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Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142) - Niger (RATIFICATION: 1993)

Article 1 of the Convention. Policies and programmes. Close links between employment and vocational training. The Committee notes the Government’s indication concerning the finalization of the first draft of a new National Employment Policy in 2018. It also notes the information provided regarding the various programmes run by the National Employment Promotion Agency (ANPE) and the partnerships concluded by the ANPE in the areas of vocational training and vocational guidance, namely: the internships supported by the Young Persons’ Integration Programme (PAIJ); the programme to support enterprise creation; the programmes implemented by the ANPE with the support of the Skills Development Project for Growth (PRODEC); the partnership agreement signed between the ANPE and the Vocational Training and Apprenticeship Support Fund (FAFPA), the implementation of which included the training of 190 persons in various fields at the direct request of enterprises or following the ANPE’s observation of a lack of skills on the labour market; and the partnership agreement with an online training platform, through which job applicants in Niger will be able to receive free training in certain areas. The Committee further notes the information provided by the Government concerning the activities carried out by the FAFPA during the period 2018–19, according to which 17,291 persons benefitted from the various training courses provided. However, the Committee notes that the Government does not indicate the number of beneficiaries who gained access to employment following their participation in these programmes. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any progress made concerning the adoption and content of the new National Employment Policy, specifying the provisions concerning human resources development, and indicating the manner in which the new National Employment Policy envisages the establishment of close links between vocational guidance, vocational training and employment. It requests the Government to provide a copy of the new National Employment Policy once it has been adopted. The Committee further reiterates its request for information on the coordination of activities and programmes implemented by the various competent agencies and bodies in the areas of vocational guidance and vocational training, in particular the ANPE and the FAFPA. It also requests the Government to indicate the manner in which it ensures that these programmes and activities are comprehensive and coordinated, as required by Article 1 of the Convention. The Committee finally requests the Government to provide updated statistical data, disaggregated by sex, age and sector, on the results achieved by vocational guidance and vocational training programmes in terms of the labour market integration of beneficiaries.

Article 1(5). Equality of opportunity. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to provide information concerning the inclusion of gender issues in vocational training and vocational guidance programmes, as well as the status of persons with specific needs, such as persons with disabilities. The Committee notes the Government’s indications concerning the participation rate of women in the internships provided under the contract for initiation to working life (COSIVIP), which is 43.78 per cent, and in the entrepreneurship training provided under the programme to support enterprise creation, which is 36 per cent. The Government further indicates that in these placement services, the ANPE adopts an equality of opportunities approach for the integration of all job applicants of both sexes and those belonging to specific groups, such as persons with disabilities. Concerning the activities and programmes implemented by the FAFPA, the Government indicates that a quota of 30 per cent is reserved for women during planning, and that during recruitment, the FAFPA applies positive discrimination in favour of women candidates. The Government refers to the results of a survey on the labour market integration of young persons in the regions of Agadez and Zinder, and indicates that the proportion of young women trained by the FAFPA and integrated into the labour market was 35.33 per cent. Concerning the measures taken to encourage women to undertake training in non-traditional areas, the Government indicates that the regional branches of the FAFPA conduct awareness-raising activities with a focus on the importance of training in industrial fields for young women and that, during registration, young women are directed towards these fields. The Government indicates, for example, that in 2019, the FAFPA regional branch in Niamey trained 30 young women in electrical building services, and states that gender issues are addressed in all FAFPA activities. The Committee welcomes the measures taken by the Government to increase the participation of young women in the activities and programmes implemented by the FAFPA. It requests the Government to continue providing updated and detailed information on the specific measures aimed at encouraging and enabling women to develop and use their vocational skills throughout their lives, in all branches of activity and at all levels of skills and responsibility, including in non-traditional areas. The Committee also requests the Government to provide updated and detailed information on the measures taken to ensure that specific groups of workers who encounter difficulties in obtaining employment, such as young persons, persons with disabilities, rural workers and workers in the informal economy, benefit from equal access to lifelong vocational guidance, education and training opportunities.

Article 3. Information systems. The Committee notes the Government’s indications concerning the number of jobseekers and employers who have benefited from services matching vacancies and jobseekers between 2011 and 2018. The Government also indicates that the ANPE plans to develop a computer application to further facilitate labour market mediation. The Committee also notes the Government’s indications regarding the awareness-raising actions undertaken by the FAFPA, which aim to increase awareness of the opportunities provided by training, and which target all strata of society. In this regard, the Government refers to the information and guidance system for young persons under the NIG 801 project, implemented by the FAFPA in partnership with the European Union, and indicates that the Council for Young Persons and the Regional Council are involved in identifying young persons, and that persons with disabilities are supported through the provision of training and integration. Noting that the NIG 801 project was designed to support the training and integration of young women and men in the regions of Agadez and Zinder, and that the project ended in November 2020, the Committee requests the Government to provide updated information on the measures taken to progressively extend the systems of vocational guidance and continuous employment information, with a view to ensuring that comprehensive information and the broadest possible guidance are available to young persons and adults. It also reiterates its request to the Government to describe the type of information available for the purposes of vocational guidance, and the manner in which this information is kept updated, and to provide examples of the documentation available.

Article 5. Cooperation with the social partners. While noting the information provided by the Government on the powers and the tripartite composition of the ANPE Executive Board, the Committee recalls that, on page 47 of its 2010 General Survey concerning employment instruments, it indicates that consultation with the social partners in both the design and implementation of training policies and programmes is imperative to ensure the application of the Convention. The Committee therefore requests the Government to continue providing updated information on the participation of employers’ and workers’ organization in the formulation and implementation of vocational guidance and vocational training policies and programmes.