Vocational training is a fundamental right that has been considered by the most important international legal instruments within the field of human rights.

On the other hand, as a tool of employability and employment policies, training covers a number of strategies used to respond appropriately to the challenges of socio-economic development and the labour market regarding people's training and adaptation to the latest conditions of competitiveness and technological innovation (in equipment and labour management).

One of those strategies implies promoting the participation of an increasing and varied number of actors, mainly workers and their organisations as well as employers and their organisations. This process has caused, among other things, a redefinition of the State's role, which has become not only responsible for the direct decision and execution of training actions but also for the standardisation and regulation of such actions and which has handed over its implementation and management to the actors.

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>> Decent work, social dialogue and vocational training

It is clearly impossible to find a common denominator within this huge variety of experiences: it can range from the simple consultation to the participation in the institutional decision-making; as well as the identification of skills required by the productive system and the delivery of training services, without leaving aside those cases in which training is articulated with more general employment policies such as unemployment subsidies, collocation services or the negotiation of professional adaptation of active workers. Along the same lines, vocational training is an essential tool for equal opportunity programmes and for the policies to articulate, systematise and certify professional knowledge.

Social dialogue therefore becomes a vital tool for the actual integration, negotiation and agreement among the social actors who are willing to take part in the different management levels of technical and vocational training systems.

ILO's Website about social dialogue states that "ILO's definition includes all types of negotiation, consultation or simply exchange of information between, or among, representatives of governments, employers and workers, on issues of common interest relating to economic and social policy." This broad point of view for the conceptualisation of social dialogue implies both tripartite processes as well as bipartite relations between trade unions and employers' organisations, with or without indirect government involvement. Sometimes, other national or local organisations take part in social dialogue, when it becomes necessary, such as in certain cases of vocational training. Regarding its scope, social dialogue can take place at a national, regional or at enterprise level and, most recently, there are experiences of dialogue which occur due to the existing regional integration processes. If we take into account the subjects involved, these can be inter-professional, sectoral or a combination of all these.

According to ILO, the main goal of social dialogue itself is to promote consensus building and democratic involvement among the main stakeholders in the world of work. Successful social dialogue structures and processes have been able to resolve important economic and social issues, encourage good governance, stability, advance and social peace, and boost economic progress. Social dialogue is also a mechanism to "work out of poverty by means of work", according to the Report of ILO's Director General at the 91st International Labour Conference.

ILO's webpages on social dialogue:

http://www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/themes/sd.htm
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/ifpdial/sd/index.htm

Social pacts in European countries:

http://www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/ifpdial/sd/social_pacts/index.htm

General information on social dialogue: courses, events, etc.

http://www.itcilo.org/pub/page_main.php

Social dialogue promotion and cooperation programmes

http://www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/ifpdial/proj/index.htm

General information on social dialogue: topics, links, projects, documents, etc.

European Centre for Workers Questions
http://www.eza.org/themen/bpesd-es.html