Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2023, published 112nd ILC session (2024)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Antigua and Barbuda (Ratification: 2002)

The Committee notes with deep concern that the Government’s report has not been received. It expects that the next report will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous comments. The Committee informs the Government that, if it has not supplied replies to the points raised by 1 September 2024, then it may proceed with the examination of the application of the Convention on the basis of the information at its disposal at its next session.

Repetition

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Employment trends and active labour market measures. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to provide information on the measures taken to formulate and implement an active employment policy designed to promote full, productive and freely chosen employment. The Government reports that the Ministry of Legal Affairs, Public Safety and Labour has implemented an Active Labour Market Programme, which aims to increase employment opportunities in the country. In this context, it indicates that the Antigua and Barbuda Skills Training and Empowerment Programme 2015–18 (ABSTEP) was administered by the Labour Department’s One Stop Employment Centre as part of the World Bank-funded Public and Social Sector Transformation Project. The ABSTEP was designed with two components: the Temporary Employment Programme (TEP) and the Training Programme (TP). The Government indicates that the TEP provided income support to the less experienced, low-income unemployed through providing a temporary (six-month) job experience plus life-skills training, whereas the TP aimed to provide retraining and competence certification to the more experienced among this population. The Committee notes that while three cohorts of the TEP were successfully completed, the TP was not launched and as of 2014 the ABSTEP Programme was discontinued. The Government indicates that the Labour Department is currently undertaking the New Work Experience Programme, sponsored by local government, which enables young workers aged 18–35 to gain work experience through quick placements. It adds that the Programme, which has existed since the late seventies, was recently rebranded to include varying categories of employment. The Programme has placed 532 trainees, of whom 121 have gained permanent employment. The Committee also notes the formulation of the Medium Term Development Strategy 2015–19 (MTDS), which establishes the strategic development priorities for the country. Moreover, the Committee notes that, according to information available on the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) website, the approval of the Country Strategy for Antigua and Barbuda for the period 2015–18 by the Directors of the CDB, which is aligned with the priorities set out in the MTDS. The Country Strategy document outlines the assistance strategy and planned strategic focus to accelerate the country’s economic growth and pursue sustainable development over the specified period. It was developed in consultation with officials of the Government and key stakeholders. Interventions in the framework of the Country Strategy from 2015 to 2018 will be geared toward achieving seven outcomes, including improved access to and quality of education, increased private sector competitiveness and better economic management. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information on the measures taken under the Active Labour Market Programme and their impact on the promotion of full, productive and freely chosen employment. The Committee also requests the Government to indicate the manner in which employment policy measures are kept under review within the framework of an overall coordinated economic and social policy.

Education and training policies and programmes. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to provide updated information on the measures taken in the area of education and training policies and their relation to prospective employment opportunities. The Government reports that the Ministry of Education is engaged in a consultancy funded by the CDB to develop a technical and vocational policy for schools. According to the interim report of the consultant provided by the Government, Antigua and Barbuda has a serious shortage of qualified labour and imports labour, placing the local population at a disadvantage, as locals lack the requisite skills and competencies to compete effectively with persons from other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) States who arrive with Skills Certificates. The Government indicates that a draft Education Sector Plan for 2013–18 has been developed, and that one of its strategic goals is to strengthen technical and vocational training in schools. The Plan was later revised in another draft on Education and Training for Economic Advancement for 2021. Finally, the Government indicates that the Ministry of Education conducted technical and vocational training with over 30 teachers in June 2017 to enable them to serve as assessors and trainers in the schools. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the status of the draft Education Sector Plan and the Education and Training for Economic Advancement for 2021 as well as on the impact of the consultancy on education and training policies. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken or envisaged to coordinate education and training policies with prospective employment opportunities and their impact, if any.

Article 2. Collection and use of labour market information. The Government indicates that the Labour Market Information System is currently being utilized by the Labour Department, but that the statistical website to capture data has not been furnished. The Government adds that the CARICOM has provided a statistical website (Dot.Stat) that requires the fulfilment of 34 indicators separated into three categories: immediate; short-term; and medium-term. The Government indicates that once the file is made available to the Labour Department, it will be in a better position to upload the relevant data to the website. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information on the measures taken to improve its labour market information system, including the manner in which the data collected is used in designing, implementing and reviewing employment policy measures. It also requests the Government to supply updated labour market information on the situation, level and trends of employment, unemployment and underemployment, disaggregated by age and sex.

Article 3. Consultation with the social partners. The Government indicates that the appendix to the National Economic and Social Transformation (NEST) Plan provides examples of the manner in which account is taken of the opinions and experiences of the representatives of employers and workers with regard to the formulation and implementation of employment policies. Nevertheless, the Committee notes that the cited appendix is not provided. In addition, the Committee notes that, in the framework of the consultancy to develop a technical and vocational policy for schools, consultations were held with key stakeholders, such as the Ministries of Labour and Employment, the National Training Agency, employers’ umbrella organizations, trade unions, the Chamber of Commerce, representatives of the Youth Council and student representatives. The objectives of these consultations included identifying the labour market needs of Antigua and Barbuda to assess the extent to which current training offerings in the secondary school system is aligned with the country’s economic development needs and reviewing the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme offerings in the schools to determine their alignment with the Caribbean Vocational Qualifications (CVQ) training delivery and assessment processes. The Committee requests the Government to provide concrete examples of the manner in which account is taken of the opinions and experiences of the social partners in the development, implementation and review of employment policy measures and programmes and their coordination with other economic and social policies.