Public employment services study visit to China

The International Labour Organization (ILO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) of China, is organizing a study visit to China’s Public Employment Service. This visit is supported by the “Promoting the Global Development Initiative with a Focus on South-South Cooperation in Employment in ASEAN” (ProSSCE-ASEAN) project and is scheduled to take place from 27-29 November in Shanghai, China.

China’s PES features several good practices to enhance job matching and support labour market stability. These include ensuring equal access to public employment services for all citizens, which helps bridge the gap between urban and rural areas. Targeted support for key groups, such as the unemployed, youth, women, and rural migrant workers, is another critical aspect. This targeted approach ensures that vulnerable and disadvantaged populations receive the necessary assistance to ease transitions in the labour market. Additionally, China has developed partnerships with external providers to deliver active labour market programs (ALMPs). These partnerships help address local employment needs and adapt to labour market changes. Public-private partnerships are also encouraged to diversify the supply of public services, leveraging the strengths of both sectors to improve service delivery.

These good practices offer valuable insights for countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) facing similar challenges in their PES systems. By exploring such strategies, ASEAN countries can enhance their employment services and better support their labour markets. PES officials in the project pilot countries have expressed a shared interest in the good practices of PES in China, recognizing the potential benefits of implementing these strategies in their own contexts. This shared interest underscores the importance of international collaboration and knowledge exchange in improving public employment services across the region and globally.

The study visit aims to enhance the expertise and capacities of Public Employment Services (PES) in ASEAN countries. This initiative will showcase China’s effective strategies in managing and delivering public employment services. The visit will focus on specific areas identified by participating countries as crucial for adapting to labour market transitions and establishing efficient institutional frameworks. These areas include leveraging the labour market information system (LMIS) utilized by PES, fostering the professional development of employment counsellors, ensuring ongoing skill updates, promoting intra-governmental coordination (both national and provincial), and adopting new technologies in PES practices.

This endeavour aligns with the ProSSCE-ASEAN project’s commitment to facilitating knowledge exchange and encouraging collaborative learning on vital public employment service topics, thereby supporting the advancement of decent work and social justice. This activity will also benefit from the technical support from the Entrepreneurship Research Centre on G20 Economies at Tsinghua University in China.

This summary report provides a brief recap of highlights and key discussion points from the three-day public employment services study visit to China.

Please see the link to the summary report here: Public Employment Services study visit to China 2024 summary report