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The Committee has taken note of the Government’s report received in September 2005 and the detailed information it contains on the legislation and institutions in the field of vocational training and guidance. Referring to its previous comments, the Committee asks the Government to supply additional information on the application in practice of the Convention, in particular with regard to the following points.

1. Article 1, paragraphs 1 to 5, of the Convention. Close link between vocational guidance and training measures and employment and equal opportunities. The Government indicates that in recent years, the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources has signed various inter-institutional agreements concerning employment and training issues. The Committee notes that these agreements, which are regulated and coordinated by the National Council for Professional Training (CNCF), are attached to the Government’s report. The Government further indicates that, for the purpose of extending occupational training and the employment service, it has developed an “Urgent Ecuador Action Employment Plan 2005-2006”, which gives extensive coverage to employment and occupational training programmes. The Government also mentions the first stage of a pilot programme to train workers in 3,000 micro-enterprises with the ILO technical assistance. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide updated information on the implementation and results achieved through the various positive measures undertaken in order to further develop comprehensive and coordinated policies and programmes of vocational guidance and vocational training, closely linked with employment, in particular through public employment services. The Committee would also be grateful if the Government could provide in its next report information on measures taken or envisaged in order to encourage women to develop and use their capabilities for work in all branches of economic activity and at all levels of skill and responsibility.

2. Article 3. Vocational guidance policy. The Government indicates that the training of vulnerable groups is one of its priorities and it has identified young persons as one of the groups in greater need of assistance. It has thus included a special project entitled “Youth for Youth for Work” within its Urgent Action Plan for Employment. While noting the information on the development of systems of vocational guidance, the Committee asks the Government to provide further information on the measures adopted to ensure that comprehensive and updated information and the broadest possible guidance are made available to all children, young persons and adults, including appropriate programmes for all disabled persons.