Global challenges – Global solutions: Covid-19 and the Employment Policy Response

In a world with high rates of unemployment and underemployment, more and more people are looking for work amidst rapid change that is increasing skills mismatches and shortages. 

Millions of young people in the developing world acquire skills through apprenticeships in the informal economy. In many countries they greatly outnumber youth acquiring skills through formal technical and vocational education and training.

A new ILO labour standard on quality apprenticeships has focused attention on the need to upgrade training and learning. In this podcast, Yasser Ali, a Specialist on Skills Development based in Amman, Jordan discusses this issue and what needs to be done to strengthen apprenticeships in the informal economy.

Informal apprenticeships and the future of work

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the world of work into its worst crisis since the end of World War II. What is more, as a result of the pandemic, hopeful initiatives such as the UN Social Development Goals are now facing daunting new challenges. In this interview, Sangheon Lee, Director of the department that guides ILO action for promoting full and productive employment policies, discusses the situation as it stands and how to get from the “new normal” to a “better normal”.

Global challenges, Global solutions: The global pandemic in the world of work today

In this interview, ILO Senior Skills and Employability Specialist Ashwani Aggarwal discusses the new world of on-line learning and e-training that is taking shape, and some of the challenges that have emerged.

Global challenges, Global solutions: The skills challenge in the time of COVID-19

In this interview, Mito Tsukamoto, Chief of the development and Investment (DEVINVEST) branch of the ILO’s Employment Policy Department, elaborates on the crisis facing informal economy workers, and highlights the ILO’s response to building a “better normal” through inclusive and sustainable development.

Global challenges, Global solutions: The deepening crisis in the informal sector

In this interview Sher Verick, Head of the Employment Strategies Unit, and Susana Puerto Gonzalez, Research and Technical Specialist, discuss the extent of the youth employment crisis, how the current crisis is different than previous economic crises and ILO's policy recommendations for addressing it.

Global challenges, Global solutions: Tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and the youth employment crisis

The COVID 19 crisis has laid bare the entrenched gender inequalities that, compounded with other inequalities, plague labour markets. As the latest ILO Monitor: COVID-19 and the world of work, fifth edition has shown, the employment of women is relatively at greater risk than that of men, due to their overrepresentation in the service sectors severely impacted by the crisis. In this interview, Valeria Esquivel, Senior Employment Policies and Gender Officer/ILO EMPLOYMENT Policy Department, discusses how the current crisis is different from previous crises in terms of its impact on women workers, and highlights some policy recommendations the ILO has to offer.

Bringing gender equality to the core of employment recovery

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations and is devoted to promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights, pursuing its founding mission that labour peace is essential to prosperity.

Today, the ILO helps advance the creation of decent work and the economic and working conditions that give working people and business people a stake in lasting peace, prosperity and progress. Its tripartite structure provides a unique platform for promoting decent work for all women and men. 

Its main aims are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues.

Informal apprenticeships and the future of work

International Labour Org.