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THE ILO-NORWAY PROGRAMME COOPERATION AGREEMENTS ON SKILLS DEVELOPMENT (2016-2023)

eval_number:

511219

eval_url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/eval/511219

lessons_learned:

themes:

theme:

Programme sustainability

category:

Organizational issues

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comments:

Constituents Training and implementation partners Programme staff

challenges:

Excessive control and lack of ownership: Role of social partners to make it an integrated initiative within the VET system, was not fully explored, and government still remains in ‘control’ of the initiatives. Particularly, apprenticeship should be equally driven by the private sector, which is currently not the case, and interest is reducing due to delayed apprenticeship reforms and lack of incentives to engage. This led to training providers in Mainland Tanzania to shift away from the apprenticeship to a dual higher professional education. Lack of engagement of relevant stakeholders: In the case of WIL, the approach can benefit from stronger engagement with larger farms and associations, retail networks, and other relevant actors within the horticulture/diary value chain to make internship links between trainers and companies more effective. Limited funding, impact assessment, and capacities: Short term funding and engagement with small pilots, which have not systematically been tested in diverse contexts do not provide a basis for operationalization, replication and anchoring. Monitoring and reporting of impact is not systematically done, which is required when piloting initiatives. At this point of time, implementation partners do not get the required guidance and financial support to integrate approach into day-to-day practice to be able to replicate and scale.

success:

Sensitization of different stakeholders: Initial sensitization and understanding of the benefit of engaging private sector in VET led to interest in collaborating and testing WIL and Apprenticeships. The private sector, willing to engage, realized that it is relevant and effective. It also led to high demand amongst youth to join. Proactive outreach to enroll women led to increased enrolment of women in WIL and Apprenticeships. Funding Support: The government of Zanzibar earmarked their own funding for apprenticeship training. Impact assessment and development of proof of concept: While there is commitment to apprenticeships and WIL, there is a need to deepen experiences made in these initial pilots so that they are well understood, costed, resourced, and assessed for impact, so that a mechanism around these approaches can be built. Piloting should include multiple batches and be tested in a variety of context so that the right information is gathered for interventions to be effective and impactful. Monitoring impact & documentation learnings towards consolidating pilot into an approach.

context:

Governments need to embrace private sector engagement and Trade Union involvement, create an enabling environment, as well as an incentive system for enterprises to start investing into training. There is the need for the private sector to realize the need for trained staff to be able to grow. Constituents Training and implementation partners Programme staff

description:

The Malawi Work integrated learning approach (WIL) and the Zanzibar dual Apprenticeship interventions demonstrate that piloting small initiatives is not enough. What is required is a proof of concept to ensure sustainability. Exposure to dual apprenticeships and workplace-based learning solutions through knowledge and exchange, and tailor-made capacity building led to an enhanced understanding and commitment of constituents to combine workplace-based learning and centre-based VET and systematically move towards dualized and competency-based training (Apprenticeships in Zanzibar and WIL in Malawi). In Tanzania: A small budget was set aside to pilot apprenticeships. Partnerships were formed, curricula and training materials were adapted, and instructors were trained in the pedagogical approach. The feedback on effectiveness was overall positive and resulted in partners continuing the initiative in some form, even after funding ended. The government with the support from ILO started diversifying apprenticeships in Tanzania, by adding additional occupations/sectors and pre-apprenticeships to apprenticeships, and earmarking funds for the same. It also led to policy integration and adaptations. In Malawi: Similarly, the WIL approach was piloted with newly developed curricula and training capacities in agricultural colleges and farms and continued to be used in a broad way by training providers, including farms and with successful beneficiaries becoming trainers themselves. The government showed interest in mainstreaming WIL in all agricultural courses and other trades but has not yet done so. Nonetheless, the process of institutionalization and mainstreaming has been sluggish in both these cases, with constituents repeatedly seeking further engagement from the ILO to help translate concepts into practical and scalable implementation. Governments remain uncertain about how to operationalize these initiatives, and the necessary framework conditions to incentivize the private sector are not yet in place. Efforts are required to ensure that framework conditions are addressed (including aspects of policies, incentives and regulations) and private sector bodies and trade unions have the institutional capacity and willingness to take the approach forward. Champions in the government, in enterprises and training providers are crucial to take this initiative forward. It has been observed that these pilot initiatives need to be consolidated to be ‘fit’ for institutionalization. This requires a programme perspective which has a longer-term horizon and funding assured so that pilot activities become integrated approaches and are the basis for the government to operationalize and implement. The right framework conditions need to be generated, capacities of private sector associations developed, and incentives need to be put in place for the private sector to engage.

administrative_issues:

Staff capacities to be built Bundle/ expand resources over two to three PCAs for piloting initiatives Monitoring & documentation learnings towards consolidating pilot into an approach Resources to be earmarked to strengthen engagement of business associations/employers and trade unions in the approach and for them to assume their roles.

url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/lessons/511273

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location:

country:

Ethiopia

region:

Global

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country:

Malawi

region:

Global

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country:

Lebanon

region:

Global

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country:

Ghana

region:

Global

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country:

Senegal

region:

Global

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country:

United Republic of Tanzania

region:

Global

---

eval_title:

THE ILO-NORWAY PROGRAMME COOPERATION AGREEMENTS ON SKILLS DEVELOPMENT (2016-2023)