Adressing the skill needs of the informal sector

Training those who participate in the informal sector should go hand-in-hand with other instruments, such as fiscal policies, provision of credit, and extension of social protection and labour laws, to improve the performance of enterprises and the employability of workers. The aim should be to transform what are often marginal, survival activities into decent work fully integrated into mainstream economic life. Prior learning and skills gained in the sector should be validated by certification systems which can help workers in the informal sector gain access to the formal labour market.

In view of the very large informal sector in Africa and its important role in the labour markets, the provision of training for workers in the informal sector should be recognised in the policy agenda. Yet in many countries, such as Mozambique, the ongoing pilot reform does not include training programmes for the informal sector. A major overhaul of the apprenticeship laws, policies and practices in Africa is required to support and improve informal apprenticeship systems49. They badly need upgrading to ensure higher quality, more equal access, enhanced employability and better returns to the public and private investment in training.

According to the Agence Française de Développement’s field studies50, some ongoing reforms are attempting to modernise the informal apprenticeship systems through strengthening their institutional frameworks and building links with the formal TVET systems. These efforts aim at improving the quality of training by offering skills upgrading for master craftspeople in formal training institutions (e.g. in Uganda, Niger, and Mali), and providing opportunities to test and certify skills acquired on the job. Overall, many West African countries such as Benin, Togo, Senegal and Mali are restructuring technical and vocational training systems and incorporating traditional apprenticeships; they are developing dual apprenticeships systems, where the craft enterprises which take on apprentices share the responsibility for training with colleges. In parallel, some regulatory instruments have been developed, in order to implement the overall policy objectives and the specific arrangements for apprenticeship, such as the types of apprenticeship contracts to be drawn up, and the rules governing vocational qualifications. Also, South Africa and Ethiopia are opening their TVSD systems to informal sector needs (see Box 27). Morocco and Tunisia have programmes which focus on the introduction of apprenticeship contracts, setting remuneration levels, offering incentives to employers (in terms of exemptions for the payment of social security obligations), setting age requirements, and introducing dual training between the place of work and specialised training institutions.