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Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142) - Niger (Ratification: 1993)

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Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2021, published 110th ILC session (2022)

Article 1 of the Convention. Policies and programmes. Close links between employment and vocational training. The Committee notes the Government’s indication concerning the finalization of the first draft of a new National Employment Policy in 2018. It also notes the information provided regarding the various programmes run by the National Employment Promotion Agency (ANPE) and the partnerships concluded by the ANPE in the areas of vocational training and vocational guidance, namely: the internships supported by the Young Persons’ Integration Programme (PAIJ); the programme to support enterprise creation; the programmes implemented by the ANPE with the support of the Skills Development Project for Growth (PRODEC); the partnership agreement signed between the ANPE and the Vocational Training and Apprenticeship Support Fund (FAFPA), the implementation of which included the training of 190 persons in various fields at the direct request of enterprises or following the ANPE’s observation of a lack of skills on the labour market; and the partnership agreement with an online training platform, through which job applicants in Niger will be able to receive free training in certain areas. The Committee further notes the information provided by the Government concerning the activities carried out by the FAFPA during the period 2018–19, according to which 17,291 persons benefitted from the various training courses provided. However, the Committee notes that the Government does not indicate the number of beneficiaries who gained access to employment following their participation in these programmes. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any progress made concerning the adoption and content of the new National Employment Policy, specifying the provisions concerning human resources development, and indicating the manner in which the new National Employment Policy envisages the establishment of close links between vocational guidance, vocational training and employment. It requests the Government to provide a copy of the new National Employment Policy once it has been adopted. The Committee further reiterates its request for information on the coordination of activities and programmes implemented by the various competent agencies and bodies in the areas of vocational guidance and vocational training, in particular the ANPE and the FAFPA. It also requests the Government to indicate the manner in which it ensures that these programmes and activities are comprehensive and coordinated, as required by Article 1 of the Convention. The Committee finally requests the Government to provide updated statistical data, disaggregated by sex, age and sector, on the results achieved by vocational guidance and vocational training programmes in terms of the labour market integration of beneficiaries.

Article 1(5). Equality of opportunity. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to provide information concerning the inclusion of gender issues in vocational training and vocational guidance programmes, as well as the status of persons with specific needs, such as persons with disabilities. The Committee notes the Government’s indications concerning the participation rate of women in the internships provided under the contract for initiation to working life (COSIVIP), which is 43.78 per cent, and in the entrepreneurship training provided under the programme to support enterprise creation, which is 36 per cent. The Government further indicates that in these placement services, the ANPE adopts an equality of opportunities approach for the integration of all job applicants of both sexes and those belonging to specific groups, such as persons with disabilities. Concerning the activities and programmes implemented by the FAFPA, the Government indicates that a quota of 30 per cent is reserved for women during planning, and that during recruitment, the FAFPA applies positive discrimination in favour of women candidates. The Government refers to the results of a survey on the labour market integration of young persons in the regions of Agadez and Zinder, and indicates that the proportion of young women trained by the FAFPA and integrated into the labour market was 35.33 per cent. Concerning the measures taken to encourage women to undertake training in non-traditional areas, the Government indicates that the regional branches of the FAFPA conduct awareness-raising activities with a focus on the importance of training in industrial fields for young women and that, during registration, young women are directed towards these fields. The Government indicates, for example, that in 2019, the FAFPA regional branch in Niamey trained 30 young women in electrical building services, and states that gender issues are addressed in all FAFPA activities. The Committee welcomes the measures taken by the Government to increase the participation of young women in the activities and programmes implemented by the FAFPA. It requests the Government to continue providing updated and detailed information on the specific measures aimed at encouraging and enabling women to develop and use their vocational skills throughout their lives, in all branches of activity and at all levels of skills and responsibility, including in non-traditional areas. The Committee also requests the Government to provide updated and detailed information on the measures taken to ensure that specific groups of workers who encounter difficulties in obtaining employment, such as young persons, persons with disabilities, rural workers and workers in the informal economy, benefit from equal access to lifelong vocational guidance, education and training opportunities.

Article 3. Information systems. The Committee notes the Government’s indications concerning the number of jobseekers and employers who have benefited from services matching vacancies and jobseekers between 2011 and 2018. The Government also indicates that the ANPE plans to develop a computer application to further facilitate labour market mediation. The Committee also notes the Government’s indications regarding the awareness-raising actions undertaken by the FAFPA, which aim to increase awareness of the opportunities provided by training, and which target all strata of society. In this regard, the Government refers to the information and guidance system for young persons under the NIG 801 project, implemented by the FAFPA in partnership with the European Union, and indicates that the Council for Young Persons and the Regional Council are involved in identifying young persons, and that persons with disabilities are supported through the provision of training and integration. Noting that the NIG 801 project was designed to support the training and integration of young women and men in the regions of Agadez and Zinder, and that the project ended in November 2020, the Committee requests the Government to provide updated information on the measures taken to progressively extend the systems of vocational guidance and continuous employment information, with a view to ensuring that comprehensive information and the broadest possible guidance are available to young persons and adults. It also reiterates its request to the Government to describe the type of information available for the purposes of vocational guidance, and the manner in which this information is kept updated, and to provide examples of the documentation available.

Article 5. Cooperation with the social partners. While noting the information provided by the Government on the powers and the tripartite composition of the ANPE Executive Board, the Committee recalls that, on page 47 of its 2010 General Survey concerning employment instruments, it indicates that consultation with the social partners in both the design and implementation of training policies and programmes is imperative to ensure the application of the Convention. The Committee therefore requests the Government to continue providing updated information on the participation of employers’ and workers’ organization in the formulation and implementation of vocational guidance and vocational training policies and programmes.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2018, published 108th ILC session (2019)

The Committee notes the observations of the Confederation of Labour of Niger (CNT) received on 4 April 2018. The Government is requested to provide its comments in this regard.

Article 1 of the Convention. Policies and programmes. Close links between employment and vocational training. In response to the Committee’s previous comments, the Government indicates that, in 2017, as part of the first phase of the Young Persons’ Placement Programme (PAIJ), namely the contract for initiation to working life (COSIVIP), of the 1,200 contracts envisaged, 911 young persons were actually placed throughout the country. Furthermore, 90 of the planned 150 young persons were trained through the vocational retraining contract. The Government adds that, since 2014, the National Employment Promotion Agency (ANPE) has been implementing a programme that aims to facilitate the transition from school to the world of work through the Skills Development Project for Growth (PRODEC). It adds that this programme aims to equip young persons with diplomas from technical and vocational education institutions with vocational skills by placing them in traineeships in businesses. The Government reports that, in September 2017, a survey covering the period from 2015–16 was completed on the outcomes for the beneficiaries of ANPE traineeships, who included young women and men aged 18 to 35 years. The Government indicates that the Integration Programme for Young Graduates (PIJD) has had a significant impact on youth employment given that, at the time of the survey of 806 beneficiaries, 70 per cent had been able to find employment, of whom 40 per cent were men and 60 per cent were women with mid- or higher-level education. Of those young people, 55 per cent are still employed or self-employed and 14.1 per cent of beneficiaries, 44 men and 71 women, were in precarious employment. The Committee notes that, as part of the follow-up to this action, a steering committee bringing together stakeholders in employment and vocational training was established and meets every three months. The Government reports that a partnership agreement has been established between the ANPE and the Vocational Training and Apprenticeship Support Fund (FAFPA), as a result of which 190 young persons received retraining in different skills between 2016 and 2018. The Government indicates that the FAFPA works closely with the ANPE in the context of the PRODEC and that it is responsible for the training of young persons, with a view to ensuring a skilled workforce in the labour market for the benefit of the private sector. The Committee notes that 1,017 persons were trained in agricultural apprenticeships, 15,742 in alternance apprenticeships, 680 in on-demand training and retraining and 18,792 in collective training programmes between 2015 and 2017. The Government indicates that, each year since 2016, the FAFPA has received 60 per cent of the apprenticeship tax, with the goal of it eventually receiving 100 per cent. The Government refers to the shortcomings of the vocational training system, given that, while only the public centres run by the State have qualified staff, they operate with outdated materials. It adds that the private sector is largely under-equipped, which complicates the placement of young apprentices in traineeships. The Committee notes the observations of the CNT, which indicate that the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Protection, in collaboration with the ILO, began developing a new national employment policy on 4 April 2018. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed information on the results achieved by vocational training and guidance programmes, in terms of beneficiaries’ labour market insertion. The Committee requests the Government to indicate the measures taken to guarantee training in the health sector and the action taken by the steering committee regarding management, accounting, telecommunications, communications and finance. The Committee also requests the Government to indicate the manner in which it includes gender issues, particularly in training, in order to guarantee equality of opportunities for men and women. Furthermore, the Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the impact of coordination measures between the various competent bodies on the development of comprehensive and coordinated vocational training policies and programmes that are closely linked to employment and to indicate how effective coordination is ensured between these policies and programmes and public employment services. The Committee also requests the Government to indicate the specific actions implemented in the context of the COSIVIP and the PRODEC to help members of vulnerable groups, such as persons with disabilities. Lastly, the Committee requests the Government to keep it informed of any developments regarding the formulation of the new employment policy and to provide a copy when it is adopted.

Article 1(5). Equality of opportunity. The Government indicates that, in the framework of the implementation of the Programme to Support Entrepreneurship (PACE), the ANPE trained 554 young people, of which 60 per cent were women, in entrepreneurship and the preparation of business plans. The Government reports that, in its training programmes, the FAFPA envisages that 30 per cent of beneficiaries are women, and that almost 8,400 women have received training through apprenticeships. Nevertheless, the Government indicates that the majority of women opt for training in dressmaking and that only three girls have completed apprenticeships in electricity and general mechanics. The Government adds that several measures have been taken to encourage women to undertake training, of which the most notable are the training in dressmaking of girls in a Niamey jail and the training of women with disabilities in incense manufacturing in Maradi. The Government indicates that beneficiaries of training must pay a contribution of 10 per cent, from which persons with disabilities are exempt. The Committee notes the various steering committees established in the framework of implementing programmes. While welcoming the information on training for women, the Committee requests the Government to indicate the frequency of training opportunities and up-to-date data on the number of women who obtain lasting employment following their participation in vocational guidance and training programmes. The Committee also requests the Government to indicate the measures taken to promote equality of opportunity for men and women with regard to education and lifelong learning and to encourage women to undertake training in non-traditional areas. The Committee once again requests the Government to provide updated information on the measures taken to encourage workers with disabilities to develop and use their vocational skills on the open labour market in all sectors of activity and at all skill and responsibility levels.

Article 3. Information systems. The Government indicates that the information and guidance activities carried out between 2011 and 2018 included: contact with 181,166 users, including 174,043 jobseekers and 7,123 employers; and the coordination of the supply and demand for jobs, with 102,031 vacancies being registered and 101,551 jobs filled. The Government adds that 4,164 young people participated in workshops on job search techniques. It reports that all this information was communicated to the National Observatory for Employment and Vocational Training. The Government indicates that the FAFPA uses radio, television, newspapers, websites and posters to communicate information to young people, as well as information and guidance platforms for young people implemented by the Ministry of Vocational and Technical Education. The Committee requests the Government to provide more detailed information on the measures taken to ensure the provision of comprehensive information and the broadest possible guidance adapted for young persons, adults and specific groups, including persons with disabilities. The Committee once again requests the Government to describe the type of information available for the purposes of vocational guidance, and the manner in which this information is kept updated, and to provide examples of the documentation available.

Article 5. Cooperation with the social partners. The Government indicates that the Executive Board and the Selection and Accreditation Committee (CSA) of the FAFPA are made up of representatives of the Government, employers and workers. The Government reports that the CSA is mandated to examine and approve funding applications. The Government adds that the FAFPA met six times between 2016 and 2017 and that, on every occasion, tripartite missions to visit training centres for young persons were organized in the country and abroad. The Government indicates that the session of the Labour and Employment Advisory Committee (CCTE) was held from 17 to 19 August 2017. The main focus of its agenda was the examination and adoption of a draft order setting the regulations for the organization of occupational elections, with a view to determining the representativeness of the employers’ and workers’ occupational organizations. The Government reports that officers of the National Commission for Occupational Elections (CONEP), the presidents of the CONEP sub commission and technical advisors from the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Protection also participated in that session. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing updated information on the activities of the FAFPA, the CCTE and the ANPE Executive Board, as well as of any other tripartite body participating in the development and implementation of vocational guidance and training policies and programmes. The Committee also requests the Government to provide a copy of the order setting the regulations for the organization of occupational elections.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2014, published 104th ILC session (2015)

Article 1 of the Convention. Policies and programmes. Close links between employment and vocational training. The Committee notes the report provided by the Government, received in November 2013, in reply to the 2009 direct request and the relevant information contained in the report on the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111). The Government indicates that, in the context of the first section of the Young Graduates Placement Programme (PIJD), namely placement in traineeships for initiation into working life (SVIP), 332 young persons of the 500 planned were actually placed throughout the national territory. Moreover, 35 of the planned 200 young persons were trained in the framework of the Programme of Placement in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (PIPME), which was launched to train young persons who are not at school or who have dropped out of school in simple trades. With regard to the results achieved by the Vocational Training and Apprenticeship Support Fund (FAFPCA) during the period 2010–12, the Government reports that 133 training providers were authorized to provide training in 205 crafts and that the training courses financed benefited 537 persons in 2010, 1,013 in 2011 and 613 in 2012. The Committee notes the adoption in 2011 of a national employment policy. The Committee also notes that the Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP 2012–15) signed in July 2012 reports an official unemployment rate of around 16 per cent, with the unemployment rate being higher among women (25 per cent) than men (12 per cent), and affecting most severely the 15–29 age group (24 per cent). The Committee invites the Government to continue providing detailed information on the results achieved by the vocational and training programmes in terms of beneficiaries’ integration into the labour market. It also invites the Government to provide information on the coordination measures adopted between the various competent bodies for the development of full and concerted vocational guidance and training policies and programmes and on their close links with employment. Please indicate the manner in which effective coordination is ensured between these policies and programmes, on the one hand, and public employment services, on the other.

Article 1(5). Equality of opportunity. The Committee notes the information concerning the introduction of a recruitment quota for workers with disabilities contained in the report submitted by the Government concerning Convention No. 111. The Government indicates that the Self-Employment Initiative Support Programme (PAIEI) and the Rural Employment Creation Support Programme (PACER) both contribute to the promotion of self-employment through the provision of assistance to young persons for training in entrepreneurship, the development of business plans and how to seek financing. The National Employment Promotion Agency (ANPE) financed 12 micro-projects in 2010, in partnership with Qatar Charity, and three projects in 2011. The Committee invites the Government to provide updated information on the measures taken to encourage women and workers with disabilities to develop and use their vocational skills in all branches of activity and at all skill and responsibility levels.

Article 3. Information systems. The Government indicates that the information and guidance activities carried out in 2011 included: contact with 86,382 users, including 72,134 jobseekers and 4,554 employers; the registration of re-registration of 22,476 jobseekers, including 8,837 newly registered jobseekers; the coordination of the supply and demand for jobs, with 9,722 vacancies being registered for 22,476 jobseekers; training in job search techniques, with six five-module seminars being organized; support for recruitment provided to 222 enterprises; and the organization of sectoral meetings benefiting 93 enterprises. The Committee invites the Government to indicate the measures taken to ensure the provision of comprehensive information and the broadest possible guidance to young persons and adults (Article 3(1)). The Committee also requests the Government to describe the type of information available for the purposes of vocational guidance, and the manner in which this information is kept updated, and to provide examples of the documentation available (Article 3(2) and (3)).

Article 5. Collaboration of the social partners. The Government refers to various tripartite bodies which participate in the formulation and implementation of vocational guidance and training policies and programmes, namely the Executive Board of the Vocational Training and Apprenticeship Support Fund (FAFPCA), the Executive Board of the ANPE and the Labour and Employment Advisory Commission (CCTE). The Committee invites the Government to provide information on the activities of the FAFPCA, CCTE and ANPE, and on any other tripartite body participating in the formulation and implementation of vocational guidance and training policies and programmes.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2009, published 99th ILC session (2010)

1. Article 1 of the Convention. Adoption and implementation of policies and programmes of vocational guidance and vocational training. Close link with employment. The Committee notes the report sent by the Government in reply to the direct request of 2004 which was received in October 2008. The Government again describes the various legislative measures adopted within the system of education and vocational guidance. It indicates that one of the essential components of its Fast-track Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy deals with vocational training and that, further to the National Employment Conference held in 2007, a framework document for a national employment policy has been validated. The Committee notes these documents and points out that they underline the importance of coordinating education and training policies with employment prospects for the reduction of poverty. It also notes that, in the face of illiteracy affecting some 83 per cent of the population, the Government has adopted programmes to support education and vocational and technical training, including the Ten-year Programme for the Development of Education (PDDE) and the National Youth Placement Programme. Moreover, the Government points out that a Vocational Training and Apprenticeship Support Fund (FAFP) has been established in order to provide training for persons originating from the informal, craft and rural sectors. The Committee asks Government to supply detailed information in its next report on the results achieved by these programmes, particularly in terms of vocational training and job placements for beneficiaries.

2. Article 1, paragraph 5. Equal opportunities. In its Fast-track Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy, the Government states that the gender gap in the fields of education and vocational training is still substantial. According to UNDP estimates, the proportion of women in education or training is 10.2 per cent compared with 18 per cent for men. In its national employment policy, the Government indicates that support projects and programmes have been established, particularly with respect to small enterprises in the informal sector, apprenticeships and domestic work, in which the majority of persons employed are women or young persons. In this respect, the Committee asks the Government to provide up to date information on the steps taken to encourage women, young persons and other categories of vulnerable workers, such as those with disabilities or those working in the informal economy, to develop and use their vocational skills in all branches of activity and at all levels of qualification and responsibility.

3. Article 3. Information systems. The Government indicates that information on systems of vocational guidance and vocational training is prepared and transmitted by the various structures responsible for employment and vocational training, such as the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and the FAFP. The Committee reiterates that it is important for each Member to “gradually extend its systems of vocational guidance, including continuing employment information, with a view to ensuring that comprehensive information and the broadest possible guidance are available”. In this respect, it asks the Government to indicate the steps taken to ensure that comprehensive information and the broadest possible guidance are available to all children, young persons and adults (Article 3(1)). It also asks the Government to describe the type of information made available for vocational guidance purposes and to supply specimens of the documentation provided (Article 3(2) and (3)).

4. Article 5. Cooperation with the social partners. The Government indicates that the FAFP is administered by a tripartite executive board comprising 12 members, with four representatives from the State, five from the employers and three from the workers and craftsmen. The Committee asks the Government to supply information on the activities of the executive board of the FAFP and other tripartite bodies participating in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes of vocational guidance and vocational training.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2004, published 93rd ILC session (2005)

1. The Committee notes the detailed information sent by the Government in its report. It also notes the poverty reduction strategy paper of 31 January 2002 and the Ten Year Education Development Plan (2002-2012), including the Project to support the development of basic education (PADEB). The Committee notes that the Government has been endeavouring in particular to improve the enrolment rate of girls and children in rural areas and to encourage youth employment. It would be grateful if in its next report the Government would provide practical information on the implementation of current programmes, in accordance with Part VI of the report form. It also asks the Government to provide information on the following points.

2. Article 3 of the Convention. The Committee notes that several bodies provide employment data on an ongoing basis. It would be grateful if the Government would specify the type of information available for vocational guidance (Article 3, paragraphs 2 and 3). Please report on any future extension of the vocational guidance system (Article 3, paragraph 1).

3. Article 5. The Committee notes the tripartite composition of the interested bodies. It asks the Government to indicate in its next report how, as a general rule, cooperation with employers’ and workers’ organizations is assured, describing the formal procedures or consultative machinery instituted for this purpose and indicating the frequency and scope of such consultations. The Committee points out that cooperation with employers’ and workers’ organizations must be assured not only in the formulation of vocational guidance and vocational training policies and programmes, but also in their implementation. It asks the Government to indicate how effect is given to this provision of the Convention.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2003, published 92nd ILC session (2004)

The Committee notes that the Government’s report has not been received. It hopes that a report will be supplied for examination by the Committee at its next session and that it will contain full information on the matters raised in its 2002 direct request, which read as follows:

The Committee notes the information contained in the Government’s very brief report, in particular that it will seek technical assistance from the ILO in developing its vocational guidance, education and training system, to bring it into better conformity with the provisions of the Convention. The Committee welcomes this initiative, and asks the Government to keep it informed of progress made. The Committee again asks the Government to provide comprehensive information in its next report on the effect given to each provision of the Convention and in answer to each question of the report form.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2000, published 89th ILC session (2001)

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1999, published 88th ILC session (2000)

The Committee notes with regret that for the third consecutive year the Government's report has not been received. It hopes that a report will be supplied for examination by the Committee at its next session and that it will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous direct request, which read as follows:

The Committee notes the Government's first report, which gives an account of the teaching and vocational guidance activities being carried out within the school system in particular. It also supplies texts concerning the grant of scholarships by the National Committee on Guidance and the Allocation of Scholarships (CNOAB). The Government draws attention to the crisis facing the country's school system, and also to the objectives set to deal with it. It indicates that financial resources are limited whereas needs are enormous.

The Committee recalls in this connection that the Convention covers all vocational guidance and training activities, whether they take place within the system of formal education or outside it (Article 2 of the Convention); and that it provides for the gradual extension of systems of vocational guidance and continuing employment information "with a view to ensuring that comprehensive information and the broadest possible guidance are available to all children, young persons and adults" (Article 3) and the gradual extension of vocational training systems "to meet the needs for vocational training throughout life of both young persons and adults" (Article 4). The Committee therefore asks the Government to provide comprehensive information in its second report on the effect given to each provision of the Convention and in answer to each question of the report form. Noting that Niger has never benefited from any technical cooperation project initiated by the ILO in this area, it suggests that it might contact the relevant ILO multidisciplinary team in this connection.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1998, published 87th ILC session (1999)

The Committee notes with regret that the Government's report has not been received. It hopes that a report will be supplied for examination by the Committee at its next session and that it will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous direct request, which read as follows:

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1997, published 86th ILC session (1998)

The Committee notes that the Government's report has not been received. It hopes that a report will be supplied for examination by the Committee at its next session and that it will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous direct request, which read as follows: