Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2019, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142) - Ecuador (Ratification: 1977)

Articles 1 to 5 of the Convention. Education and training policies and programmes. Collaboration with the social partners. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to provide information on the results achieved through the implementation of vocational guidance and training policies and programmes. It also requested the Government to supply information on the manner in which the cooperation of the social partners was ensured in the formulation and implementation of those policies and programmes. The Committee notes with interest the adoption in October 2016 of resolution No. SECAP DE 011 2016, which sets out the Regulations on vocational training and certification. Under section 2 of the Regulations, an evaluation stage is included among the various stages of the training and certification processes, which consists of assessing the participants’ level of satisfaction, the quality of the training and certification processes, and the degree to which the processes help to improve the participants’ living and working conditions. Under section 3 of the Regulations, the training and certification activities carried out by the Ecuadorian Vocational Training Service (SECAP) must be coordinated with national public policies on labour skills in order to feed into the labour retraining and reintegration processes, and refresher and add-on knowledge courses. The Committee also notes the reforms introduced in October 2017 to Executive Decree No. 860, through which the National Vocational Training and Qualification System was established. Under this Decree, principles and standards have been established to promote and develop public inter-sectoral policies on training, and recognition and certification of qualifications for, inter alia, self-employed persons and employees, and public servants. The Government indicates that, according to statistics of SECAP, between 2015 and 2017, 95,609 people participated in the training processes. The Committee notes, however, that the Government does not provide the disaggregated information requested on the number of participants in each of the different training processes, nor on the manner in which the cooperation of the social partners is ensured in the formulation and implementation of education and training policies and programmes. The Committee reiterates its request that the Government provide up-to-date and detailed information, including statistics disaggregated by age and sex, on the impact of the various policies and programmes that have been implemented on vocational guidance and training. The Committee also reiterates its request that the Government provide detailed information on the manner in which collaboration is ensured with the social partners and other relevant bodies concerning the formulation, implementation and monitoring of vocational guidance and training programmes. Lastly, the Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information on the coordination of vocational training and education policies with employment policy and, specifically, on the manner in which it is ensured in practice that training opportunities are matched with knowledge and skills demand, and with the changing scene of the labour market.

Certification processes. National qualifications framework. The Committee notes that section 12 of Executive Decree No. 860 provides for the establishment of a National Qualifications Catalogue, which will consist of a set of skills that can be certified and identified, strategies and guidelines for the design and structuring of curricula, and occupational standards for the certification of qualifications and the evaluation of the skills linked with the qualifications listed in the Catalogue. The Committee also notes the Government’s indication that the overall objective of SECAP is to establish formal skills recognition through the labour skills certification process, thereby contributing to the professionalization of workers. To achieve this objective, a proposal is being drawn up to calculate targets for certification processes based on the national labour system, at both territorial and sectoral levels. The Government adds that, in preparing this proposal, it has identified the number of eligible persons at the national level who can access the labour skills certification process in the job profiles provided by SECAP, as well as the proportion of those persons employed at national and provincial levels. The Committee notes the detailed information provided by the Government relating to the different skills profiles certified by SECAP and the targets to be achieved regarding the number of persons assessed in sectors such as communications, construction, metalworking, textiles, trade and sales. The Government indicates that in 2018, an assessment target was set for 14,000 persons, of whom it is expected that over 11,600 will obtain certification. The Committee requests the Government to provide updated information, including statistical information disaggregated by sex and age, on the number of persons participating in the skills certification processes. The Committee also requests the Government to provide detailed information on the measures adopted or envisaged, in collaboration with the social partners, to broaden the vocational training systems, including vocational certification processes, in order to cover branches of economic activity that are not currently addressed and ensure that these systems are adapted to people’s changing needs throughout life, as well as to the current and forecasted requirements of the labour market and the various branches of economic activity.

Groups in vulnerable situations. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to provide information on the results of vocational training and guidance policies and programmes that dealt particularly with groups in vulnerable situations. The Committee notes that section 11 of Executive Decree No. 860 stipulates that the training provided by SECAP must include programmes for groups who are excluded from accessing quality jobs, formal education and private training, such as priority target groups, actors in the popular and solidarity economy, the under-employed, self-employed and unemployed, and must contribute to labour retraining and reintegration. The training must also cover those areas, sectors and territories where no private training is provided. With respect to persons with disabilities, the Government states that an agreement was signed between SECAP and the Ecuadorian National Council for Persons with Disabilities (CONADIS), whose objective is to provide a multiple-use space to enable organizations working with this priority target group to develop alternative training activities and access vocational training programmes. Further, the Government refers to the implementation of the project “Solidarity Stores”, led by SECAP jointly with the Guayas prefecture, in the context of which the “Tools for Entrepreneurship” workshop was carried out. Nevertheless, the Committee notes that the Government does not provide information on the results of vocational training programmes and policies aimed at groups in vulnerable situations. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed and updated information on the various vocational guidance policies and programmes adopted or envisaged with a view to promoting access to education, training and lifelong learning for persons with special needs as referred to in Paragraph 5(h) of the Human Resources Development Recommendation, 2004 (No. 195). In this connection, the Committee requests the Government to indicate whether the training offered to groups in vulnerable situations, such as persons with disabilities, consists of separate programmes or inclusive training. The Committee also requests the Government to provide updated statistical information, disaggregated by sex and age, on the number of participants in the various programmes and the impact of such measures.