Sector Skills Councils in Belarus

Analysis of the Existing Structures for Social Partnership in VET in Belarus and Proposal on Technical Establishment of the Pilot Sector Skills Councils

An ETF working document intended to prepare the ground for the introduction of Sector Skills Councils in Belarus.

Short description:

This report provides essential background for the task of piloting the introduction of Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) in Belarus, as part of a regional ETF project on ‘Continuing Vocational Training in Eastern Europe’. The system for life-long learning in these countries was underdeveloped and a gap existed between the availability of skills and the needs of local economies. This mismatch was both qualitative and quantitative in nature and it was decided to address it by introducing Sector Skills Councils as stable mechanisms to support dialogue between social partners representing labour market actors from the chosen sectors and actors involved in VET and CVET provision. The goal was to ensure that the available training services should meet the general and specific needs of the targeted sectors, and that the sectors themselves would acquire capabilities in the promotion of skills development as a factor for growth.

In the case of Belarus, it was decided to focus on two sectors, Information Technology and Managerial Services. A government decree approved by the Council of Ministers in January 2014 prepared the way by providing a mandate for establishing two pilot Sector Skills Councils, requiring the involvement of key public sector stakeholders, such as the High-Tech Park and the Academy of Management, with the Institute of Labour of the Ministry of Labour playing the role of Secretariat for the SSCs. Cooperation in the two pilot sectors focused on three main outputs, namely: the development of occupational standards; a framework for sectoral qualifications; and practical tools such as norms for professional development and career growth.

The report describes the work required to realise this project, which included the mapping of VET and CVET stakeholders, the development of a detailed proposal for the establishment of pilot structures, and an action plan detailing the initial work to be carried out by these bodies.