Dias nummer 1

1
The role of Trade Unions in Technical and
Vocational Skills Development
2
Context of trade union strategiesDecent work

• Gainful employment
• Rights at work
• Social security
• Social Dialogue

3
Trade Union Strategies (1)

• Enterprise and sector level agreements
• Secure in-house and on-the-job training
• Formalise skills acquired at the job
• Access to paid (or even unpaid) study-leave

4
Trade union strategy (2)Advocacy and
Policy-Influence

• Promote vocational training as a national
  strategy
• - being a precondition for employment, increased
  productivity and economic growth
• Promote the active involvement of the social
  partners
• - being a precondition for both ownership and
  constant adjustments to changing markets,
  industrial environment, technologies etc.

5
Trade union strategy (3)Direct interventions

• Strengthen the demand-side of employment
  - through the creation of income
  generating activities, co-operatives, credit
  schemes, business services, technological
  assistance etc.
• Strengthen the supply-side of employment
  - through development of, or
  providing access to, vocational training
  programs, entrepreneurial development etc.

6
Two examples

• Ghana National Association of Teachers
• promote the formalisation and upgrading of
  pre-school centres.
• Self Employed Womens Association
• identify alternative income. Organising,
  training, credit, marketing.

7
Ghana National Association of Teachers

• Advocacy and policy influence
• Government adopted policy early childhood
  centres in primary schools.
• 86 more children have access to early childhood
  centres ( 400.000).
• No. of public employed caretakers increased by
  40 ( 8.000)
• No. of privately employed caretakers increased
  with ca. 5.000
• Around 10.000 caretakers have been trained as
  early childhood educators.

8
Self Employed Womens Association

• Direct interventions
• Established and facilitating 8 weaving centres
  with 77 weavers.
• training in weaving techniques, design and
  marketing.
• Nursery raising. 135 women have a steady income.
• training in raising saplings of fruit, non-fruit
  and deco plants
• Water pump repairing. Stable jobs created for
  30-35 members
• - training of water technicians in association
  with local gov.