Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2003, published 92nd ILC session (2004)

Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142) - Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) (Ratification: 1984)

1. With reference to its direct request of 1998, the Committee notes the information in the Government’s report received in October 2003. The Committee refers to the comments it made that year on the Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122), and the Paid Educational Leave Convention, 1974 (No. 140), the implementation of which is closely related to the measures to be adopted for the development of human resources.

2. The Government provides information on the adoption, within the framework of the Organic Act of December 2002 respecting the social security system, of a system of employment services, including mediation and advisory programmes and services, employment information and guidance and the facilitation of skills training for integration into the labour market. Furthermore, since 1999, the Directorate of Professional and Vocational Training has been responsible for determining the priorities and mechanisms to link vocational and business training and education with the demand and trends in the labour market, development plans and programmes and the most widely sought occupational/professional profiles. In addition, the National Institute for Cooperative Education (INCE) offers continuing training through 21 regional civil associations. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would continue to provide information in its next report on the manner in which policies and programmes of vocational guidance and training are linked with employment and with public employment services (Article 1 of the Convention). Please indicate in particular the number of persons who benefited from the vocational guidance services of the system of employment services and provide more detailed information on the activities of the INCE.

3. The Committee notes with interest the training activities envisaged under the Act (of March 2001) to create, encourage, promote and develop the system of micro-finance. The Government also indicates in its report that the INCE, with the support of the German technical cooperation agency (GTZ), is undertaking a programme for micro-entrepreneurs, the objective of which is to provide an overview of the enterprise and its environment and to develop the skills necessary to achieve competence in the management and/or creation of a micro-enterprise. The Committee hopes that the Government will continue to provide information on the measures adopted to recognize and promote the fundamental role of small and medium-sized enterprises in relation to the training and development of human resources (see also the Job Creation in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Recommendation, 1998 (No. 189)).

4. In general, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would include in its next report extracts of reports (for example, by the INCE), statistical data, etc., on the training policies and programmes for population groups requiring special attention in the field of vocational training and guidance, such as young persons seeking to enter the labour market, women heads of household, persons with disabilities and persons over 45 years of age.