COP EMPLOYMENT Implementation Plan - WP2014

Employment and employability

Justification

Employment is a key challenge in all ETF partner countries. High unemployment and inactivity rates – in particular among youth and women – deprive countries from taking full advantage of valuable human resources for their development; while large parts of the population are trapped in low quality jobs that do not permit them to develop their skills and ensure their long term employability. Lack of job creation and inappropriate skills of the population are core issues to be addressed so as to ensure more inclusive labour markets and enhance the employability of the population. In the last years ETF has assisted partner countries to analyse their labour markets giving particular emphasis on the skills dimension so as to support them in the development of better employment policies and measures and for enhancing the external efficiency of their VET systems. However, the available methodological tools that partner countries have at their disposal in order to capture and analyse labour market phenomena for sound policy development as well as their capacity to identify present and future demand for skills are still weak. Further work is needed so that partner countries can effectively develop and use labour market skills-related intelligence for policy making.

Objectives

■  Provide policy advice to the partner countries for the development of more effective employment policies focusing in particular on actions supporting the development of skills and better skills matching.

■  Support partner countries to develop and use labour market intelligence as an input to their VET policy making (special emphasis is to be given on further analysis of the nexus between skills and employment, characteristics of young people not in education or employment, labour market outcomes of specific population groups, the anticipation of the demand for skills, the role of the informal sector from a skills perspective, the challenges of transition from school-to-work)

■  Inform the EC services on labour market trends and employment policy developments in the ETF partner countries as an input to the programming of EU financial assistance to the countries.

Activities

■  Analytical studies on labour market trends to inform policy makers for the design of their national employment policies and measures, with particular emphasis on the role of skills for increased employability;

■  Provision of methodological support for in depth studies of labour market phenomena relevant to the context of specific partner countries e.g. skills and the informal economy, transition from school to work, NEETs;

■  Capacity building actions for the identification of appropriate instruments that provide information on the future demand for skills and measure skills missmatch so as to inform VET policy making using the relevant ETF-Cedefop-ILO guides;

■  Facilitation of knowledge sharing through electronic instruments and ad hoc regional and international events of methodologies for matching and anticipation of skills and good practices in active labour market policies;

■  Regular reporting on labour market trends and employment policy developments in the partner to EU services;

■  Identification of EU projects in the field of employment upon request of the EC services and EUDs.

Expected results

■  Employment policies of all partner countries that have received assistance by ETF are based on sound information and give sufficient attention to actions that ensure skills development and better skills matching

■  Partner countries’ institutions improve their capacity to use appropriate intelligence for monitoring labour market trends and the demand for skills as an input to effective VET policy making.

■  EC services have regular access to updated information on labour market and employment challenges in the partner countries.


Logical Framework Matrix COP EMPLOYMENT 2014 - 2017

Intervention Logic / Objectively verifiable indicators / Sources of verification / Assumptions
Overall Objective
Ensuring that relevant international employment trends and good practices feed into innovative policy solutions for better functioning and inclusive labour markets in ETF partner countries and contributing to better matching of labour demand and supply in ETF partner countries. / Job creation
Improved quality of jobs available in the country
Improved employability / National Labour Force surveys
National and international reports on jobs / Countries keep employment matters and job creation high in their national political agenda
Countries continue to adopt and push for a holistic approach to VET, including its links to labour market
project purpose
1. Provide policy advice to the partner countries for the development of more effective employment policies focusing in particular on actions supporting the development of skills and better skills matching.
2. Support partner countries to develop and use labour market intelligence as an input to their VET policy making (special emphasis on the nexus between skills and employment, characteristics of young people not in education or employment, labour market outcomes of specific population groups, the anticipation of the demand for skills, the role of the informal sector from a skills perspective, the challenges of transition from school-to-work)
3. Inform the EC services on labour market trends and employment policy developments in the ETF partner countries as an input to the programming of EU financial assistance to the countries. / Improved employment policies in ETF partner countries
Better analysis of national labour markets
Enhanced external efficiency of ETF partner countries VET systems
Better capacity to identify present and future demand for skills / National policy documents on education and training and labour market and employment
Torino Process reports / Labour market issues are given a higher strategic importance in the EU strategic policies for the ETF and partner countries.
CoP EMPL coordinator/staff is involved in high level policy dialogue
Labour market relevant projects are included in ETF’s annual planning, at country level and regional level
Level of staff in ETF working on employment remains stable
Results
1. Employment policies of all partner countries that have received assistance by ETF are based on sound information and give sufficient attention to actions that ensure skills development and better skills matching
2. Partner countries’ institutions improve their capacity to use appropriate intelligence for monitoring labour market trends and the demand for skills as an input to effective VET policy making.
3. EC services deliver better assistance to partner countries based on sound information on labour market and employment.
1.  / 1.1 Labour market institutions in partner countries use ETF labour market analysis and/or specific advice on employment related issues in their policy planning
2.1 Private sector and line ministries dialogue on skill needs
3.1 ETF contributions to the design and implementation of the EU support
3.2 ETF contributions to progress report / 1.1 One short brief on NEETs including analysis of 4 partner countries as input to international conference (Q1). One publication on NEETs including analysis of 7-8 partner countries (Q4)
1.2 At least two in house brainstorming meetings organized to discuss about the issue of informal economy and its relevance for ETF partner countries and policy paper drafted (by Q3)
1.3 One policy briefing elaborated on active labour market programmes (Q1).
1.4 Organization of dissemination meetings about the ETF policy paper on active labour market programmes within country activities (Q4).
1.5 Six methodological guides on matching finalized (Q2)
1.6 Validation and dissemination event on matching guides organized
1.7 Connections platform regularly updated with international publications on employment
1.8 Contribution to ILO skills for employment database and other international platforms
1.9 Leaflet on COP Employment activities produced
2.1 Capacity building activities and policy advice to selected countries delivered
3.1 Reports on labour market and employment related matters delivered to EC services
3.2 Presentations delivered in EU events
3.3 Project fiche delivered
Quarterly reports in Dashboard
Quarterly progress reports to the line manager on paper and in meetings.
Team meetings minutes
Reference to ETF support on employment related matter is mentioned in national strategic and planning documents
Labour market information documents provided to EC services / EU continues to support education and employment in the partner countries
Partner countries continue to seek ETF advice on employment related matters
EC services continue to require ETF inputs on labour market policies and trends
Activities 2014
1.1 Formulation of targeted policy advice to partner countries in relation to NEETs, to be presented at an international conference to be organized in the first half of 2014.
1.2 Internal elaboration and methodological discussion about the informal economy and the role of transversal skills in adapting to change and innovation
1.3 Facilitation of knowledge sharing of expertise in the field of labour market also through electronic instruments, in particular with reference to the finalization and dissemination of ETF-Cedefop-ILO guides on skills matching and anticipation developed by the ILP Matching, the ETF ALMP research paper and the contribution to international platform and debates
2.1 Provision of targeted policy advice to for the «Sectoral Strategy for Employment and Social Welfare 2014-2020» in Kosovo.
2.2 Capacity building to selected countries for using information instruments to analyse specific phenomena of their labour markets and inform their policy making n VET –using where relevant the ETF-Cedefop-ILO guides on skills matching and anticipation. These include: tracer studies in Armenia and Kyrgyzstan; development of a structured approach to labour market information system to support career guidance in Armenia; provision of methodological support for skill needs analysis at regional level in Morocco; awareness raising on methodologies for skills anticipation in Ukraine and Georgia; provision of expertise on skills matching and anticipation to the EAP Platform 2 annual meeting and to Russia. The results of the Frame project in the South Eastern Europe and Turkey (in particular the review of institutional arrangements) may indicate further capacity building activities to be supported
3.1 Regular reporting on labour market policies and trends to EU services in relation to all regions through drafting specific country fiches, short regional papers and/or making contributions/ presentations in the EU events.
3.2 Formulation of targeted support to EU Delegations in partner countries. This includes: drafting project fiches to support employment in Palestine. / Means
1.95 FTE labour market specialist to work on thematic expertise development
0.25 FTE assistant
Total budget: 100.000 EUR (breakdown below):
Operational:
46,000 EUR for external labour market experts (national and international, to be used for study on informal economy, research on NEETs, and dissemination of ALMPs research paper).
Matching project:
20.000 EUR for organization of validation event in Prague;
24.000 for final editing of 4 matching guides;
10.000 for layout of 6 matching guides (all deliverables in Q1 and Q2)
Mission budget for 10 missions: 12.000 EUR:
at least 4 missions for research on NEETs,
2 missions for validation event in Prague,
4 missions to participate in international events (1 being active involvement in European Employment Forum)
(* Capacity building activities and provision of targeted policy advice are budgeted under geographical units country budget. The budget mentioned above covers only the thematic expertise development in the field of employment) / Outputs
1. Labour market analysis of partner countries
2. Policy advise to partner countries
3. Support to the EC services / Social partners and companies agree to collaborate
Labour market and VET institutions cooperate with ETF and provide the necessary back up for capacity development actions
Other international organizations and EU agencies continue to cooperate with ETF on employment related matters
Activities 2015
1.1 Analysis of partner countries labour markets, with a specific focus on skills development and the link to education and training policies
1.2 Facilitation of knowledge sharing of expertise in the field of labour market also through electronic instruments
2.1 Capacity building and policy advise to selected countries for using information instruments to analyse specific phenomena of their labour markets and inform their policy making n VET
2.2 Formulation of targeted policy advice to partner countries in relation to NEETs and to skills in the informal economy
3.1 Regular reporting on labour market policies and trends to EU services in relation to all regions through drafting specific country fiches, short regional papers and/or making contributions/ presentations in the EU events.
3.2 Formulation of targeted support to EU Delegations in partner countries. / Means
-  ETF experts FTE
-  International experts
-  National experts / Outputs
1. Labour market analysis of partner countries
2. Policy advise to partner countries
3. Support to the EC services / Social partners and companies agree to collaborate
Labour market and VET institutions cooperate with ETF and provide the necessary back up for capacity development actions
Other international organizations and EU agencies continue to cooperate with ETF on employment related matters
Activities 2016
1.1 Analysis of partner countries labour markets, with a specific focus on skills development and the link to education and training policies
1.2 Facilitation of knowledge sharing of expertise in the field of labour market also through electronic instruments
2.1 Capacity building and policy advise to selected countries for using information instruments to analyse specific phenomena of their labour markets and inform their policy making n VET
2.2 Formulation of targeted policy advice to partner countries in relation to NEETs and to skills in the informal economy
3.1 Regular reporting on labour market policies and trends to EU services in relation to all regions through drafting specific country fiches, short regional papers and/or making contributions/ presentations in the EU events.
3.2 Formulation of targeted support to EU Delegations in partner countries. / Means
-  ETF experts FTE
-  International experts
-  National experts / Outputs
1. Labour market analysis of partner countries
2. Policy advise to partner countries
3. Support to the EC services / Social partners and companies agree to collaborate
Labour market and VET institutions cooperate with ETF and provide the necessary back up for capacity development actions
Other international organizations and EU agencies continue to cooperate with ETF on employment related matters
Activities 2017
1.1 Analysis of partner countries labour markets, with a specific focus on skills development and the link to education and training policies
1.2 Facilitation of knowledge sharing of expertise in the field of labour market also through electronic instruments
2.1 Capacity building and policy advise to selected countries for using information instruments to analyse specific phenomena of their labour markets and inform their policy making n VET
2.2 Formulation of targeted policy advice to partner countries in relation to NEETs and to skills in the informal economy
3.1 Regular reporting on labour market policies and trends to EU services in relation to all regions through drafting specific country fiches, short regional papers and/or making contributions/ presentations in the EU events.
3.2 Formulation of targeted support to EU Delegations in partner countries. / Means
-  ETF experts FTE
-  International experts
-  National experts / Outputs
1. Labour market analysis of partner countries
2. Policy advise to partner countries
3. Support to the EC services / Social partners and companies agree to collaborate
Labour market and VET institutions cooperate with ETF and provide the necessary back up for capacity development actions
Other international organizations and EU agencies continue to cooperate with ETF on employment related matters

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