Bill Ratteree ILO EDUCATION INTERNATIONAL EUROPEAN REGION Vocational Education and Training Round Table October 2009, Budapest

ILO Objective: Decent Work for All Productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity Four interlocking pillars 1. Rights at work 2. Productive employment 3. Social protection 4. Social Dialogue: Information sharing, consultation, negotiation

Global Employment Agenda Decent Work Country Programmes promote employment in several areas, including:  Skills, technology & employability  Labour market institutions & policies  Social protection

Skills component of Decent Work Key international standard:  Recommendation No. 195 on Human Resources Development: Education, training and lifelong learning Adopted by the International Labour Conference in June provides guidance to constituents; basis for sharing good practices & promote cooperation

R-195: Key ILO policy objectives  Education, training and lifelong learning are fundamental... but insufficient to help individuals gain decent jobs.  Training and skills development must form an integral part of broad economic, social and labour market policies - sustain economic and job growth and social development.  Training and skills development policies should promote equal opportunities for women and men and help eradicate poverty.

R shared responsibilities Governments - primary responsibility for  education  pre-employment training, core skills  training unemployed & people w/ special needs Social partners - significant role in  further training  workplace learning and training Individuals - expected to make use of education, training & lifelong learning opportunities

Conclusions from International Labour Conference 2008 Skills development to help increase productivity and employment: Innovate Adopt new technologies Attract investment Compete in new markets Diversify the economy Boost job growth at the same time improving productivity

jobs Skills & development process: Prepare for future jobs  Integrate skills into national and sector development strategies  Include skills in responses to global drivers of change: technology trade climate change  Develop more social inclusiveness: Rural communities Informal economies in poor countries – move to formal Disadvantaged youth: education, apprenticeships Persons with disabilities Women in all groups

Skills and the current crisis – ILC 2009 GLOBAL JOBS PACT Investing in skills development now:  Prepare displaced workers for new jobs available in the recovery  “Build back better” - use downtime to invest in new skills or upgrade skill levels for enterprise productivity in the recovery  Avoid skills gaps in implementing public investments in infrastructure, green technologies and social services included in stimulus packages

Teachers & Trainers - Roles, Rights & Responsibilities  No specific ILO work on teachers and trainers – considered integrated in:  International standards Recommendation for secondary & 1997 Recommendation for post-secondary  Monitoring & promotional work Joint ILO/UNESCO Committee of Experts (CEART) – 10 th Session in Paris in early Oct.

The CEART’s 10 th Session  Teaching status is not improving & shortages continue to challenge EFA goals  VET teachers face many of same problems & policy responses need to deal with:  Teacher shortages: Combination of employment conditions makes teaching less attractive = recruitment & retention problems  Continued, long-term decline teachers’ salaries compared to similar professions

The CEART’s 10 th Session - 2  More difficult teaching & learning environment – pupil indiscipline & violence undermines teacher morale & learning outcomes  Teachers’ voices in education decision-making – social dialogue - improved in some countries but remains weak in many countries and regions – need for more political acceptance of unions and institutional capacity to dialogue

Recommendations defend rights & promote responsibilities The 1966 Recommendation:  educational objectives & policies - consultation  teacher education - initial and further  employment and career  rights and responsibilities - negotiations  effective teaching and learning conditions  teachers’ salaries  social security Applies equally to VET teachers in schools & training sites

Recommendations defend rights & promote responsibilities The 1997 Recommendation focuses on:  institutional autonomy and responsibilities  academic freedom and professor’s obligations  security of employment and tenure  careers and conditions of work for teaching & research staff  conditions for part-time, female & other staff  collegial decision-making & collective negotiations Applies equally to all TAFE teachers at post- secondary level

Monitoring & promoting  Joint ILO/UNESCO Committee of Experts (CEART) meets every three years to review trends & recommend policy changes to Govts, other education authorities  EI direct input to CEART meetings – major report prepared for each session

Recommendations - Making effective use of “soft standards”  Allegations on non-application of Recommendations made by international & national teachers’ organizations – CEART findings & recommendations to Govts:  Japan – teachers’ assessment & merit pay – including TVET  Australia & Denmark – academic freedom, public service contracts, funding, governance & social dialogue  Recommendations could be used by teachers’ unions as checklist of good practices to measure national law & practice vs. international norms – need to be known & used as advocacy tool

ILO: 2009 Programme on VET teachers & trainers  Research & policy dialogue forum with Govts & private employers in ILO focusing on employment and the working environment + larger lifelong learning framework & VET  Advisory body mtg. for education & research to decide on terms of reference on 4 Nov. – EI member affiliates represent workers