ETF position paper

ETF Position Paper: Social Partners in VET

Policy brief explaining the importance of cooperation with social partners in the design, delivery and financing of VET.

Short description:

A well-resourced, demand-driven VET system relies on proactive partnerships with a range of public sector players at the international, national and regional level, as well as with private sector and civil society representatives. It also requires partnerships with what both the EU and the ILO refer to as ‘social partners’ – that is, organisations that represent employers and employees, trade unions and employer federations. These organisations usually have a mandate to negotiate and engage in collective bargaining on behalf of their members, and often represent a significant proportion of all employees and business entities in any given country.

The structure and function of these organisations vary considerably from one country to another. Their mandates cover issues such as pay, working conditions, training (especially apprenticeships and work-based learning), job-profiles, qualification frameworks, certification and training levies. It is useful to add to the list of partners other actors such as Chambers of Commerce and business associations. Although their mandates are expressed more in terms of business conditions, competitiveness, innovation and ability to export, these issues are all linked to skills needs and access to appropriate education and training services.

Dedicated structures are often needed to provide platforms for collaboration, coordination and negotiation between social partners and the VET system. These platforms include VET councils, Sectoral Skills Councils and certification bodies. To operate effectively such organisations require resources and mandates, and their role needs to be acknowledged and encouraged in policy and through appropriate legislation. For these actors to drive routine change and occasional reform in VET, the government has a role to play in providing appropriate legislation and mandates and in highlighting the roles of these actors and platforms in its policy declarations.

This document explains these issues and provides important motivation for many current and future initiatives undertaken by the ETF with its country partners.

You may read the document below.