Geneva –The EMPLOYMENT Policy Department’s SKILLS Branch organized a staff training workshop on STED at ILO Headquarters on 14-18 January within the framework of the Norwegian-funded SKILL-UP Global Component on sharing knowledge among country projects.

The aim of the workshop was to support the implementation of projects at country level, and contribute to the further development, global reach and sustainability of the STED Programme at country and regional levels. The STED Programme offers a pragmatic approach for integrating skills development into sector, trade and development strategies in order to enhance competitiveness, productivity and economic growth.

The STED training brought together more than 20 project staff operating in a number of countries, including Senegal, Ghana, Tanzania, Malawi, which are part of SKILL-UP; and Jordan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and the Russian Federation, which are part of the G20 Training Strategy. SKILLS Branch colleagues and field Skills Specialists also joined the one-week event.

Discussions between participants pointed to both the challenges and opportunities in implementing the STED methodology in their respective countries. The training also provided a platform for colleagues in the field to express their needs with a view to better servicing constituents, sharing good practices, and fostering better collaboration.

The STED training served as a platform for capacity building to enhance ILO staff knowledge of STED methodology and to stimulate discussion and dialogue on skills needs.