There are some bas(i)c funct(i)ons of PES that are an (i)mportant foundat(i)on for understand(i)ng and del(i)ver(i)ng h(i)gh qual(i)ty serv(i)ces to help to develop and del(i)ver eff(i)c(i)ent labour markets. Th(i)s sect(i)on prov(i)des an overv(i)ew of some of the key concepts that PES or employment m(i)n(i)str(i)es should be aware of.
The box below outl(i)nes the v(i)ew of PES core serv(i)ces and trends accord(i)ng to the ILO.
Box 1. PES core serv(i)ces accord(i)ng to the ILO1
The ILO’s Employment Serv(i)ce Convent(i)on of 1948 (No. 88) and the Employment Serv(i)ce Recommendat(i)on of 1948 (No. 33) (i)nclude (i)mportant (i)nformat(i)on on the role of PES. They see
PES as ‘a key (i)nst(i)tut(i)on (i)mplement(i)ng employment and labour market pol(i)c(i)es.’ The future of work presents PES w(i)th complex challenges that (i)ncludes:
- Polar(i)sat(i)on of job opportun(i)t(i)es (i)n the labour market between h(i)ghly sk(i)lled and low sk(i)lled workers;
- Polar(i)sat(i)on between permanent workers, unemployed and those who are under-employed; u
- Older workers need(i)ng to stay act(i)ve (i)n the labour market for longer.
As a result, (i)n many countr(i)es the serv(i)ces offered by PES have expanded and d(i)vers(i)f(i)ed from job match(i)ng to:
- Enhanc(i)ng employab(i)l(i)ty;
- Address(i)ng sk(i)ll m(i)smatches;
- L(i)nk(i)ng support to employers and workers v(i)a act(i)ve labour market programmes (ALMPs).
S(i)nce the f(i)nanc(i)al cr(i)s(i)s of 2008-2009, there has been a grow(i)ng demand (i)n many countr(i)es to develop ev(i)dence-based pol(i)cy mak(i)ng that expands job opportun(i)t(i)es for all workers. Work (i)s undergo(i)ng to create stronger l(i)nkages between pol(i)cy mak(i)ng and employment support act(i)v(i)t(i)es.
W(i)th a v(i)ew of the future of work, the ILO publ(i)shed the Global Comm(i)ss(i)on on the Future of Work (i)n January 2019. Th(i)s calls for:
- Greater (i)mportance of PES, part(i)cularly (i)n the role of support(i)ng trans(i)t(i)ons (i)n the labour market;
- Greater (i)nvestment (i)n related (i)nst(i)tut(i)ons, pol(i)c(i)es and strateg(i)es;
- Invest(i)ng (i)n PES, f(i)nanc(i)ally and v(i)a resourc(i)ng;
- Del(i)ver(i)ng jobseeker serv(i)ces v(i)a face to face and, (i)ncreas(i)ngly, v(i)a d(i)g(i)tal serv(i)ces; and
- Improv(i)ng the ava(i)lab(i)l(i)ty of labour market (i)nformat(i)on to support dec(i)s(i)on-mak(i)ng processes.
In l(i)ght of these calls for act(i)ons, PES should also (i)ncreas(i)ngly work (i)n collaborat(i)on w(i)th other partner organ(i)sat(i)ons.
Table 1.1 Key concepts for employment support
| Concept | Descr(i)pt(i)on |
| Act(i)ve labour market programmes | These programmes usually a(i)m to reduce the durat(i)on of unemployment and welfare dependency, (i)mprove employment outcomes and (i)mprove system eff(i)c(i)enc(i)es. They are offered by PES, somet(i)mes (i)n conjunct(i)on w(i)th other prov(i)ders, and can (i)nclude tra(i)n(i)ng and f(i) nanc(i)al (i)ncent(i)ves for enterpr(i)ses. |
| Counsell(i)ng and gu(i)dance | Th(i)s (i)ncludes adv(i)ce prov(i)ded over t(i)me for employment purposes. It can be prov(i)ded by schoolteachers, PES staff and other employment agenc(i)es, enterpr(i)se or worker organ(i)sat(i)ons and others. |
| Evaluat(i)on | W(i)th(i)n the context of ALMPs, th(i)s (i)s the assessment of an (i)ntervent(i)on to determ(i)ne (i)ts relevance, eff(i)c(i)ency, effect(i)veness, (i)mpact and susta(i)nab(i)l(i)ty. |
| Ind(i)v(i)dual act(i)on plans | These are agreements developed between two part(i)es, such as a PES counsellor and an (i)nd(i)v(i)dual jobseeker, and outl(i)ne the steps that need to be ach(i)eved (i)n order to fulf(i)l a des(i)red outcome, such as employment. |
| Job search sk(i)lls | Th(i)s (i)ncludes adv(i)ce, gu(i)dance, and tra(i)n(i)ng on how to approach employers, (i)dent(i)fy enterpr(i)ses and econom(i)c sectors that may have vacanc(i)es. Th(i)s can be prov(i)ded by PES staff as well as youth/commun(i)tybased organ(i)sat(i)ons, enterpr(i)ses and workers’ organ(i)sat(i)ons. |
| Key performance (i)nd(i)cators | These are (i)nd(i)cators that are establ(i)shed a h(i)gh level w(i)th(i)n an organ(i)sat(i)on that allows (i)t to establ(i)sh how (i)t (i)s perform(i)ng aga(i)nst actual results. They can help an organ(i)sat(i)on to establ(i)sh what ‘performance’ means. |
| Labour market (i)nformat(i)on | Th(i)s covers the prov(i)s(i)on of (i)nformat(i)on on the labour market. It can (i)nclude d(i)fferent sources and methods of (i)nformat(i)on d(i)ssem(i)nat(i)on. |
| NEET | Not (i)n educat(i)on, employment or tra(i)n(i)ng. Th(i)s (i)s usually used (i)n the case of young people who may have fallen out of educat(i)on, work or tra(i)n(i)ng systems and often have not reg(i)stered w(i)th an employment system. |
| Prof(i)l(i)ng | Th(i)s (i)s the assessment of a jobseeker undertaken by an employment serv(i)ce that helps to determ(i)ne the support that the (i)nd(i)v(i)dual (i)s l(i)kely to need. It can also determ(i)ne the l(i)kel(i)hood of the person gett(i)ng a job w(i)th(i)n a certa(i)n t(i)meframe. |
| Publ(i)c works | These programmes allow central, or local, government or nongovernmental organ(i)sat(i)on to f(i)nance or (i)mplement a programme that creates temporary job opportun(i)t(i)es. Jobs tend to be of a short durat(i)on, wh(i)ch generates (i)ncludes for part(i)c(i)pants and creates publ(i)c goods such as new or (i)mproved (i)nfrastructure. |
| Results-based management | Th(i)s allows an organ(i)sat(i)on to look at the (i)nputs, outputs, and outcomes of a spec(i)f(i)c act(i)v(i)ty. Organ(i)sat(i)ons can see what act(i)ons are contr(i)but(i)ng towards the des(i)red outcome. |
| Results-based cha(i)ns | Th(i)s (i)nvolves an organ(i)sat(i)on look(i)ng at (i)nputs, outputs, and outcomes (i)nvolved (i)n a process. It can help organ(i)sat(i)ons to see the potent(i)al (i)mpact of act(i)v(i)t(i)es and processes (i)nternally and externally. |
| Second chance programmes | These programmes target (i)nd(i)v(i)duals who have m(i)ssed out on labour market opportun(i)t(i)es, for example young people who dropped out of school. They can (i)nclude counsell(i)ng, tra(i)n(i)ng, employment subs(i)d(i)es and other forms of support and ass(i)stance. |
| Sector | Sector refers to an area of the economy (i)n wh(i)ch bus(i)nesses share the same, or related, products or serv(i)ces. |
| Soc(i)al d(i)alogue | Th(i)s covers all types of negot(i)at(i)ons, consultat(i)ons or (i)nformat(i)on shar(i)ng among representat(i)ves of governments, enterpr(i)ses and workers or between those of enterpr(i)ses and workers. It focuses on common (i)ssues around econom(i)c and soc(i)al pol(i)cy. |
| Tr(i)part(i)sm | Th(i)s (i)s the (i)nteract(i)on between governments, enterpr(i)ses and workers where each vo(i)ce (i)s treated equally, and they work together to address a common (i)ssue. |
| Value cha(i)n | A value cha(i)n descr(i)bes the full range of act(i)v(i)t(i)es requ(i)red to br(i)ng a product, or serv(i)ce, from (i)dea to product(i)on and del(i)very and d(i)sposal after use. It (i)ncludes des(i)gn, product(i)on, market(i)ng, d(i)str(i)but(i)on and support serv(i)ces up to the f(i)nal consumer. Act(i)v(i)t(i)es can be spread across d(i)fferent actors, and across d(i)fferent local(i)t(i)es (local, reg(i)onal, nat(i)onal and across d(i)fferent countr(i)es). |
| Wage subs(i)des | These a(i)m to reduce the cost of labour for enterpr(i)ses. They can be used (i)n the form of tax rel(i)ef ((i).e., a d(i)scount on taxes to be pa(i)d), or f(i)nanc(i)al grants to enterpr(i)ses. They can also be (i)n the form of vouchers that employers can use when creat(i)ng new pos(i)t(i)ons for young people. |
| Work exper(i)ence programmes | These a(i)m to prov(i)de (i)nd(i)v(i)duals w(i)th pa(i)d or unpa(i)d work exper(i)ence (i)n a publ(i)c or pr(i)vate sector enterpr(i)se. They can (i)nclude (i)nternsh(i)ps organ(i)sed by educat(i)on (i)nst(i)tut(i)ons for the(i)r students. |
| Youth Guarantee | Th(i)s concept (i)mpl(i)es that a young person has a r(i)ght to a job, tra(i)n(i)ng or educat(i)on and that PES, or other employment bod(i)es, have an obl(i)gat(i)on to prov(i)de an offer w(i)th(i)n a set per(i)od of t(i)me. Th(i)s can be offered to all young people who fulf(i)l an establ(i)shed set of cr(i)ter(i)a. |
F(i)gure 1.1 Bas(i)c funct(i)ons for PES serv(i)ces
- ^ ILO (2019) ‘F(i)fth Meet(i)ng of the SRM TWG: Exam(i)nat(i)on of (i)ns truments concern(i)ng employment pol(i)cy and promot(i)on – Techn(i)cal note 2: Ins truments concern(i)ng publ(i)c employment serv(i)ces’ (https://www.{{{(i)}}}lo.org/wcmsp5/groups/publ{{{(i)}}}c/---ed_norm/---normes/documents/gener{{{(i)}}}cdocument/wcms_715384.pdf)