From 12 to 14 November 2024, Montevideo, Uruguay, became the meeting point for the Ibero-American Tripartite Meeting on Vocational Training and Social Dialogue, organised by ILO/Cinterfor with the support of the State Foundation for Employment Training (FUNDAE) of Spain.

This event marked a milestone in the Ibero-American social dialogue process launched in July 2023.

The meeting brought together representatives of the government, worker and employer sectors from Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain, consolidating itself as a platform for exchanging ideas and building consensus on how to strengthen vocational training policies and programmes in the region.

The ongoing process, which combines virtual and face-to-face activities, seeks to advance towards the institutionalisation of tripartite dialogue and the development of a technical-political document to guide these initiatives.

The inauguration was attended by: Elena Montobbio, Director of ILO/Cinterfor; José Miguel Guerrero Sedano, Second Vice-President of the Board of Trustees of FUNDAE; Antonio de Luis, Managing Director of FUNDAE; Florencia Suau, representative of the UIA (Argentina); and Cicero Pereira, Secretary for Education and Training of the TUCA.

Elena Montobbio underlined the road travelled so far and highlighted a fundamental aspect: ‘An identifying feature both of all of you and of the ILO: dialogue, and a dialogue anchored in an essential theme that brings us together today: vocational training. This is a source of answers and proposals in the face of the challenges posed by the intersecting inequalities, transitions and accelerated changes that the region is experiencing’.

José Miguel Guerrero highlighted the relevance of this workshop for two key aspects. Firstly, he underlined the importance of strengthening training in the field of work, ensuring that it reaches a wide universe of beneficiaries in the best conditions, which exceeds that of formal training, at least in the case of Spain.

Secondly, he pointed out that this initiative must also address an increasingly urgent challenge, especially in Europe and Spain: the shortage of qualified personnel. ‘Skills policies and the creation of common standards can make a crucial contribution to fostering the mobility that today's world demands,’ said Guerrero.

Antonio de Luis then highlighted the importance of vocational training as a right that must be guaranteed and which requires a joint effort to achieve the objectives set out in the social dialogue.

Florencia Suau then emphasised the importance of the proposed agenda of the meeting, which will allow progress to be made in achieving a joint vision among actors, guiding national and regional policies adapted to local contexts, recognised as very heterogeneous for vocational training. He also highlighted the importance of ‘strengthening the capacities of tripartite actors, ensuring that employers, workers and governments can count on the necessary tools to support these policies’.

Finally, Cícero Pereira welcomed this Ibero-American initiative on vocational training and welcomed the new opportunity to reflect on issues of common interest, such as digital transformation, digital skills and SMEs, green and just transition, care policies linked to gender issues and the role of vocational training.

During the sessions, participants discussed key topics such as::

• Vocational training as a right: Analysis of the scope and actions needed to guarantee this right in Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain.
• International Labour Standards (ILS) and vocational training: reflection on Recommendations 195 and 208, as well as Convention 142, together with an exchange on possible strategies for their regional adoption.
• Digital transformation and SMEs: policies to boost digital skills and support small and medium-sized enterprises.
• Just Green Transition: developing competences to promote environmental sustainability with social inclusion.
• Care policies: vocational training from a gender perspective to strengthen care systems.

One of the highlights was the start of the tripartite discussion aimed at drafting a technical-political document emerging from the process, which will serve as a strategic orientation guide for the public vocational training policies of the participating countries, as well as for future dialogues and actions. In addition, steps towards the institutionalisation of the tripartite social dialogue space were explored, with the intention of guaranteeing its continuity.

The closing ceremony was attended by Elena Montobbio, Director of ILO/Cinterfor, Juan Mailhos from CCSU of Uruguay; Eulogia Familia from CNUS of the Dominican Republic; Juan Carlos Tejada from CEOE of Spain and Sebastián Pacheco Cortés, 4th Vice-President of the Board of Trustees of FUNDAE and workers' representative.

The event reaffirmed the commitment of the participating countries to improve the quality and relevance of vocational training through tripartism. This collective effort represents a significant step towards an inclusive and sustainable development model in the region.