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Labor markets and jobs in West Africa

The labor market in West Africa poses major challenges, both in its operation, in its characteristics, and in the i... Show more
The labor market in West Africa poses major challenges, both in its operation, in its characteristics, and in the indicators generally used to analyze it. Almost all of its actors are informal and the majority of jobs available are self-employment, with a fairly high level of underemployment. Informal workers are often poorly paid and generally receive wages below the poverty line. In addition, they have no social security cover or pension plan, and are often exposed to dangerous tasks.
Policy responses to unemployment and underemployment include support for very small businesses, for example through targeted training for business start-up and consolidation, incubators and accelerators. These policies should also promote the non-skilled labor intensive sectors, such as light industry and processing of agricultural, horticultural and fishery products, through the establishment of suitable industrial parks.
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Authors: Mbaye, Ahmadou Aly; Gueye, Fatou

Date: 2018

Geographic subjects: Africa; Tanzania; Madagascar ... [+] Show more Faso">Burkina Faso; d'Ivoire">Cote d'Ivoire; [-] Show less

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: Working paper series (African Development Bank Group)

Subjects: Employment; Labour market; Gender ... [+] Show more
Gambia Skills Qualification Framework (GSQF)

This policy document consists of a summary, 15 chapters, a glossary, a bibliography, references, and six annexes. T... Show more
This policy document consists of a summary, 15 chapters, a glossary, a bibliography, references, and six annexes. The chapters are: (1) Introduction; (2) Purpose and breadth of the GSQF; (3) What is a qualification?; (4) Levels and the GSQF; (5) Credits and the GSQF; (6) Key skills and the GSQF; (7) Stakeholders and fields; (8) Unit standards; (9) Structures and qualifications; (10) Development and validation of qualifications; (11) Curriculum based on unit standards; (12) Assessment and certification; (13) Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL); (14) Transitional arrangements; and (15) Strategy in developing and implementing the GSQF. The annexes are: (1) Enhanced level descriptors; (2) Fields of learning and their associated codes; (3) Qualification template; (4) Validation document; (5) Training plan; and (6) Assessment plan.
Edited excerpts from publication. Show less

Corporate authors: National Training Authority (Gambia) (NTA)

Date: 2006

Geographic subjects: Africa; Gambia

Resource type: Government information

Subjects: Skills and knowledge; Qualifications; Policy ... [+] Show more
Linking recognition practices and national qualifications frameworks: international benchmarking of experiences and strategies on the recognition, validation and accreditation (RVA) of non-formal and informal learning

In this book, the recognition, validation and accreditation (RVA) of learning in formal, non-formal and informal se... Show more
In this book, the recognition, validation and accreditation (RVA) of learning in formal, non-formal and informal settings is examined within a variety of national and regional contexts. It contains 23 country-specific reports on the linkages between national qualifications frameworks (NQFs) and the practices of RVA from all five UNESCO regions: Africa, the Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean. These reports are based on the outcomes of an international conference organised by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning in Hamburg, Germany in March 2010, entitled 'Linking recognition practices to qualifications frameworks - North-South collaborative research'. The conference explored how UNESCO member states are promoting lifelong learning by establishing RVA policies and mechanisms, and asked what the challenges are in establishing linkages between RVAs and NQFs.
In reviewing the implementation of RVA, the book focuses on five key factors: (1) national reference points for RVA; (2) policy and legislation; (3) the contribution of recognition to social inclusion; (4) stakeholder involvement; and (5) features of recognition processes. The evidence presented highlights the diversity of strategies applied internationally to manage the linkages between NQFs and RVA. It also emphasises the importance of RVA as an instrument for comparing different forms of learning and eliminating discrimination against those who acquire competences non-formally or informally.
Excerpts from publication.
The contents are as follows: Introduction / Madhu Singh and Ruud Duvekot; 'Country reports' contains the following chapters: Africa - Burkina Faso: a new paradigm for skills development / Boubakar Savadogo and Richard Walther; Gambia: GSQF and recognition of non-formal and informal learning / Saffiatou Savage-Sidibeh; Ghana: integrating non-formal and informal learning into the new TVET qualifications framework / Daniel Baffour-Awuah; Mauritius: the Mauritian model of recognition of prior learning (RPL) / Kaylash Allgoo; Namibia: challenges of implementing the RPL policy / Heroldt V. Murangi; South Africa: contextual and institutional arrangements for lifelong learning / Joseph Samuels (with input from SAQA's research directorate); The Arab region - Jordan: non-formal education pathways / Jawad Al-Gousous; Syria: adult education and recognition practices / Abed Al Fattah Al Obeyd.
Asia and the Pacific - Afghanistan: National qualifications framework assisting citizens excluded from education / Abdul Rahim Nasry; Bhutan: non-formal education programmes / Ugyen Tshomo; India: the NVQF and skills recognition / Ram Lakhan Singh; Republic of Korea: the Academic Credit Bank and the Lifelong Learning Account System / Eun Soon Baik; Malaysia: the Malaysian Qualifications Framework and the recognition of prior learning / Vikneswaran Gobaloo and Zita Mohd Fahmi; New Zealand: the NZQF and support for lifelong learning / Avril Keller; Europe - The Czech Republic: the qualifications system and the national lifelong learning strategy / Jakub Starek; Denmark: the linkage between RVA-NQF and lifelong learning / Benedikte Maul Andersen and Kirsten Aagaard; Finland: an outline of the NQF development and the recognition of prior learning / Carita Blomqvist and Saara Louko; France: the validation of acquired experience (VAE) / Marie-Odile Paulet; The Netherlands: top-down and bottom-up approaches / Ruud Duvekot; Norway: linking validation of prior learning to the formal system / Hanne Christensen; Portugal: formalising non-formal and informal learning / Maria do Carmo Gomes; Latin America and the Caribbean - Mexico: the National System of Competence Standards (NSCS) and recognition / Sergio G. Garcia-Bulle; Trinidad and Tobago: institution-based recognition of prior learning / Lalita Ramlal-Chirkoot. Show less

Authors: Singh, Madhu; Duvekot, Ruud

Conference name: Linking Recognition Practices to Qualifications Frameworks: North-South Collaborative Research

Date: 2013

Geographic subjects: Asia; Africa; Middle East ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Edited book

Subjects: Quality; Pathways; Qualifications ... [+] Show more
The migrant pay gap: understanding wage differences between migrants and nationals

In many countries, men and women migrant workers represent a significant share of the workforce and contribute impo... Show more
In many countries, men and women migrant workers represent a significant share of the workforce and contribute importantly to societies and economies. According to the most recent ILO estimates, there are 164 million migrant workers worldwide, of whom close to half are women. Despite the positive migration experiences of many, migration is frequently associated with abusive practices and non-respect of fundamental rights at work. Migrant workers often face inequality of treatment in the labour market, including with respect to wages, access to employment and training, conditions of work, social security, and trade union rights. Moreover, recruitment fraud and abuse can cause migrant workers, especially low- and semi-skilled workers, to face high recruitment fees and related costs depleting their wages and savings. One way to measure inequalities between migrant workers and nationals is by comparing the earnings of migrant workers to that of non-migrant workers with similar labour market characteristics.
Based on recent data from 49 countries, this report analyzes differences in wages between migrant workers and nationals, providing a global overview of how migrant women and men fare in labour markets in low-, middle- and high-income countries. The report compares the labour market characteristics of migrants and nationals that contribute to their economic success and the migrant pay gap, with special attention to gender differences within and among these groups. Focusing on wage workers, it studies the raw and the factor-weighted migrant pay gaps, shedding light on the 'explained' and 'unexplained' parts of the raw migrant pay gap. In highlighting the persistent differences in wages between migrants and nationals, the report points to the urgency of implementing fair, evidence-based labour migration and labour market policies that contribute to more just societies, in line with the principles embodied in international labour standards.
Excerpts from publication. Show less

Authors: Amo-Agyei, Silas

Date: 2020

Geographic subjects: Albania; Argentina; Australia ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Subjects: Migration; Income; Employment ... [+] Show more
Tripartite Sector Skills Bodies

Tripartite Sector Skills Bodies (SSBs) aim to increase and strengthen the involvement of industry, both employers a... Show more
Tripartite Sector Skills Bodies (SSBs) aim to increase and strengthen the involvement of industry, both employers and workers, in the way skill systems are governed and operate. SSBs have a long history in many countries and are now attracting renewed attention as more countries adopt a sectoral approach to skills development. Drawing on existing research on SSBs and ongoing ILO country level support to constituents as they establish or review sector skills bodies, this policy brief outlines some of the issues that need to be addressed when establishing and operating SSBs. The brief examines the different mandates and structures that have been adopted internationally and presents a number of key actions that will improve the likelihood of sustainable SSBs being established.
Excerpts from publication. Show less

Corporate authors: International Labour Organisation (ILO)

Date: 2021

Geographic subjects: Australia; Bangladesh; Barbados ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: ILO brief

Subjects: Skills and knowledge; Industry; Governance ... [+] Show more
Transforming our world: literacy for sustainable development

The post-2015 development agenda sets 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 167 targets. People are at the ce... Show more
The post-2015 development agenda sets 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 167 targets. People are at the centre of sustainable development. However, sustainable development cannot be realized without educated people. Education has long been understood to be the key to sustainable development. All the programmes featured in this publication provide encouraging examples of the role adult literacy and education can play in enabling sustainable development. They also point to an urgent need for future policy development on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals to incorporate adult literacy and learning, promoting a transformative and holistic approach to the empowerment of disadvantaged individuals, families and communities. The implementation of the post-2015 development agenda - in particular, the education-related targets - requires the mobilization of sufficient resources for adult literacy and education to make sustainable development a reality for millions of people who have, until now, missed out.
The literacy programmes featured in this publication are drawn from every region of the world and testify to the central role of literacy in responding to sustainable development challenges such as health, social equality, economic empowerment and environmental sustainability. Most literacy programmes set out to combine at least two of the three dimensions of sustainable development - social equality, economic empowerment and environmental sustainability - and many of them target women.
Excerpts from publication. Show less

Authors: Hanemann, Ulrike

Date: 2015

Geographic subjects: Africa; Angola; Egypt ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Subjects: Literacy; Sustainability; Research ... [+] Show more
Immigrants, skills and wages in the Gambian labor market

Using data from the Household Poverty Surveys in 2003 and 2010, this paper analyzes characteristics of immigrants i... Show more
Using data from the Household Poverty Surveys in 2003 and 2010, this paper analyzes characteristics of immigrants in the Gambian labor market. The analysis indicates that immigrants are relatively young, low-skilled (though with skill levels comparable to Gambians) and mainly come from neighboring West African countries. While immigrants on average earn more than Gambians, this labor market advantage varies significantly depending on workers' skill level. For instance, unskilled immigrants have a wage advantage but such an advantage does not exist among the skilled immigrants. Given that The Gambia is a country with high skilled emigration rates, these and other findings in this paper have important policy implications.
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Authors: Gajigo, Ousman; Verdier-Chouchane, Audrey

Date: 2014

Geographic subjects: Africa; Gambia

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: Working paper series (African Development Bank Group)

Subjects: Migration; Finance; Employment ... [+] Show more
Education-occupation mismatch in the context of informality and development

Using household data from 15 countries in Latin America and Africa, this paper explores linkages between informalit... Show more
Using household data from 15 countries in Latin America and Africa, this paper explores linkages between informality and education-occupation matching. The paper applies a unified methodology to measuring education-occupation mismatches and informality, consistently with the international labour and statistical standards in this area. The results suggest that in the majority of low- and middle-income developing countries with available data, workers in informal jobs have higher odds of being undereducated as compared to workers in formal jobs. Workers in formal jobs, in contrast, have higher chances of being overeducated. These results are consistent for dependent as well as for independent workers. They also hold for men and for women according to the gender-disaggregated analysis. Moreover, in the majority of countries considered in this paper, the matching-informality nexus is also related to the extent of informality in a given area: in labour markets with higher informality, informal workers in particular have a higher chance of being undereducated. The paper discusses policy implications of these findings.
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Authors: Aleksynska, Mariya; Kolev, Alexandre

Date: 2021

Geographic subjects: Africa; Gambia; Liberia ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: OECD Development Centre working papers

Subjects: Labour market; Qualifications; Skills and knowledge ... [+] Show more
Women in technical education, training and jobs: Africa: Western regional report

In Africa, women are entering the workforce in unprecedented numbers. Despite this increase, they are still visible... Show more
In Africa, women are entering the workforce in unprecedented numbers. Despite this increase, they are still visible in only a handful of occupations. The vast majority are working in low-paying jobs requiring limited skills and offering little or no opportunity for mobility or career development.
The Training Department of the ILO is particularly concerned about this situation and has consequently focused its attention on measures to expand and diversify women’s training, in particular for occupations having higher levels of skills, responsibility and pay.The present study is one of three regional syntheses completed in the project. Show less

Authors: Odugbesan, Felicia A.

Corporate authors: International Labour Office. Training Policies Branch

Date: 1990

Geographic subjects: Africa; Gambia; Ghana ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: ILO discussion papers

Subjects: Gender; Employment; Vocational education and training ... [+] Show more
Assessment of Gambia Technical Training Institute trainees on attachment

This study investigates the assessment of work experience for Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI) trainees. ... Show more
This study investigates the assessment of work experience for Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI) trainees. This report exposes the areas of concern in this context. It offers recommendations which are intended to assist in developing appropriate assessment procedures at the workplace and to ensure that training standards at the workplace are maintained or raised. Show less

Authors: Cole, P.; Cummings, A.; Benett, Yves

Date: 1992

Geographic subjects: Africa; Gambia

Resource type: Article

Journal title: Vocational aspect of education

Subjects: Assessment; Workforce development; Traineeship ... [+] Show more