Skills development and improved productivity ecosystems: Upgrading informal apprenticeships in Jordan’s car garages
English
ILO
The International Labour Organization is the tripartite U.N. agency that promotes Decent Work through employment, social security, labour standards and social dialogue. Its work on skills development is guided by the conceptual framework on Skills to improve productivity, employment growth, and development agreed in 2008 by representatives of Governments, Employers’ Associations and Workers’ Associations. Research, policy advice, and pilot projects and technical cooperation programmes to apply good practices in different circumstances across its 185 member States aims to boost the employability of workers, the productivity and competitiveness of enterprises, and the inclusiveness of economic growth. The ILO Secretariat in offices in 40 countries works with Ministries of Labour, employers’ organizations, and trade unions to integrate skills development into national and sector development strategies in order to better meet current labour market needs and to prepare for the jobs of the future; to expand access to employment-related training so that youth, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups are better able to acquire skills and secure productive and decent work; and to improve the ability of public employment services to provide career guidance, maintain labour exchange services, and deliver active labour market programmes.For more information regarding the ILO’s work on skills and employability go to: http://www.ilo.org/skills/lang--en/index.htm; for ILO/Cinterfor's Knowledge Management Plarform, see: http://www.oitcinterfor.org
Skills for transition to formality
Most young people around the world do not have the chance to attend formal institutions of learning. The capacity of formal education and training systems is often limited due to inadequate training infrastructures and the relatively high costs of full-time, centre-based training. Consequently, large numbers of youth are learning and then working in the informal economy.
Informal apprenticeship systems that transmit the skills of a trade to a young person in a micro- or small enterprise have operated for generations in many countries. They are considered by far the most important source of skills training in Africa and South Asia.
Women and men in the informal economy often do not possess a formal proof of their skills. Skills acquired informally are not visible and hence are often not recognized by employers. Transitions to the formal labour market can also be facilitated if skills are assessed and recognized. Systems of Recognition of Prior Learning are being introduced by countries to offer access to further learning or to formal labour markets.
Work-based learning and skills utilization
Increasingly, countries around the world, at all levels of development are putting work-based learning, particularly apprenticeships, high on their policy agenda, recognizing its potential for reducing skills mismatch, meeting skills demand of a fast changing labour market, providing cost-effective training, promoting private sector development and smoothing transitions to the world of work.
Moreover, the issue of how skills are used in the workplace and how businesses engage with the local skills ecosystem are getting greater attention. It is increasingly recognized that workers who better use their skills are more likely to have greater job satisfaction, earn better wages and are more prepared to adapt to changes in the nature of work, while employers benefit from a more productive and innovative workforce, enabling them to maximise business performance and profitability.
Case studies and good practices
Case studies that document good practices and illustrate the benefits and lessons learnt of particular approaches or methods in real practice.
In March 2021, the International Labour Organization (ILO) Governing Body unanimously endorsed the Productivity Ecosystem for Decent Work (hereafter referred to as “Productivity Ecosystem”). The Productivity Ecosystem is an approach that works at the firm, sector and policy level to systematically identify key productivity bottlenecks faced by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and address them in an integrated and sustainable manner. The approach has been developed based on the ILO’s previous work and programmes to improve productivity and decent work for MSMEs.
This case study is part of a broader series that seeks to shed light on key drivers of inclusive productivity growth and to showcase how the ILO has helped strengthen those drivers. Concrete examples are presented of how the ILO facilitated or promoted change that led to positive impact on productivity and decent work, especially for MSMEs. The case study series zooms in on skills development as a key driver for a well-functioning productivity ecosystems for decent work. Specifically, the below case study of an ILO-led upgraded informal apprenticeship programme in Jordan’s car servicing and maintenance sector finds that such apprenticeship schemes impact the skills of young apprentices, thereby improving their employability and the productivity of participating MSMEs.
Apprenticeships
Informal economy
Youth employment
Arab States
