Migration for work is now a permanent feature of the job market

There were emphatic and asser-tive, albeit convivial, discussions at the regional technical training on skills assessment of migrant workers held in Bangkok last week under the auspices of the International Labor Organization and sponsored by the Korean Government. The comments and recommendations were summarized by resource person David Lythe from New Zealand, ILO skills and employability specialist and Bangkok-based Sandra Roethbeck, and our own TESDA executive director for competency assessment and certification Gabby Bordado.

• There should be continuing meetings and studies by ASEAN member-countries of the proposed Returning Migrant Certification of Skills (RMCS) and its comparability or equivalency to their respective national competency or skills standards.

• The assessments and certification from specific ASEAN member-countries should be recognized based on the comparability of such respective national skills standards. This can be done initially on bilateral basis (e. g., current arrangements between Japan and Philippines under JPEPA).

• Eventually under ILO auspices, the ASEAN countries can mutually recognize the RMCS as the common basis for their respective national skills/competency standards.

• Hand in hand with these efforts the member-countries can establish and develop their respective national qualifications frameworks (NQFs) which can further facilitate the mutual recognition arrangements (MRA) within ASEAN.

• In the longer term, the ASEAN with assistance from institutions such as ILO and UNESCO can evolve their own regional qualifications framework (RQF) similar to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the case of Southern African community.

• The RMCS together with competency-based assessment and certification and the efforts toward establishing NQFs should be supported, promoted and accepted as an instrument toward MRA and greater labor mobility within ASEAN. There should be continuing meetings and dialogues and agreements, either on bilateral or multilateral basis, region-wide or sub-region-wide (e. g., through groupings such as BIMP-EAGA or the Mekong delta region) toward this end.

• Migration for work is not a short term phenomenon but permanent feature and needs to be addressed as such.

• Acknowledgement through the workshop of the value for support services for migrant workers and innovative examples from Korea and Sri Lanka to name a few.

• Recognition of the value of maximizing the new skills of returning migrant workers at the re-integration point. It would be wasteful not to optimize effective utilization by the labor market.

• Acceptance that ‘guidelines’ are needed but there are many different ways to achieve skills recognition. Yet, there is a need for ‘guidelines’ which contribute towards mutual skills recognition amongst countries.

• Acceptance of the importance of RMCS to contribute to skills recognition.

• RMCS must be better known and promoted at national level; there is need for awareness.

• Capacity Building of National Agencies and Social Partners in the use of RMCS and development of National Competency Standards

• Guidelines in principle are supported. Significant editing has been proposed; e.g.

– Objectives to be clear and in line with ILO Declaration and DW agenda.

– New Agency not required unless necessary.

– More clarity required on constituents roles

– More recognition for the informal sector and low-skilled workers (e.g. domestic workers)

– Acknowledgement of the full involvement of all Constituents in all aspects of skills recognition (Standard development, Assessment, Portfolio development, training etc.)

– Role of Social Partners—government, workers and employers—need to be articulated more clearly to promote synergy, partnership and full involvement.

– Encourage institutionalization of bilateral cooperation at constituents’ level of both sending and receiving countries: employers, workers and government organizations. More cooperation is encouraged for natural Movements of Workers.

– Networking and sharing of experiences and good practices amongst Skills-AP Network Members advocated—and will hopefully continue

– Involvement of Employers in Receiving Countries: Skills needs? Mechanisms?

There. Our mandate as participants was to be fair and square to workers and employers and to lay down guidelines for workers to enjoy decent work and decent life through beneficial agreements between governments and employers.

In simple terms, workers are encouraged to continuously improve their knowledge and skills, document such improvements by both employers and workers and have these certificated by proper government agencies. When workers come home from overseas work, they bring home with them new knowledge and skills that are useful for our own industries. Governments and employers are urged to abide by guidelines, common to both sending and receiving counties, for recognizing these competencies and reintegrating returning migrant workers to the local job market.

Their take-home competencies could help local companies become more productive, competitive and profitable and, therefore, able to secure more jobs near home. When they decide to work abroad again, workers could look forward to getting decent compensation package and work environment.

Feedback to innovationcamp@yahoo.com  –MOJE RAMOS-AQUINO, FPM, Manila Times