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Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142) - Cyprus (RATIFICATION: 1977)

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Article 1. Formulation and implementation of education and training policies. The Government refers to the Human Resource Development Authority of Cyprus (HRDA), which was established in 1974 (Law No. 21/1974, as amended). The Government indicates that the HRDA is a tripartite semi-governmental organization, which is in charge of creating the necessary prerequisites for the planning and systemic training and development of Cyprus’s human resources, at all levels and across all sectors. The HRDA is governed by a 13-member Board of Directors, which has a tripartite character comprising five representatives of the Government and four representatives of employers’ organizations and four representatives of trade unions, respectively. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government on the various responsibilities of the HRDA, in particular with regard to upgrading the country’s human resources, improving productivity, enhancing competitiveness and developing the resilience of Cypriot enterprises. The Government indicates that the HRDA is not a training provider itself; however, it cooperates with the vocational education and training authorities, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth (MECSY) and the employment authorities, as well as the Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance (MLWSI), to meet the needs of the labour market. It further indicates that the Cyprus Productivity Centre (CPC), is the main provider of Technical Vocational Training (TVT), which organizes training programmes in a variety of technical fields. The Committee notes various schemes, programmes and studies operated by the HRDA and executed by public and private certified vocational training centres and organizations, including the CPC. In this regard, the Committee notes that the CPC has provided training programmes for skilled technicians and completed the Project for the Modernization of Technical Vocational Training in cooperation with Switzerland. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide updated, detailed information on the activities of the HRDA and the CPC in relation to the formulation and implementation of education and training policies and programmes.

Articles 1(5) and 3(1). Equality of opportunity. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in relation to the training activities approved and subsidized by the HRDA, indicating the number of participants, disaggregated by sex, for the period 2014–19. It further notes that the training participation rate in 2019 was higher among men (58.3 per cent) compared to women (41.1 per cent). In this regard, the Committee recalls its 2019 observations under the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111), regarding equality of opportunity in access to education and vocational training and employment, in which the Committee noted the concerns expressed by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESC) ( which included: the concentration of girls in traditionally female-dominated fields of study and career paths and their under-representation in vocational training and certain fields of higher education, including technology and engineering, coupled with concerns regarding the large disparities between men and women in the Cypriot labour market (CEDAW/C/CYP/CO/8, 25 July 2018, paragraphs 24, 34–37 and 42; and E/C.12/CYP/CO/6, 28 October 2016, paragraphs 17–19). The Committee further refers to its 2019 direct request under the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111), in which it noted, among other concerns, the persistent discrimination against persons belonging to the Roma community in access to education, training and employment, The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed updated information regarding the nature, scope and impact of measures taken to ensure equality of opportunity and treatment in access to education, vocational guidance and training for women as well as those belonging to disadvantaged groups, such as the Roma community. In particular, the Government is requested to provide information on measures taken to develop and implement a comprehensive education and training strategy to promote the inclusion of members of the Roma community.

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The Committee notes the Government's report, which describes the main principles of the strategic plan for 1989-93 of the Industrial Training Authority of Cyprus. It requests the Government to continue to supply full information on the results achieved from the implementation of this plan.

With regard to the measures taken to respond to the special needs of disabled persons with regard to vocational guidance and training, the Committee refers to the direct request that it made in 1992 with reference to the application of the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) Convention, 1983 (No. 159).