Introduction

The position is located in the ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa and Country Office for South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini (DWT/CO-Pretoria). DWTs provide high quality, timely and integrated technical support to Country Offices under its geographical competence in the design, implementation and monitoring of Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) in response to their requests within the framework of outcome-based work plans. This support includes technical and policy advice, information and analyses.
The Technical Specialist will support Member States to establish outcomes, strategies and programmes for the countries and the regional bodies covered including the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and provide high-level technical and policy advisory services to the ILO constituents and other stakeholders on next generation skills and lifelong learning policies and systems taking into account the integration of cross-cutting policy drivers, including international labour standards, social dialogue, gender equality and non-discrimination, and a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies. The incumbent will develop and technically backstop programmes and projects.
Taking into account of the profound transformations in the world of work and developing a human centred approach to future of work, as outlined in the ILO Centenary declaration, this support includes technical and policy advice, information and analyses on promoting acquisition of skills, competencies and qualifications for all workers throughout their working lives in order to address existing and anticipated skills gaps, to ensure that education and training systems are responsive to labour market needs and enhance workers capacity to make use of the opportunities available for decent work.

The incumbent will report directly to the ILO Director for DWT/CO-Pretoria and will receive technical guidance and advice from the Skills and Employability Branch (SKILLS) of the Employment Policy Department. The incumbent’s activities will encompass policy advice, programme development, technical support/backstopping, capacity building and promotion of international labour standards and tripartism.

The incumbent will work in close cooperation with the other specialists in the DWT/CO team

Main duties and responsibilities

1. Review and facilitate the strengthening and effective implementation of inclusive institutional, legal and policy frameworks. Provide expert policy and technical advice in the area of new generation skills and lifelong learning to ILO constituents and other concerned stakeholders with a view to promoting the formulation of inclusive and gender-responsive policies, strategies and systems to strengthen skills and lifelong learning policies, governance models and financing system, in line with the ILO 2030 Skills and Lifelong Learning Strategy and their impactful implementation and monitoring to ensure equitable outcomes. Promote relevant international labour standards.

2. Support ILO constituents in identifying their needs and provide adequate technical support, including through comparative policy analyses. Facilitate the effective participation and advocacy role of employers’ and workers’ organizations in policy design, implementation and evaluation of decent work programmes and projects. Provide technical inputs to the design and implementation of Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) as well as UN and other development cooperation frameworks. Participate in multidisciplinary and regional skills related initiatives, with particular attention to the key drivers of change for the Africa region, such as labour migration, digitalization and greening of economies with a view to ensuring an integrated approach for the delivery of the Decent Work Agenda.

3. Initiate, design, conduct/commission and/or coordinate innovative and gender-mainstreamed research and analysis that meets the evolving needs of constituents and other key stakeholders in the skills development and lifelong learning area and leads to the formulation of policy recommendations, technical guidelines and the development of new methodologies and concepts in the area of skills development, lifelong learning, TVET and higher education, transition from learning to earning, skills recognition systems and for designing and delivering innovative, flexible and inclusive learning options, including work-based learning and apprenticeships.

4. Develop and lead/coordinate the development of innovative solutions and approaches to address skills mismatches and a range of original and evidence-based technical and policy knowledge products and tools responding to constituents’ needs and priorities and advancing the Decent Work Agenda. Promote and facilitate their dissemination at the regional and country levels and provide advice and technical support to constituents and other stakeholders on effectively using such tools. Contribute to Office-wide efforts to analyse, document and disseminate lessons learned and information on innovative practices. Provide technical inputs to oversee the drafting of/draft, peer review and edit reports, publications and other office documents, including for the Governing Body, International Labour Conference and regional, sectoral and expert meetings.

5. Support the strengthening of ILO constituents’ capacity to design and implement policies and measures in the area of skills development and lifelong learning. Oversee the design of tools and learning materials, pilot new guidelines, lead and/or coordinate workshops, meetings and other events, using innovative methods, digital platforms and communication tools. Develop and run/implement global and/or regional capacity development programmes, knowledge sharing and training events including in collaboration with the International Training Centre in Turin (ITC-ILO) and/or with other relevant partners as applicable.

6. Develop new/reinforce existing partnerships and collaborative relationships with traditional and non-traditional partners/entities of the UN system, other international organizations, regional, subregional and national actors, private institutions, multilateral development banks, international financial institutions, research institutions and academia, civil society and other key stakeholders with a view to advancing ILO’s strategic objectives and ensuring policy coherence and implementation of ILO’s values and resource mobilization influencing policy and financing decisions in support of decent work objectives.

7. Organize, facilitate and make technical contributions at seminars, conferences and other events. Represent and engage the ILO as a key player in meetings, conferences and forums at the regional, subregional, national and subnational levels concerned with strategies, policies or programmes in the field of skills development and lifelong learning.

8. Conceptualize, formulate, discuss and submit development cooperation project proposals, taking into account regional, subregional and national priorities on skills development and lifelong learning and the need to position these within relevant cooperation frameworks. Provide technical backstopping for development cooperation projects and promote and facilitate coherence and knowledge sharing among projects. Play a key role in resource mobilization efforts to secure funding for new projects and activities in the field of skills development and lifelong learning in coordination with concerned headquarters departments and field offices.

9. Perform other relevant duties as assigned.

Education

Advanced level university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in vocational education and training, human resources development, labour economics or other social sciences or other relevant fields.

A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in one of the afore-mentioned fields or other relevant field with an additional two years of relevant experience, in addition to the experience stated below, will be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience

At least seven years of experience, including at the international level, in human resources development, vocational education and training and skills development. Experience in the design and implementation of development cooperation projects in skills development or employment promotion and relevant work in developing countries would be an advantage.

Previous work experience in any of the priority areas of the ILO’s four priority action programmes – transitions from the informal to the formal economy; just transitions towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies; decent work in supply chains; and decent work for crisis response would also be an advantage], including at the international level.

Languages

Excellent command of English and a working knowledge of a second working language (French, Spanish) of the Organization would be an advantage.

Competencies

In addition to the ILO core competencies, this position requires:

Excellent knowledge and understanding of theories, trends and approaches in the area(s) of skills development, employability, vocational and technical education and lifelong learning] with the ability to plan, coordinate and guide the development and implementation of new concepts policies, techniques and procedures in response to evolving technical needs.
• Good knowledge of the substantive nature of Organization’s work programmes and activities and ability to address broader issues outside the field of specialization.
• Ability to lead and manage individual and group assignments and to supervise those undertaking the work.
• Ability to share knowledge and provide technical advice and guidance on latest policy developments in the technical area.
• Excellent research and analytical skills.
• Excellent drafting skills.
• Excellent communication skills, excellent presentation skills, negotiation, promotion and advocacy skills. Ability to adapt communication style to diverse audiences.

Competencies

Ability to adapt quickly to new software and systems.
• Ability to network and build and maintain effective and collaborative working relationships with key stakeholders and to create and promote synergies across the Organization and with external stakeholders.
• Ability to represent the Organization and present/promote the technical area of work and the ILO’s position on it to partners with a view to gaining their support to advance the desired course of action.
• Ability to mobilize resources.
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-responsive, non-discriminatory and inclusive behaviour and attitudes.