Training and Certification for Caregiving in Latin America and the Caribbean: South-South cooperation for peer-learning with CINTERFOR
0-1 Original language
English
I-1 Name of the initiative
Training and Certification for Caregiving in Latin America and the Caribbean: South-South cooperation for peer-learning with CINTERFOR
I-2 Geographical coverage
REGION
I-2-A Region/country
Regional
I-2-R Region
Americas
I-2-T Geographical scope
Regional
I-3-A Initiative start date
2022
I-3-B Initiative end date
2023
I-4 Leading entity/organization
Other (specify)
I-4-A Specification
Vocational Education and Training (VET) institutions
I-5 Collaborating entities/organizations
Government
I-5 Collaborating entities/organizations
Employer and Business Membership Organization
I-5 Collaborating entities/organizations
Workers' organization
I-5 Collaborating entities/organizations
Social and solidarity economy (SSE) entities
I-6 Has the ILO been involved in the initiative?
Yes
I-6-A Specify how the ILO was involved
Technical assistance
I-7 Is there collaboration with other agencies of the United Nations System or other partners?
No
II-1 Justification of the initiative
The project builds on ILO/CINTERFOR’s (the Inter-American Centre for Knowledge Development in Vocational Training) Collaborative Innovation Projects (CIPs) model. Launched in March 2022 for the countries of Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Uruguay. Collaborative Innovation Projects (CIPs) are horizontal cooperation initiatives between vocational education and training (VET) institutions that promote innovation through the mobilization of institutions, technical expertise, and resources across countries. They serve as a platform for sharing knowledge, developing best practices, and implementing innovative solutions to vocational education and training challenges across the Americas.Within this framework, in 2022 the ILO initiated a process of exchange and reflection with a network of professional training institutions and ministries of labour to explore the role of professional training in national policies addressing care. This process led to the identification of good practices, the establishment of common quality guidelines, and the definition of a guide with concrete steps to incorporate training services and competency certification in care sectors.This collaborative approach ensures that products and knowledge generated are shared for the benefit of all participating institutions, while also attracting new partnerships and funding to expand and sustain impact.
II-10 Focus on other branches of economic activity
Education
II-10 Focus on other branches of economic activity
Human health and social work activities
II-11 Focus on certain categories of enterprises or economic units according to their size
Not applicable
II-12 Focus on specific status in employment
Employees
II-12 Focus on specific status in employment
Own-account workers
II-12 Focus on specific status in employment
Contributing family workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Domestic workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Community health and care workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Childcare workers (for children ages 0-start of primary school)
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Personal care and/or assistance workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Social workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Long-term care / geriatric care workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Personal assistants / disability support workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Other education workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Other health workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Home-based workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Workers in the informal economy
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Women
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Men
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Persons with other care responsibilities
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Young people
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Migrants or forcibly displaced persons
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
People with disabilities
II-15 Has the initiative been developed through effective social dialogue processes and inter-institutional coordination mechanisms?
No
II-2 Objectives and description of the initiative
Strengthening institutional capacity for prospective studies on care jobs and training demand, including three national studies, methodological transfers, and a shared knowledge bank.Building a South-South Cooperation (SSC) alliance in care jobs training, expanding partnerships and resource mobilization.Promoting methodological innovation in vocational training through project-based training (PBT), including documentation of regional models, transfer via virtual and in-person activities, pilot applications, and the creation of a community of practice.Consolidating a South-South Cooperation alliance for project-based training, supported by initial RBTC-SSTC “seed capital” and complemented with institutional and external contributions (e.g., SENAC-SP, TKNIKA, Erasmus+).The initiative seeks to strengthen the role of training and certification of labour competencies in care sectors, in order to professionalize and value care work, improve the quality and coverage of care services, and position these efforts as a key driver for building sustainable and inclusive societies in Latin America and the Caribbean.
II-3 Type of initiative
Policy / strategy
II-3 Type of initiative
Plan / roadmap
II-3 Type of initiative
Training/capacity building
II-4 Which of the Rs in the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work guides this initiative?
Reward care workers
II-5 Which is the main policy area of the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work does the practice focus on?
Skills policies
II-6 Which other policy areas of the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work does the practice focus on?
Care policies
II-6 Which other policy areas of the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work does the practice focus on?
Social Protection policies
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Design and implement integrated and coherent care policies and systems for decent work and gender equality
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Promoting active labour market policies, education and training, upskilling and re-skilling, skills recognition and skills certification
II-8 Which beneficiaries in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Paid care workers (nurses, domestic workers, teachers, childcare workers, personal assistants, etc.)
II-9 Geographical scope
Urban and rural
III-1 In a short paragraph, summarize the main results and impacts obtained
The project has already demonstrated value by generating shared tools, strengthening institutional capacities, and building South-South Cooperation (SSC)communities of practice in care jobs and vocational training. By leveraging modest initial funds as catalytic “seed capital,” it has secured technical and financial commitments from institutions and positioned itself to mobilize further cooperation resources. The realized outcomes—prospective studies, methodological innovations, pilot projects, and new alliances—prove the effectiveness of the Collaborative Innovation Project (CIP) approach and justify continued support for scaling and sustaining its impact.More specifically: A participatory space was created where institutions from different countries and regions could share experiences, compare realities, and highlight common areas of interest.A Guide was jointly developed and approved to help improve or introduce training and certification services.The 2024–2025 common roadmap was drafted and is about to be shared.A report documenting “Experiences on training and certification for care work in Latin America : The Rising Role of vocational education and training (VET) Institutions in Latin America: Training and Certification Services for Care Work”. The publication provides a general perspective of the context in which training and certification policies are set, as well as a detailed description of the characteristics of the services, the main achievements, challenges and lessons learned.
III-2 Explanation of the innovative element of the initiative for advancing decent work in the care economy
The innovative element is the cooperative mechanism itself—a model of horizontal, South-South, and network-driven collaboration that transforms seed capital (modest resources) into shared knowledge, scalable practices, and lasting institutional alliances in vocational education and training (VET).
IV-1 What were the main challenges or difficulties during the design and implementation? How were they faced/ addressed?
Challenge 1: Adapting innovative methods to different national contexts while ensuring local ownership.Response: New methods were introduced through training activities, pilot projects, and knowledge-sharing platforms. This allowed institutions to adapt the tools to their own needs while also building a shared pool of knowledge.Challenge 2: Making sure all institutions contributed resources while also attracting external support for long-term continuity.Response: The project used RBTC-SSTC funds (Regular Budget Technical Cooperation – South-South and Triangular Cooperation) as seed money to encourage institutional contributions and attract new partnerships (such as SENAC-SP – National Service for Commercial Learning in São Paulo, TKNIKA – Basque Vocational Education and Training Centre, and Erasmus+ – European Union’s education and training program). This ensured sustainability beyond the initial funding.Challenge 3: Coordinating diverse priorities, schedules, and institutional capacities across regions.Response: The CIP methodology (Collective Impact Platform) ensured structured participation through designated focal points, joint technical teams, and facilitation by ILO/CINTERFOR (International Labour Organization / Inter-American Centre for Knowledge Development in Vocational Training), which provided neutral oversight and helped harmonize processes.
IV-2 Lessons learned and good practices, including room and opportunities for improvement
Horizontal, South-South technical cooperation fosters ownership and adaptability. When innovative methods are introduced through peer learning, pilots, and joint knowledge-sharing, institutions can adapt tools to their national contexts while still contributing to a shared pool of practices.
IV-5 Potential for transferability, expansion and replicability in other countries and contexts
Since 2022, several institutions have joined the process after recognizing the value of improving their practices. There is potential for additional government or mixed institutions to participate, as long as they play a key role in their countries’ training and certification systems for care services.
V-1 Sources of information and documents used on the characteristics of the initiative, including links to websites, news items, toolkits, policy documents or reports
Experiences on training and certification for care work in Latin AmericaTechnical Meeting: Training and Certification for Caregiving in Latin America and the Caribbean
V-2 Contact information of ILO focal point
Fernando Casanova, Senior Programme Officer at ILO/CINTERFOR ([email protected])Anaclara Matosas, Communication and Information Management Officer at ILO/CINTERFOR ([email protected])Paz Arancibia, ILO Senior Specialist Gender Equality and Non-discrimination ([email protected])