitates the involvement and participation of a whole range of players who find a natural space for action: local authorities, neighbourly associations, chambers and unions, non governmental organisations, etc.

Examples of decentralisation in sectoral terms are also increasingly frequent. As opposed to old training centres that housed a wide diversity of specialisations, there are now centres and even institutions focusing on sectors like construction, textiles, automotive industry, graphic arts and hotels. In Chapter II we already mentioned the advantages of this concentration in terms of technological updating and diversification of services to the sectors in question. But there are additional advantages in provision of new and fruitful opportunities for participation both by employers and workers and their respective associations.

It seems impossible to give an exhaustive account of the wealth and diversity of experiences of such processes in a document of this kind. We shall try, however, to sketch out the forms and contents of this participation by a wide range of agents whose activities were not described in previous chapters. They are: the private training suppliers; action by non-governmental organisations, and employers’ and workers’ organisations. We shall finally devote a paragraph to local management of training.

 

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