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This paper was presented at a conference on 'Labour market policies and the public employment service: lessons from recent experience and directions for the future' convened in Prague on 3-4 July 2000 by the OECD's Directorate for Education, Employment, Labour and Social Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic. The major themes of the conference were the 'activation' of the unemployed and the implementation of active labour market policies. This paper examines the development of the system of active labour market policies in the United Kingdom (UK) from the introduction in mid-1986 of Restart and the stricter benefit regime. The decade following the introduction of Restart witnessed several innovations that increased the work focus of benefits, culminating in the creation of an unemployment-related benefit called the Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) which remains the foundation of the current active labour market system. Employment policies now include New Deals for young people and the long-term unemployed and policies to assist economically inactive people of working age. The author examines the features of the UK labour market, their implications for the operation of labour market policies, and their affect on the Employment Service and the development of policies since the mid-1980s. Evidence is presented that suggests that this active and innovative approach has had a positive influence on unemployment. The paper examines the current welfare to work initiatives, compares the UK approach with those of the United States, Australia and the Netherlands, and considers the issues related to the strategies of profiling/early identification and 'one stop shop' employment services. The author concludes that a well structured welfare state can work efficiently and equitably, both as an economic and a social tool against unemployment.

The volume of conference papers is indexed at TD/TNC 69.312 and selected papers are indexed from TD/TNC 69.313 to TD/TNC 69.318. Show less

Vocational education and training are vital components of any dignified job, especially during this era of rapid technological change. The attainment of ‘decent work’ has been adopted as a central objective of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and vocational training is a vital component of the ILO’s agenda to reduce the deficit of decent work in the world. This document contributes to the definition of the concept of decent work and the promotion of its achievement. It examines vocational training institutions and practices in Latin America and the Caribbean and demonstrates how the ILO’s decent work objectives are essential elements of their success. The chapters are: Decent work and training; Vocational training and its links with equal opportunity and other fundamental rights; Vocational training and employment promotion; Vocational training as an instrument for social protection; Vocational training as a space for social dialogue and a tool for promoting it; Conclusions. Show less

This paper was presented at a conference on 'Labour market policies and the public employment service: lessons from recent experience and directions for the future' convened in Prague on 3-4 July 2000 by the OECD's Directorate for Education, Employment, Labour and Social Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic. The major themes of the conference were the 'activation' of the unemployed and the implementation of active labour market policies. In this paper, the author discusses the experiences of labour market changes and the development of policies to improve the function of the labour market in Finland. A comprehensive labour market policy reform has been implemented since 1998. The reform measures were related to the improvement of the employment service process, activation of the passive labour market support for the purpose of employment, reforms of active labour market policy measures, measures assisting recruitment, and the definition of the rights and obligations of those seeking work. Conclusions are drawn in relation to the functioning of the labour market and employment services, and active labour market programs.

The volume of conference papers is indexed at TD/TNC 69.312 and selected papers are indexed from TD/TNC 69.313 to TD/TNC 69.318. Show less

This paper was presented at a conference on 'Labour market policies and the public employment service: lessons from recent experience and directions for the future' convened in Prague on 3-4 July 2000 by the OECD's Directorate for Education, Employment, Labour and Social Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic. The major themes of the conference were the 'activation' of the unemployed and the implementation of active labour market policies. The Canadian Government undertook an extensive reform of employment services and labour market policy during the 1990s. In this paper, the author discusses the reform and focuses on the transfer of responsibility for program design and delivery from the central government to those of the provinces and territories and the outcomes of this process in practice. Improvements have resulted from the new system such as an increased level of collaboration between governments and a stronger link between local conditions and labour market programs. The challenges involved in establishing the new system are discussed in relation to the areas of roles and responsibilities, accountability and joint policy development. The paper concludes with comment on the lessons learned from this process and challenges for the future with regard to the roles of the various stakeholders, policy development, and higher levels of unemployment.

The volume of conference papers is indexed at TD/TNC 69.312 and selected papers are indexed from TD/TNC 69.313 to TD/TNC 69.318. Show less

This paper was presented at a conference on 'Labour market policies and the public employment service: lessons from recent experience and directions for the future' convened in Prague on 3-4 July 2000 by the OECD's Directorate for Education, Employment, Labour and Social Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic. The major themes of the conference were the 'activation' of the unemployed and the implementation of active labour market policies. In this paper, the author describes the process of establishing a competitive and contestable employment services market, Job Network, in Australia. In 1998, Job Network replaced the public employment services provider, the Commonwealth Employment Service (CES), case management services and most labour market programs, and marked the Government's transition from a provider to a purchaser of employment services. The major goals of these reforms were to provide flexible and individualised services to the unemployed, particularly the long-term unemployed, to help them find sustainable employment, and to improve the cost effectiveness of employment services. The paper outlines the background to the reforms, the process of transition to Job Network, the five main services of Job Network, and the tendering process. Key issues in establishing the system and the outcomes of the first year of operation are discussed. Job Network has proved to be more successful than the previous system in achieving employment outcomes for jobseekers and employers, and performance continues to improve as the market settles into its second contract period.

The volume of conference papers is indexed at TD/TNC 69.312 and selected papers are indexed from TD/TNC 69.313 to TD/TNC 69.318. Show less

This paper was presented at a conference on 'Labour market policies and the public employment service: lessons from recent experience and directions for the future' convened in Prague on 3-4 July 2000 by the OECD's Directorate for Education, Employment, Labour and Social Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic. The major themes of the conference were the 'activation' of the unemployed and the implementation of active labour market policies. During the 1990s, the United States (US) Government undertook to modernise the delivery of workforce development programs. The result was a one-stop delivery system that links and coordinates programs that provide labour market information, employment services, income support, skills training and education, and enables the unemployed to prepare for and find work, and employers to find qualified labour. This paper describes the restructuring of workforce development programs and the decentralised approach to public administration adopted in the US.

The volume of conference papers is indexed at TD/TNC 69.312 and selected papers are indexed from TD/TNC 69.313 to TD/TNC 69.318. Show less

This publication presents papers given at a conference on 'Labour market policies and the public employment service: lessons from recent experience and directions for the future' convened in Prague on 3-4 July 2000 by the OECD's Directorate for Education, Employment, Labour and Social Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic. The major themes of the conference were the 'activation' of the unemployed and the implementation of active labour market policies. Issues addressed included: front-line employment service operations; customer service and employer service; the advanced use of information technology to facilitate job placement; modern management methods; eligibility conditions for unemployment benefits; strategies of intervention during unemployment; and improving the accountability and performance of the public employment service (PES). The introduction contains the summary and conclusions by the rapporteur and two papers by the OECD Secretariat: 'Labour market policies and the public employment service: main characteristics and new challenges' which describes the main operational methods and PES strategies in OECD Member countries with comment on international variation and underlying policy issues; and 'External audits of the public employment service in the 1990s' which summarises four general, official, external audits undertaken in the United States (US), the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland, and published in the 1990s as an analytical basis for major reforms. The paper assesses these evaluations and proposes some principles to guide future evaluations. Part one, 'The labour exchange function of the public employment service', contains the papers: A 'model' local employment office in Portugal / Antonio Charana and Vitor Rodrigues; Computer touchscreen and Internet job-broking services / Eddy Vercammen and Edy Geerts; Marketing to employers in the Netherlands / Jeannette van Yperen; One-stop statecraft: restructuring workforce development programs in the United States / David E. Balducchi and Alison J. Pasternak. Part two, 'Unemployment benefits and activation measures', contains the papers: Some conflicts between employment policy and social policy in the Czech Republic / Milan Horalek; Eligibility criteria for unemployment benefits / David Grubb; Monitoring and assisting active job search / Patricia M. Anderson; From Restart to the New Deal in the United Kingdom / William Wells; The active labour market policy in Denmark / Inge Maerkedahl; The activation and qualification of social assistance recipients in Oslo / Nina Backer-Roed and Lars Mannsaker; Activation: the point of view of clients and 'front line' staff / Dan Finn and Martin Blackmore. Part three, 'Design and implementation issues for active labour market policies', contains the papers: How can we make active policies more effective?: the role of organisation, implementation and optimal allocation in active labour market policy / Jaap de Koning; Implementation issues in Finland: experiences, developments and context of labour market policy measures / Heikki Raisanen. Part four, 'Structure of the public employment service', contains the papers: Introduction of contestability in the delivery of employment services in Australia / Leslie Riggs; Labour market policies and employment services in Canada: a new collaborative approach / Employment Programs Branch.

Selected papers are indexed from TD/TNC 69.313 to TD/TNC 69.318. Show less

This study provides a detailed discussion of the youth unemployment problem and examines the various policy responses to it, including education and training and active labour market policy. It stresses the need for adequate labour market information, policy monitoring and program evaluation to facilitate more and better quality jobs for young people. It also sets down specific recommendations and guidelines for this age group in industrialised, transition and developing countries. The author provides an analysis of the characteristics, causes and consequences of youth unemployment and explores the nature of the youth labour market, highlighting differences between it and the labour market of other workers. Active labour market policies and policies promoting paid employment, self-employment and programs aimed at disadvantaged young people are evaluated. The author also looks at the minimum wage and its effects on youth employment, the key role of education and training systems, and the role of employers' and workers' organisations. The study concludes with eleven policy recommendations based on the conclusions drawn from the analysis. Show less

The Welfare-to-Work (WtW) Grants program was created by the United States Congress in 1997 to provide additional resources to help reach the employment and self-sufficiency objectives of welfare reform. The funding was intended to support programs, particularly those in high-poverty communities that aid the most disadvantaged welfare recipients make the transition from welfare to work and noncustodial parents improve their earnings and ability to support their children. This document is part of an evaluation of the WtW Grants program undertaken for Congress by Mathematica Policy Research, the Urban Institute and Support Services International (SSI). It provides an interim report from the process analysis component of the evaluation. The report is based mainly on structured site visits to each of the eleven WtW grant programs included in the evaluation and documents the implementation, structure, and operations of these programs as they were operating in mid-2000. The first section provides an overview of the WtW grants program, the evaluation study design and the issues examined by this part of the overall evaluation process. The subsequent sections describe the programs in operation at the eleven sites in terms of enrolment, participation, services and program structure.

The copyright on this document is held by The Urban Institute. Show less