Supporting employability and labour market integration of Venezuelans in Latin America (focus on Colombia and Panama)

This project will support ILO in its capacity building efforts to promote the labour market integration of Venezuelan refugees and migrants (VRMs) and to fight xenophobia in the workplace, as well as in the labour market, in Colombia and Panama. ILO will focus on the strengthening of the Public Employment Services (PES) and Vocational Training Institutions (VTIs) in the region, emphasizing the services offered by Colombia and Panama to VRMs. The project also seeks to strengthen the role of these institutions as state actors that contribute to migration management through the sharing of labour migration data. The main institutions in Colombia supported by this project are the PES Unit (Unidad del Servicio Público de Empleo) and SENA (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje). In Panama, the main governmental beneficiaries are SERPE (Servicio de Empleo de la República de Panamá) and INADEH (Instituto Nacional de Formación Profesional y Capacitación para el Desarollo Humano). The main expected outcomes for this project are: (i) INADEH develops a pilot vocational training program for VRMs; (ii) INADEH adheres to the Regional Scheme of Certifications; (iii) the PES Unit’s network of service providers and the SERPE’s staff are trained in fair recruitment practices of VRMs; (iv) the staff of SENA, PES Unit, INADEH, and SERPE are sensitized on the challenges faced by LGBTQI+ VRMs, as well as VRM women; (v) a referral mechanism negotiated by SENA and the PES Unit during the 2021-2022 is implemented and a new referral mechanism is negotiated between INADEH and SERPE by 2023; (vi) Colombia and Ecuador fully implement the exchange of vacancies and job profiles between their employment services; and (vii) the SERPE drafts a pilot project of access to decent work aimed (an employability pathway) at VRMs to prepare SERPE to take part in the interconnected network of PES.

Project symbol

RLA/22/01/CAN

Admin unit

RO-Latin America and the Caribbean

Start date

31/03/2022

End date

31/03/2024

Total allocation

231171

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

231171

Development Partners

Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Country/Countries

Americas - regional

Outcomes

Outcome 6: Protection at work for all