ILO-Norway “SKILL-UP” Partnership Programme meet to examine progress and plans by the end of the year

News | 04 March 2019

OSLO – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) invited representatives of the ILO’s SKILLS Branch and ILO’s Partnerships for Development Department (PARDEV) to Oslo on 14 February to examine progress on Phase II of the Norway-ILO Programme Collaboration Agreement (PCA).

They reviewed advancements made by the ILO in implementing the PCA in addition to plans for 2019 that align with NORAD’s development priorities and areas of work. These priorities include, in the areas of skills development, technical vocational education and training (TVET), the inclusion of young women, ICT, value chains, promoting transferable skills, apprenticeships and cooperation with the private sector and civil society.

2019 is the second and last year of the present PCA that contributes to the ILO’s work on skills development systems, strategies and programmes to reduce skills mismatches and enhance access to the labour market.

Phase II of the ILO-Norway Partnership Programme, known as “SKILL-UP”, focuses on upgrading skills for the changing world of work. It has both a global and country-level components. The global component concentrates on developing innovative products and tools for promoting and strengthening effective national skills systems, capacity building and advocacy.  Country-level actions target Ghana, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Malawi, Senegal and Tanzania and  aim at strengthening and supporting activities and initiatives on skills anticipation, skills systems development and social inclusion.   

Thirteen countries count among the 30 priority countries identified by SKILLS and NORAD’s Partner Countries, including eight in Africa. Cooperation and collaboration focuses on inclusive and quality learning for all; digitalization; relevant skills for the labour market; financing; skills for young women; promoting education in crisis/conflict environments; and, eliminating forced labour.