Contact us

Skills and Employability Branch (SKILLS)
Employment Policy Department

International Labour Office 4 Route des Morillons

Geneva 22
Switzerland
CH-1211

Tel : +41 22 799 7512
Fax : +41 22 799 6310
Email : empskills@ilo.org
Website : www.ilo.org/skills

Skills and Employability Branch (SKILLS)

Governments, employers' associations and trade unions around the world are working to improve the employability of workers, move young people into productive and decent work, and increase the productivity of enterprises through better quality and relevant training. The Skills and Employability Branch conducts comparative research and provides policy guidelines and technical assistance to help constituents integrate skills development into national and sector development strategies.

The ILO's work with constituents focuses primarily on three areas: linking training to current labour market needs as well as anticipating and building competencies for the jobs of the future; building quality apprenticeship systems and incorporating core skills into training for young people; and expanding access to employment-related training in rural communities in order to improve livelihoods, reduce poverty, and equip women and men to work in the formal economy.

What's new

  1. Video

    Boosting skills for green jobs

    This video highlights the important role skills development plays in achieving a just transition to a greener economy and in building environmentally sustainable societies for all.

  2. A joint ILO/UNESCO report

    Taking a whole of government approach to skills development

    The publication focuses primarily on the interaction between government ministries and agencies at national and subnational levels, examining how governments can work to coordinate technical and vocational education and development (TVET) and skills development across relevant policy domains.

  3. Video

    What are the major trends shaping the world of work and how will this affect employment and jobs?

    In this video, ILO Director of Employment Policy Department Sangheon Lee discusses major global trends facing countries today and how this will affect the future of employment and jobs.

  4. Video

    Global challenges impacting the future world of work: What skills will the jobs of tomorrow require?

    In this video ILO’s Olga Strietska-Ilina, Senior Skills and Employability Specialist, responds to the question of what skills are needed for the jobs of the future.

  5. Video

    How do we ensure that workers have the right skills for the jobs of today and tomorrow?

    In this video, ILO Chief of the Skills and Employability Branch Srinivas B. Reddy discusses what is needed to ensure that workers have the right skills for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

  6. Issue Brief 8

    Skills policies and systems for a future workforce

    This Issue Brief is part of the Future of Work briefs prepared by the ILO. It provides an overview of skills requirements for the future of work and considers how skills development systems might be transformed to meet these needs. The brief also raises questions about the financing of lifelong learning, as well as about the respective responsibilities of governments, enterprises and workers.

  7. Guide

    ILO Toolkit for Quality Apprenticeships - Vol. I: Guide for Policy Makers

    The toolkit provides state of the art information and guidance for the design and implementation of quality apprenticeship schemes across different contexts. The new guide was introduced by the ILO Director-General Guy Ryder during the launch of the engagement platform of the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth, held on 29 November 2017. 

  8. Skills for Employment Policy Briefs

    Policy Briefs in the series are authored by the technical specialists of the Skills and Employability Department and aim to present a short overview of particular areas related to skills development, policies and systems, and training.

Recent publications

  1. Working Paper

    Does work-based learning facilitate transitions to decent work?

    This paper examines the different forms of work-based learning, and takes stock of available data on the labour market impact such schemes where they exist. It finds evidence of positive impacts of formal structured work-based learning, and argues that future efforts should encourage engagement with private sector firms in creating and expanding such structured opportunities for young people.

  2. Skill needs anticipation

    Systems and approaches - Analysis of stakeholder survey on skill needs assessment and anticipation

    This publication is joint publication of the ILO, the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), the European Training Foundation (ETF) and the OECD.

  3. Apprenticeships

    A step-by-step guide to promote quality apprenticeships

    This publication was developed as part of the project entitled "EC-ILO action on youth employment policies: Enhancing capabilities of practitioners to design, implement and monitor youth employment policies - under the Council Recommendation on establishing a Youth Guarantee".

Events

  1. Event

    The 4th Regional Skills Technical Working Group (RSTWG) Meeting

    10-11 July, Manila Philippines

    The meeting aims to facilitate greater understanding of the evolving context of the mutual recognition of skills (MRS) implementation, and the sharing of experiences in a strengthening of the legislative framework and institutional capacity and arrangements of the MRS, among others.

  2. Event

    International Conference on Innovations in Apprenticeships: A skilled workforce for the Future

    4-5 July

    The ILO, in collaboration with the OECD and the GAN will organise the conference to share and promote innovative approaches to apprenticeships responding to contemporary challenges and provide opportunities to deepen collaboration among key actors of apprenticeships at global, regional and national levels.