Academy on skills development

Turin 15-26 October, 2012

Sound national skills development policies and good quality Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) provision are key factors in the employability of workers and the sustainability of enterprises. The skills acquired in TVET systems must match the skills valued in the workplace.

At the yearly Skills Development Academy held at ITCILO in Turin in October 2012, an impressive number of high level state officials of Ministries of Labour and Education, representatives of employers and workers federations, directors of Vocational Trainers Centres and representatives of donor agencies came together to take stock of the actual situation on skills development in the world and discuss options and solutions for the future. 

In a context of global economic crisis, the risk of polarization of all parties and reticence for a joint collaboration, could jeopardize the sometimes already weak efficiency and effectiveness of national TVET systems. Hence, a crisis is an excellent opportunity to strengthen/improve existing or emerging TVET models.

In any given country, new efforts are made to improve TVET governance and inter-ministerial coordination thru integrated national TVET/Employment policies and social dialogue. Rationalization of TVET systems without a loss of quality is at stake. Classic single financing models for TVET, based on the sole overall general national budget will have to make place for more efficient and creative financing/budgeting resources more directly linked to employment and TVET (i.e. the "TVET" levy, tax deductions, including Public Private Partnerships in all forms) if proper skills development solutions are to be provided to the labour market. 

The productive sector, the employers and trade unions will be more omnipresent in different ways. Although there are no blue prints on what works or doesn’t work in a national context, best practices are still eye-openers to the world.

The Brazilian "S" system (i.e. SENAI, SENAC) operating a skills development system on a sector base (i.e. Industry, Commerce), as an instrument of employers federations, which did also emerge in times of crisis (1942) has proved extremely efficient for more than 70 years. This Brazilian model of private TVET organizations, in close concert with the labour market, permanently prospecting on short and long term bases and financed thru the TVET levy and sale of services  (training and other services) allowed SENAI/SENAC to become world-authorities in TVET.

On the other hand, the more German oriented TVET model, inspired by the dual system explores different kinds of effective apprenticeships (the work business approach), which ultimately brings down youth unemployment, as alternatives to a most effective but expensive competency based training approach. Again, employers’ participation is paramount in this approach as well.

Through an extensive yearlong collaboration and based on previous editions of the skills academy (evaluations) accompanied by excellent logistics, translation and administrative support services, the ILO, ITCILO, LD, GIZ and ILO/Cinterfor managed to bring about a combination of ILO inspired morning lectures, intensive elective courses (by consultants) on limited subjects and innovative sessions (by participants) which made this multi-bilateral sponsored forum so unique in the world. Next to institutional regional networking between TVET institutions for maximizing achievements and sharing best practices, the forum is also an excellent spot for individual contacts.  

At the same time, the skills academy presented for LuxDev a great opportunity in zooming in on existing LuxDev supported TVET interventions through additional country sessions (Burkina/Niger; Cape Verde; Montenegro/Kosovo) to see how matters are running, applying the lessons learnt of the skills academy and plan for the future. Previous classic comments like "not applicable to my country; I cannot do anything, it is my boss" were soon put aside during the Academy, which meant that upon return of the participants to their home countries, in these times of crisis there is no excuse for a status quo; reform efforts must continue, even if it might be a small step at a time. And donors (and their TA) are invited to accompany during some limited time these local reform efforts in TVET in the best possible way aiming at national sustainability, inspired by this Academy.

Alexis Hoyaux | TVET adviser | LuxDev