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2.1.3 The potential for change

Written by: International Labour Organization

Article Overview: Given the received wisdom that training for the poor has had limited impact and training systems have not reoriented to meeting the need of the poor, the key question is 'what is the scope for improvement with respect to both these dimensions of the training crisis?' Again, the prevailing mood among leading commentators is decidedly pessimistic. Broadly speaking, two types of pessimism can be discerned.

2.1.3 The potential for change

Given the received wisdom that training for the poor has had limited impact and training systems have not reoriented to meeting the need of the poor, the key question is 'what is the scope for improvement with respect to both these dimensions of the training crisis?' Again, the prevailing mood among leading commentators is decidedly pessimistic. Broadly speaking, two types of pessimism can be discerned.

'Training pessimists' (for want of a better term) maintain that training interventions for the majority of the poor are only ever likely to be effective under the most exceptional circumstances. Consequently, there is little point in trying to reorient public training systems in support of these groups. Rather it is better to concentrate on areas of training that have high pay-offs (which are mainly in the formal sector) and provide other types of support for the EVSE (such as micro credit, primary education and health services) that have much greater impacts on poverty reduction.

'System pessimists' believe that, while the training record has not been good, there is still considerable scope to develop training interventions that can effectively address the skill needs of EVSE. However, this can be achieved on a mass scale only if training systems are themselves comprehensively reformed. Their pessimism stems, therefore, from their assessment of the poor prospects for significant re-orientation of national training systems in the foreseeable future. Of particular concern is that, while the number of people living in absolute poverty continues to grow, the capacity of the state to support appropriate training appears to be declining in many developing countries. More generally, given dwindling resources and other pressing demands for training services from other sectors, there is a sense of being overwhelmed by the enormity of the skills challenge in support of the poor.

More optimistic voices tend to be drowned out by the prevailing mood of despondency about the potential role of training in overcoming economic vulnerability. The 1998-99 World Employment Report, which focuses on training, cautions against undue pessimism on this issue. It concludes that "if training is complemented with credit at low rates of interest through a decentralised system of loan delivery and collection, it is possible to make a real difference to incomes in the informal sector" (ILO, 1998). However, while obviously well-intentioned, this hardly amounts to a coherent strategy that addresses all the many concerns about the potential of formal training activities to reduce poverty. Indeed, it is precisely this lack of vision, of simply not knowing what to do, which is perhaps the most worrying aspect of the "training crisis".

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING
PAPERS
43
Learning to change: Skills
development among the
economically vulnerable and
socially excluded in
developing countries
Paul Bennell
Employment and Training Department
International Labour Office Geneva
First published 1999

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Article Tags: absolute poverty, commentators, despondency, developing countries, dwindling resources, enormity, exceptional circumstances, foreseeable future, formal sector, health services, interventions, mass scale, micro credit, optimistic voices, pessimism, pessimists, poor prospects, poverty reduction, primary education, sectors



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