As a logical derivate from the relatively leading role of Ministries of Labour regarding the issue of vocational training, Labour administration has had to adapt its legal structure to the new reality of demands stemming from the implementation of employment and training policies.

Some Ministry has even changed its name, by adding the word "employment" or "vocational training", like in the case of Argentina.

>> Ministries of Labour and vocational training

>> Links to Ministries of Labour

Despite the apparent modern nature of issues such as vocational training and social dialogue, they have always been embedded in Labour administration. Convention 150 concerning Labour administration (1978), a basic reference in this matter, not only states that "the competent bodies within the system of labour administration shall, as appropriate, be responsible for or contribute to the preparation, administration, co-ordination, checking and review of national labour policy, and be the instrument within the ambit of public administration for the preparation and implementation of laws and regulations giving effect thereto" but also that all Members which ratify this convention "make arrangements appropriate to national conditions to secure, within the system of labour administration, consultation, co-operation and negotiation between the public authorities and the most representative organisations of employers and workers, or--where appropriate--employers' and workers' representatives". In addition, "to the extent compatible with national laws and regulations, and national practice, such arrangements shall be made at the national, regional and local levels as well as at the level of the different sectors of economic activity".

Furthermore, Recommendation 158 states that "a Member may regard particular activities in the field of its national labour policy as being matters which in accordance with national laws or regulations, or national practice, are regulated by having recourse to direct negotiations between employers' and workers' organisations".

With regards to Labour administration's jurisdiction over vocational training the above referred Recommendation reads: "the competent bodies within the system of labour administration should co-ordinate, or participate in the co-ordination of, employment services, employment promotion and creation programmes, vocational guidance and vocational training programmes and unemployment benefit schemes, and they should co-ordinate, or participate in the co-ordination of, these various services, programmes and schemes with the implementation of general employment policy measures".

Finally, the text states that "The competent bodies within the system of labour administration should, in a manner and under conditions determined by national laws or regulations, or national practice, participate in the development of comprehensive and concerted policies and programmes of human resources development including vocational guidance and vocational training".

Labour administration's participation in vocational training may be implemented through a variety of modalities that may be expressed in the direct integration of permanent bodies, the design, co-ordination and/or execution of programmes and the co-operation with other public or private institutions (including trade unions or entrepreneurial entities), etc.

Some representative cases of this evolution are introduced below.

Ministries of Labour and vocational training

- ARGENTINA

Act N° 25233 (art. 22) dated December 10th 1999 establishes the competence of Labour Administration, changing its former name into Ministry of Labour, Employment and Human Resources. As from February 21st 2002, upon decree N° 355/02 in amendment of the Law of Ministries, it was changed into: Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security.

The main functions of the Administration are to formulate, design, administrate, govern and supervise the policies related to the different areas of labour, employment and labour relations, labour training and social security. Its areas of action were established by decree 355/02.

From the institutional point of view, and regarding vocational training programmes, the Dirección Nacional de Orientación y Formación (National Bureau of Guidance and Training) operates within the scope of the Employment Secretariat.

The following programmes stand out among the ones developed by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security:

1. 1. Competency-based training and certification programme

Objectives

It is a pilot experience concerning vocational training and certification according to quality of performance in agreement with standards especially developed and agreed upon by the following industry sectors: metalwork, graphics, automobile maintenance and artisan pastry. This experience was promoted by initiative of leader enterprises associations belonging to the first two sectors and trade union associations that gather workers from the other two sectors.

A need for evaluation criteria

or evaluation. This is mainly due to the lack of definite references on the type of knowledge that is to be evaluated, the performances to be analysed as well as the guidelines that should be followed in such evaluation, training and certification processes.

This Programme seeks to have this experience completed so as to leave all the analysis methodologies and the institutional ways set in order for the processes to operate.

2.2. Occupational workshops

Their aim is to fulfil the demands for training in the local productive sectors and to increase the human capital of the unemployed population by contributing to the improvement of their employability. All these objectives are achieved by means of short courses with a strong practical component.

Occupational workshops are institutions created by assistance and in many cases by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, which is responsible for the initial financial support: provision of top-quality equipment appropriate for the activity developed by the workshop, financing for building improvement and management at the first stages of the process.

The workshops are integrated by the most important actors in production: enterprises, trade unions and chambers that are legally organised as non-profit civil associations.

3.3. Protected production workshops

The programme promotes the insertion of people with disabilities in the labour market - whether protected or not - by means of grants for the development of Protected production workshops.

Grant applications should adapt to the following types:
I. Formulation of the entrepreneurial development plan.
II. Investments in capital goods and supplies.
III. Technical assistance regarding health and safety.
IV. Training of managers, supervisors and staff with disabilities.

Grants are given to state or private non-profit institutions, under the supervision of legal entity associations acknowledged as promoters of public welfare, whose aim is to produce goods or render services and are composed by at least eighty per cent (80%) of people with disabilities. These institutions are thus offered services to ensure labour and social insertion.

Protected workshops must have both economic and social objectives. In their capacity as enterprises they can afford to offer labour and social insertion services and develop the workshops as instances where people with disabilities acquire the necessary habits and competencies to perform a productive paid job whether protected or not.

4. Formujer Programme
http://www.cinterfor.org.uy/mujer/formujer/argtina/argp.htm

It is a limited-scope pilot plan that has been developing its design and institutional implementation stage since 2000.

Its aim is to enlarge the employment possibilities of low-income women by facilitating the acquisition of the necessary abilities, knowledge and skills to perform adequately in a variety of occupations.

The programme works with projects focused on the provinces of Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Jujuy and Mendoza and it has already benefited 600 women and 150 men at this stage.

5. Programa Transferencia Solidaria de Saberes Productivos (Cooperative Transmission of Productive Knowledge Programme)

The aim of these actions is to develop a typology of Cooperative Programme on Inter-entrepreneurial/Inter-institutional Training through which the Ministry can play the role of articulator/facilitator by making the most out of the existent or idle resources available in the civil society. The intention is then to achieve:

* Tutorial actions: an enterprise is in charge of implementing vocational training in another enterprise and/or institution for a certain period of time.
* Entrepreneurial fellowship commitment: enterprises or other institutions with annual or biannual programmes on human resources training may grant fellowships to workers employed at various enterprises and/or institutions demanding training, in accordance with the actions instrumented by the providing enterprise.
* Technical assistance actions: motivate enterprises to provide technical assistance to other enterprises and/or institutions through specific actions in certain areas and/or tasks. The intention is that enterprises contribute with technical assistance to solve the "critical failures" and/or "bottlenecks" of smaller enterprises.
* Guidance actions for new entrepreneurs: promote professionalism in the labour offer of certain trades with high levels of informality and/or precariousness, so as to generate micro-enterprises.

- BRAZIL

Public qualification policy meets the challenge of complying with the orders of Plan Plurianual 2004-2007 articulated around three mega objectives: a) social inclusion and reduction of social differences; b) increase of employment creation; c) promotion and expansion of citizenship and strengthening of democracy.

In addition, the National Plan for Worker Qualification (PLANFOR) has been implemented since 1995 with the main financial support of the Worker Support Fund (FAT).

There has been a critical evaluation of the operation of such Plan. The new government has created the "Plano Nacional de Qualificaçâo", which is based on the following six main dimensions: political, ethical, conceptual, institutional, pedagogical and operational. From the institutional point of view, the Ministry of Labour holds that the interrelation between public employment, labour and wage policies and their integration with public education and development policies - among others - has become strategic. Moreover, it is even more strategic the role played by the Deliberating Council of the Workers Assistance Fund and the State and Local Labour Commissions to guarantee genuine social participation and control. The role played by regional labour delegations, such as representatives from the Ministry of Labour, has clearly gained importance, as well as the international articulation of public policies of qualification, especially in regions such as Africa and the MERCOSUR.

The National Qualifications Plan was established by Decision N° 333 dated July 2003 of CODEFAT.

It is the Ministry of Labour and Employment's responsibility, through the Qualifications Department of its Public Employment Policies Secretariat, and upon the approval of CODEFAT, to participate in the management, the identification of demands, the formulation, supervision, evaluation and financing of the National Qualifications Plan. The Plan previews a number of national, regional and local agreements with entities from the civil society (trade union centrals, non-governmental organisations, "S system", employers' confederations, educational institutions) to develop special qualification projects.

- URUGUAY

The National Employment Bureau (DINAE) is the executive unit of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security which, as established by the law, is in charge of developing research, guidance, job placement and vocational training actions as mechanisms geared to generating active employment policies.

The Head of DINAE is, at the same time, the President of the National Employment Board (JUNAE) - a tripartite body responsible for dealing with vocational training for unemployed workers or workers with employment limitations. Courses are run by public and private training entities that are hired through tender mechanisms and through the financial support of the Labour Reconversion Fund.

JUNAE then has the main mission of administrating the Labour Reconversion Fund and providing counselling to the National Employment Bureau to formulate employment and vocational training policies.

The Labour Reconversion Fund is formed by contributions from entrepreneurs and workers of the private sector. Nowadays, this contribution amounts to 0.125 % of workers' and employers' salaries. As from the year 2001, a supplemental contribution from the State was voted on the Budget Act.

- CHILE

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security has a head office inside the labour department referred to the Bureau of the National Training and Employment Service (SENCE). This technical body operates in a decentralised way and is connected with the Government through the Ministry of Labour.

Its mission is to contribute to the increase of national productivity by promoting occupational training, both at enterprises and among the country's low-income population.

This task is carried out through the administration of a tax incentive offered to enterprises by the State in order to train its staff, and also through a granting action instrumented by means of a training fellowship programme financed with public resources.

Its legal structure is set by Act N° 19518 that establishes the New Statute of Training and Employment.

Links to Ministries of Labour

Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (Argentina)

Ministry of Labour and Employment (Brasil)

Ministry of Social Protection (Colombia)

Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Chile)

Secretary of Labour and Social Security (México)

Ministry of Labour (República Dominicana)

Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Uruguay)

U.S. Department of labor (USA)

Link to ILO's labour administration Webpage
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/themes/la.htm