Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2010, published 100th ILC session (2011)

The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government in 2009 with a view to preparing the General Survey of 2010 on employment instruments. As stated in the General Survey, in the context of Convention No. 142, member States increasingly recognize the interdependence between the realization of the right to work and the right to education for all and, consequently, governments and the social partners have agreed to make lifelong skills development an essential component of national employment policies and development strategies (paragraph 789). The Committee invites the Government to refer to the 2010 General Survey and requests it to provide information in its next report on the following points which were also raised in the direct request of 2008.

Formulation and implementation of education and training policies. The Committee previously noted that a national policy for employment and vocational training was due to be determined and adopted further to the work of a tripartite committee by the end of 2009. It also noted a progress report on the implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) of May 2009 (report No. 48514-CF) which mentions the projects submitted by the Central African Agency for Vocational Training and Employment (ACFPE) in the context of the PRSP. The Committee hopes that the Government will soon be able to provide information on the results of the training programmes of the ACFPE. It requests the Government to indicate how a close link is ensured between, on the one hand, the ACFPE training programmes and the measures taken as part of the Poverty Reduction Strategy and, on the other hand, employment and employment services (Article 1(1)–(4) of the Convention). It requests the Government to indicate the measures taken to encourage and enable all persons, on an equal basis and without any discrimination whatsoever, to develop and use their capabilities for work in their own best interests and in accordance with their own aspirations (Article 1(5)).

Article 2 of the Convention. In its direct request of 2008, the Committee noted the establishment of a national team entrusted with the formulation of training techniques. The Committee requests the Government to indicate in its next report the measures taken to establish and develop open, flexible and complementary systems of general, technical and vocational education, educational and vocational guidance and vocational training.

Information for the purposes of vocational guidance. The Government previously indicated that the results of the work of the Employment and Training Forum were awaited in order to be able to take measures to extend ongoing vocational guidance and employment information systems. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken to ensure that comprehensive information and the broadest possible guidance are available to all children, young persons and adults, including appropriate programmes for persons with disabilities (Article 3(1)). Please also describe the type of information made available for vocational guidance purposes and the manner in which this information is kept up to date, and provide examples of the available documentation (Article 3(2) and (3)).

Article 4. Lifeline training. The Government indicates that the vast majority of young persons work in the informal economy, that their competencies are neither taken into consideration nor validated, and that it plans to organize competency tests which will be recognized by a special diploma. The Government also indicates that the various institutions responsible for vocational training, further training and retraining are affected by the problem of lack of coordination, which is having a major impact on matching supply with demand for skills, and for improving the quality and relevance of training. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken to extend vocational training systems in such a way as to cover the sectors of economic activity which still do not have them, such as the informal economy, and to ensure that these systems continue to adapt to changes in the requirements of individuals throughout their working life, and with those which take place in the various branches of economic activity, in accordance with this Article of Convention No. 142 and the guidance given by Recommendation No. 195.

Article 5. Cooperation of employers’ and workers’ organizations. The Government previously indicated that studies were being conducted to determine the system for cooperation with employers’ and workers’ organizations and other bodies concerned in the formulation and implementation of vocational guidance and vocational training policies and programmes. The Committee requests the Government to indicate the measures actually taken to ensure the cooperation of employers and workers and, where applicable, other bodies concerned, in the formulation and implementation of vocational guidance and vocational training policies and programmes.

Application in practice. The Committee requests the Government to provide extracts of reports, studies and inquiries, statistical data, etc., relating to current policies and programme of vocational guidance and training (Part VI of the report form).