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

Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142) - North Macedonia (Ratification: 1991)

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). The Committee examines the application of the Convention on the basis of the supplementary information received from the Government this year, as well as on the basis of the information at its disposal in 2019.

Articles 1 and 5 of the Convention. Formulation and implementation of education and training policies. Participation of the social partners. In reply to the Committee’s previous comments, the Government indicates that the general framework of employment measures and programmes is defined by, inter alia, the Employment and Social Policy Reform Programme (ESPR) and the National Employment Strategy of the Republic of Macedonia 2016–20. The Committee notes that such programmes envisage the implementation, in collaboration with the social partners, of measures in the field of vocational education and training to improve the employability of the workforce. For instance, the ESPR and its revised version (ESPR 2022) envisage measures aimed at further developing vocational education and training and adult education, as well as promoting various forms of lifelong learning and entrepreneurial culture. The Committee further notes, in its comments under Convention No. 122, that the Government refers in the ESPR report to the adoption of the Comprehensive Education Strategy 2020 and its Action Plan, which establish the priorities and pathways of action to be taken to ensure provision of a comprehensive and inclusive education that will impart knowledge, skills and competences adjusted to the needs of the labour market. Moreover, the Committee notes that the Government reports on the implementation of the Operational Plan for Active Employment Programmes and Measures for 2018 by the Employment Service Agency of the Republic of North Macedonia (ESARNM), which includes programmes, measures and services that aim to enhance employability, especially with respect to unemployed young persons under the age of 29, by improving their skills and qualifications. The Government also reports on the Social Partnership Protocol in the area of vocational education and training adopted in 2010, which provides the basis for long-term cooperation with the social partners in the field of vocational education and training. The Government adds that, within the framework of the Protocol, the social partners work together, inform and provide support to vocational education and training development. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide updated detailed information on the policies and programmes adopted and implemented in relation to education and vocational training, and on their contribution to attaining the objectives of the Convention. The Committee further requests the Government to continue to provide specific information on the involvement of employers’ and workers’ organizations in the development and implementation of these policies and programmes.

Article 1(5). Coverage of specific categories of persons. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to provide information on the results of the measures aimed at increasing the participation in education and training programmes of women, young persons and persons belonging to disadvantaged groups. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government on vocational guidance and vocational training measures targeting disadvantaged groups, including young persons and those belonging to the Roma community. In this respect, the Committee notes the information provided by the Government in relation to a Youth Guarantee (YG) pilot programme being implemented in three employment centres (Gostivar, Strumica and Skopje). The pilot programme seeks to provide young persons aged between 15 and 29 with an offer of employment, continuous education, training or an internship within a period of four months from registration. The Committee notes from the ESPR 2022, that the second phase of the YG will be implemented throughout the country during the period 2020–22. According to the ESPR 2022, in 2018, 5,266 young persons participated in the YG (2,694 women), of whom 1,916 were employed, while 281 were included in an active employment measure to increase their employability. In addition, the Government refers to the implementation with technical assistance from the ILO of the project “Solutions for youth employment through social dialogue”. In the framework of the project, workshops and trainings on young people’s rights at the workplace were organized for trainers, young trade unionists and members of youth organizations. The Government also refers to its programme on “support for activation of unemployed Roma people”, which includes, among other measures, provision of training, professional orientation and career guidance. With respect to women’s participation in vocational education and training programmes, the Government indicates that, pursuant to the Law on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, women and men should participate equally in the training programmes and measures set out in the Operational Plans. Nevertheless, the Committee notes that, in its concluding observations of 14 November 2018, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) expressed concern with regard to: (a) the high rate of girls who drop out of school, including primary school, particularly rural and Roma women and girls; and (b) the persistent barriers in access to education for girls belonging to ethnic minority groups, girls with disabilities and migrant and refugee girls (document CEDAW/C/MKD/CO/6, paragraph 33(a) and (b)). In this regard, the Committee recalls that Paragraph 5(g) and (h) of the Human Resources Development Recommendation, 2004 (No. 195), calls on Members to promote equal opportunities for women and men in education, training and lifelong learning; as well as access to education, training and lifelong learning for people with nationally identified special needs, such as youth, low-skilled people, people with disabilities, ethnic minority groups and the socially excluded. In addition, Paragraph 6(2) of Recommendation No. 195 provides that education and pre-employment training should include compulsory basic education incorporating basic knowledge, literacy and numeracy skills and the appropriate use of information and communication technology. The Committee therefore requests the Government to provide detailed information on the specific measures envisaged or adopted to promote equal opportunities for women and men in education, training and lifelong learning, including in compulsory basic education. It also requests the Government to continue to provide detailed up-to-date information on the measures aimed at increasing the participation in education, including compulsory basic education, and training programmes of young persons, persons belonging to the Roma community and those belonging to other disadvantaged groups. The Committee further requests the Government to provide detailed up-to-date information, including disaggregated statistical data on the impact of such measures.

Articles 2 and 3. Vocational guidance and training. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to indicate whether vocational guidance services include information on general aspects of collective agreements, and on the rights and obligations of persons covered by the labour law. It further requested the Government to supply copies of the documentation made available to trainees for vocational guidance purposes. The Committee welcomes the detailed information provided by the Government with regard to the different training programmes included in the Operational Plans and their impact. In its response, the Government reports on the implementation of the following programmes aimed at improving the skills and qualifications of unemployed persons with a view to guaranteeing their successful integration – or re-integration – in the labour market: (i) “On-the-job training”, with the objective of enabling unemployed persons to acquire skills necessary for them to perform tasks that meet employers’ needs; (ii) training to obtain for vocational qualifications requested by employers; (iii) training required to engage in professions and crafts in diverse areas, such as energy efficiency, environmental protection and waste management; (iv) training to enable the unemployed to acquire needed skills as identified in their profiling and individual employment plans; and (v) internships, through which unemployed young persons up to the age of 34, who have completed a minimum secondary education, may acquire practical knowledge and skills necessary for performing the tasks attributed to a particular job position. Participants in the training programmes receive monthly compensation of 9,000 Macedonian denars for attending training (with the exception of training for skills acquisition, which provides for a different amount of compensation, depending on the number of participants). In addition, the Government indicates that the Employment Agency of the Republic of Macedonia (EARM) provides a diverse range of services, such as motivational training courses, professional orientation and career counselling, with the objective of increasing the competitiveness of the workforce and meeting the needs of the labour market. The EARM follows an individualised approach that is oriented to the specific needs of the unemployed person and the employer. The Committee notes, however, that the Government does not indicate whether vocational guidance services include information on general aspects of collective agreements, as well as on the rights and obligations of persons covered by the labour law, nor has the Government supplied copies of the documentation made available to trainees for vocational guidance purposes. The Government reports that, according to statistical data from the National Statistics Office, in 2016 the rate of participants in education and training was 12.7 per cent. It adds that 150,111 persons between the ages of 25 and 64 participated in education and lifelong learning (53.6 per cent men and 46.4 per cent women). The highest rate of participation was among persons 25 to 34 years of age (44.7 per cent), while the lowest was among persons aged 55 to 64 (9.4 per cent). The Committee requests the Government to continue providing detailed updated information on the measures undertaken with regard to vocational guidance and training linked with employment, particularly guidance and training provided by the public employment service, and the results thereof. The Committee also once again requests the Government to indicate whether vocational guidance services include information on general aspects of collective agreements, and on the rights and obligations of persons covered by the labour law. It also reiterates its request that the Government supply copies of the documentation made available to participants for vocational guidance purposes.

Article 4. Lifelong learning. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to provide information on the impact of the measures adopted in relation to the development of lifelong learning and the establishment of an adult education system. The Government reports that, according to statistical data from the Adult Education Centre, approximately 4,376 persons attended trainings between 2012 and May 2020, of which 30 per cent were employed following the training. Moreover, the Government indicates that measures are being taken, in the framework of the Concept for Primary Adult Education, to harmonize the national legislation with a view to ensuring adults’ access to primary education. It refers to the adoption of the Adult Education Strategy 2019–23. With respect to informal education, the Government refers to the development of a Concept Paper on Non-Formal Adult Education and Informal Learning. It reports that, in 2016, 31.4 per cent of persons participating in education attended formal education courses, while 81.7 per cent attended informal education courses. In this context, the Committee notes that, according to the ESPR report, the development of a System for Validating Non-Formal Education and Informal Learning (VNFIL) was initiated in November 2015. In this respect, the Government reports that the Adult Education Centre has continued with planned activities to establish the VNFIL system in a piloting phase in Skopje. Finally, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that a new Draft Law on Adult Education is currently before the Parliament. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide updated detailed information on the impact of the measures adopted to develop lifelong learning and establish a system of adult education. It also requests the Government to provide detailed information on the implementation of the Concept Paper on Non-Formal Adult Education and Informal Learning. In addition, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on progress made in the development of a System for Validating Non-Formal Education and Informal Learning. The Committee further requests the Government to provide information regarding the status of the new Draft Law on Adult Education, and to provide a copy once it is adopted.

COVID-19 pandemic. In the context of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Committee recalls the broad guidance provided by international labour standards. In this regard, the Committee draws the Government’s attention to Paragraphs 18–20 of the Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience Recommendation, 2017 (No. 205), which constitute a guide for the adoption and implementation of measures in the area of education, training and lifelong learning that respond effectively to the profound socio-economic effects of the pandemic. The Committee invites the Government to provide in its next report up-to-date information on the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on the implementation of education, training and lifelong learning policies and programmes.