Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2020, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142) - Netherlands (Ratification: 1979)

The Committee takes note of the supplementary information provided by the Government in light of the decision adopted by the Governing Body at its 338th Session (June 2020), particularly with regard to measures taken to tackle the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee proceeded with the examination of the application of the Convention on the basis of the supplementary information received from the Government and the social partners this year, as well as on the basis of the information at its disposal in 2019.

The Committee notes the joint observations of the Netherlands Trade Union Confederation (FNV), the National Federation of Christian Trade Unions (CNV) and the Trade Union Federation for Professionals (VCP), received on 28 August 2018. The Committee invites the Government to provide its comments in this respect.

COVID-19 pandemic and policies and programmes of vocational guidance and training closely linked to employment. The Committee notes with interest the supplementary information provided by the Government concerning the range of measures taken to save jobs and the economy in light of the pandemic. In particular, it notes the NOW scheme introduced in response to the COVID-19 crisis, which introduced a 90 per cent subsidy for eligible employers (those experiencing a minimum 20 per cent decrease in turnover) to pay their employees’ wages. Under the NOW scheme, employers are also required to help their employees find another position through retraining and upskilling. This has been facilitated by the “Netherlands continues to learn” subsidy package supplementing the regular lifelong learning programme. Its objective is to mitigate the effects of the crisis by supporting people to find alternative employment. This temporary crisis package of €50 million supports mobility in the labour market, strengthening awareness of the importance of lifelong learning and providing career development advice and online education free of charge. The package was launched on 1 August 2020 with the support of social partners, economic sectors, regional partnerships and self- employed workers. The Government adds that it will also allocate an additional social package of €1 billion for retraining and upgrading existing skills and provide additional support to citizens in vulnerable situations. In their joint observation, the FNV and the CNV refer to the challenge of combining training and family responsibilities as an important obstacle to skills development. The FNV and CNV consider that the supplementary package with regard to “Netherlands keeps on learning “is pertinent but insufficient to achieve its objective of preventing unemployment and preventing job loss. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information, including statistics disaggregated by age and sex, on the impact of the “Netherlands continues to learn” package to prevent unemployment and enable all persons to develop and use their capabilities for work in their own best interest and in accordance with their own aspirations, as contemplated in Article 5 of the Convention. The Government is requested to provide information on relevant developments in terms of promoting, lifelong learning and skills development in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Articles 1–5 of the Convention. Formulation and implementation of education and training policies and cooperation with the social partners. In response to the Committee’s previous comment requesting information on activities undertaken in relation to the development of comprehensive and coordinated policies and programmes of vocational guidance and training, the Government refers to an amendment to the 2015 Education and Vocational Training Act. The amended Act focuses on increasing the macro-efficiency of upper secondary vocational training institutes and establishes a 70 per cent employment target for graduates within the first year after graduation. Additionally, according to a 2016 report by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP), the macro-effectivity policy for upper-secondary vocational education and training (VET) seeks to eliminate overlaps in the regional provision of VET and avoid competition between providers. The objective of the policy is to arrive at an optimal offer of qualifications at national and regional levels to meet labour market needs effectively and efficiently. The report notes that, in 2016, a review of the qualifications framework resulted in a 25 per cent reduction in the number of possible qualifications, on the basis that this reduction would make it easier for students to select a programme, while increasing the efficiency of VET institutes. The Government further reports that, in 2016, the Ministry of Education launched a programme to improve: the quality of vocational guidance; the coordination of transitions from school to work; and the dissemination of VET information. In their observations, the workers’ organizations maintain that the Government is moving away from lifelong learning programmes, leaving workers’ organizations with the burden of providing such training for workers. They also refer to the 2017 OECD Skills Strategy Diagnostic Report, challenge 9, which states that all stakeholders in the Netherlands should broaden their skills policy dialogue in order to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse society, engaging with groups that are underperforming in the development, activation and use of skills. Additionally, the workers’ organizations observe that the amended Act on Adult and Vocational Education has resulted in local governments outsourcing training to the private sector, as they are no longer required to use regional VET training centres. The workers’ organizations maintain that, therefore, national public quality assurance for training in basic skills no longer exists. They add that, in 2014, a new subsidy scheme replaced the Wage Tax Relief Act, allowing employers to pay lower taxes for employees engaged in vocational training. In response to the Committee’s previous comment concerning the 2012 Agreement on Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL), the Government reports that, in collaboration with the Labour Foundation, a new agreement was developed for the 2016–21 period. The APL consists of a labour market route and an education route. The labour market route caters to individuals who want to validate their knowledge and skills to help them find different employment opportunities. The education route is for individuals to validate their knowledge and skills in order to obtain a diploma in formal education by way of a shortened pathway. The Government reports that the social partners are working together to optimize the links between the labour market and educational routes. The Committee further notes the joint observations made by the FNV, CNV and VCP indicating that, in 2016, the Government no longer supported the labour market route which leads to training that does not support the needs of working people. The Committee also notes the workers’ representatives mention of challenge 6 of the OECD Skills Strategy Diagnostic Report indicating that the Government should consider introducing stronger and more targeted public investment to boost participation in the APL. The Committee requests the Government to provide a copy of the 2015 Education and Vocational Training Act, as well as information on progress made in achieving the 70 per cent target envisaged in the Act. The Committee further requests the Government to provide detailed information, including statistical information disaggregated by sex and age, on the impact of the labour and education routes of the APL, particularly with regard to the benefits of the training offered, such as licensing and enhanced qualifications for those in the education route and enhanced job prospects and job retention for participants in the labour route. The Committee also invites the Government to provide updated information on measures implemented to promote access to vocational education, guidance and lifelong learning on lasting employment for specific groups, particularly women, young persons and the long-term unemployed (Article 4 of the Convention). Additionally, the Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the manner in which the cooperation of employers’ and workers’ organizations is ensured in the formulation and implementation of vocational training policies and programmes.