PRO-EMPLOYMENT MACROECONOMIC AND SECTORAL STRATEGIES FOR SADC MEMBER STATES

This course aimed to strengthen the capacities of policymakers and social partners across SADC to design and implement pro-employment macroeconomic policies and sectoral strategies to foster the longer-term structural transformation processes required to meet the opportunities and challenges for employment creation in the 21st century. Hence, the ITCILO followed a two-step approach to design and conduct this activity: • The first phase included a capacity needs assessment for a sample of then target group to identify SADC policymakers’ priorities and capacity gaps/needs in relation to pro-employment macroeconomic and sectoral policies. • The second phase included the implementation of a tailor-made face-to-face training designed and executed based on ILO’s policy expertise and normative instruments. The training built upon the ILO’s long-standing experience in research and technical advisory on macroeconomic and sectoral policies, in addition to academic experts and practitioner experiences, knowledge and tools. The training was customised to the SADC socio-economic context. OBJECTIVES By the end of this one-week training, participants have: The objective was to strengthen the capacities of policymakers and social partners across SADC to design and implement pro-employment macroeconomic policies and sectoral strategies to foster the longer-term structural transformation processes required to meet the opportunities and challenges for employment creation in the 21st century. Hence, the ITCILO had followed a two-step approach to designing and conducting this activity: • The first phase included a capacity needs assessment for a sample of the target group to identify SADC policymakers’ priorities and capacity gaps/needs in relation to pro-employment macroeconomic and sectoral policies. • The second phase was the implementation of a tailor-made face-to-face training designed and executed based on ILO’s policy expertise and normative instruments. It has also built upon the ILO’s long-standing experience in research and technical advisory on macroeconomic and sectoral policies, in addition to academic experts and practitioner experiences, knowledge and tools. It has been customised to the SADC socio-economic context. CONTENT Based on the outcomes of the inception phase, the programme was practical oriented and targeted towards participant’s concrete capacity development needs. Sessions will incorporate a pragmatic balance between theory and practice, with as much emphasis on the latter as possible. The programme have included the following topics: • SADC labour markets issues and trends in challenging times • Macroeconomic and sectoral policies for job-rich growth • Labour market policies and institutions for an inclusive structural transformation • Pro-employment budgeting and Employment Policy Implementation Mechanisms • Towards alternative policy frameworks and emerging economic sectors: case study the construction sector • Employment impact assessments and employment intensive investment programmes • ILO Labour market systems development (MSD) approach for the promotion of transformational sectors • Skills development for structural transformation (including STED methodology) (topics of gender, youth and informality was treated as cross-cutting throughout all modules)