Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2016, published 106th ILC session (2017)

Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88) - Bolivia (Plurinational State of) (Ratification: 1977)

Articles 1–5 of the Convention. Contribution of the employment service to the promotion of employment. Cooperation of the social partners. The Government indicates in its report that the Public Employment Service provides various services – job placement; vocational training and guidance; entrepreneurship support; support for vulnerable groups – and also two programmes: the “My First Decent Job” programme (MPED), for technical vocational training; and the “Employment Support Programme” (PAE), for in-service vocational training. The Committee notes with interest that, as part of the MPED, a total of 46 vocational training activities were implemented, most of them in the cities of El Alto and Potosí, which have high levels of poverty and unemployment. According to the information provided by the Government, in 2014 the Public Employment Service placed 14,800 people in employment in response to 4,462 requests from employers. During the 2011–14 period, vocational guidance was given to 5,503 individuals across the country, of whom 65 per cent were young persons. In addition, a total of 2,815 persons were beneficiaries of the entrepreneurship support service which gives priority to youth. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing up-to-date information on the operation of the Public Employment Service and its contribution towards meeting the needs of employers and workers, particularly in the regions of the country with high levels of unemployment. The Committee again requests the Government to supply information on the cooperation of the social partners in the organization and operation of the Public Employment Service, at both national and departmental levels.

Article 6(b)(iv). Movement of workers. The Government indicates in its report that, as part of the formulation of a labour migration policy, it conducted a “Labour market study with public policy guidelines for the placement of returnee migrants in employment”, using the guidelines of the Directorate-General of Employment and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the measures taken by the Public Employment Service to facilitate the movement of workers and labour migration.

Article 7. Youth employment. The Government indicates in its report that, since 2015, it has been implementing a project entitled “Improving employability and quality of work for vulnerable groups (2015–20)”, which is funded by the World Bank and aims to cater for a total of 15,200 young people in the capital cities of nine departments in the country, the city of El Alto and five towns of more than 50,000 inhabitants. The project includes the implementation of three components: improvement and expansion of in-service training courses provided through the MPED; training and technical assistance for young entrepreneurs with limited resources; and a pilot support programme for second-chance secondary education for young entrepreneurs. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the impact of the measures adopted by the Public Employment Service to facilitate access to employment for young people.