The ARLAC Programmes

Refresher Workshops

By definition a refresher course is a training course in which people improve their knowledge or skills and learn about new developments that are related to the job that they do.

It Is important to recall that the establishment of ARLAC (in 1974) was informed by the need for strengthening the capabilities of labour administration systems in Africa. Upon gaining independence most African countries realized that they lacked the necessary financial and human capacities to organize their own in-service training to effectively prepare the calibre of staff and expertise necessary to tackle inherited growing unemployment, underemployment, lack of skilled manpower, lack of clear and progressive wages and incomes policy, poor industrial relations, inadequate protection from work environments, and absence of comprehensive social security schemes. For a long time, refresher workshops were the flagship training programmes at ARLAC.

Today ARLAC conducts a number of these refresher courses annually to address the training needs of its membership. The courses cover a variety of trending sub regional and regional themes and are designed for the respective levels in the labour administration systems. These workshops a conducted over five days using the most appropriate training methods.

Participation in the Refresher Workshops is usually on an invitational basis and gratis when participants are nominated by their respective Governments or social partners. ARLAC accepts additional country delegates only when the country concerned meets the costs associated with the participation of their additional official and subject to availability of space.

Readers are encouraged to get in touch with ARLAC for the current programme, indicating theme, target group, dates and applicable fees.

National Workshop

National workshops are designed to meet the needs of labour officials at all levels within a member country and are planned in close cooperation with the country concerned. Unlike the refresher courses and as the name implies, National Workshops are conducted in a given country for the benefit of that particular country. They are conducted upon the submission of a successful proposal for funding. In response ARLAC funds the requesting member country to the tune of US$5 000 to implement the proposed training. Needless to say, the theme of the workshop will be based on an immediate national training need. The emphasis on interactive and task-oriented learning is maintained and participants are encouraged to extend their thinking beyond their immediate working environment. The member country is expected to maximize on this opportunity to extend the training opportunity to a wider audience within its own constituency.

Member countries are urged to get in touch with ARLAC for the proposal details and submission guidelines.

national workshop

Basic Labour Market Course

The Basic Labour Market Course is an introductory level training programme designed for fresh graduates the have been hired for Labour Administration responsibilities. It is intended to help familiarize the new hires with the Labour Administration principles, skills, competencies and practices required of a professional Labour Administrator. The course will enable participants to get a well-rounded and balanced appreciation of the other world of work and thus understand how the different fields correlate. It also serves to ensure that students have an appropriate foundation of information in general areas in the world of work so that they may make informed contributions to their organisations. The trainees are empowered to transfer to different departments within labour ministries.

The Basic Labour Market Course consists of the following seven modules; Labour Market Overview, Labour Administration, Social Security, International Labour Standards, Employment Promotion, Labour Migration and Gender Equality.

This programme is currently being offered as a blended course with a five-day initial residential session, followed by a six week off campus session and concluding with a final five-day residential session.

The programme is conducted by International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITC ILO) certified trainers use a range of pedagogical approaches to impart knowledge and engage the trainees. The training programme culminates with an assessment in all the modules and the award for this programme is an ARLAC/ITCILO/ILO Certificate of Achievement.

This programme is open to member countries and their respective social partners. It is also open to interested members of the public. Further details about enrollment into this programme can be obtained by contacting ARLAC.

Basic Labour Market team

Advanced Labour Market Course

This programme is one of the new offerings by ARLAC and is therefore still under development. ARLAC will roll out this programme in partnership with accredited institutions and universities since it is a postgraduate diploma i.e. a postgraduate academic qualification taken after a bachelor’s degree.

The purpose of this qualification is to provide trainees who are in possession of an appropriate Bachelor’s Degree and relevant experience in the workplace matters with the opportunity to develop professional and specialized competencies in any one of the following areas:

    1. Labour Inspection (Basic Conditions and OSH) Diploma

    2. Public Employment Service Diploma

    3. Labour Market Information Systems Diploma

    4. Social Security Diploma

    5. Dispute Resolution Diploma

    6. Gender Mainstreaming Diploma

    7. Labour Migration Diploma

The programmes aims at providing skills and knowledge to the trainees so that they can fulfill specific demands of the world of work. Thus, the course is focused on nurturing labour administrators and experts that are academically and technically sound to take on the challenges in the selected practical domain.

This qualification will be presented using both online and distance learning modes as follows:

  1. Residential Sessions: which shall include intensive face-to-face lectures for trainees to interact with trainers on the modules, including research methodology

  2. Distance learning Sessions: this shall be an off campus working on carry home assignments with online sessions with trainers/supervisors and examiners

  3. Residential Sessions: which shall include face-to-face interaction with their trainers and participation in final study assessments and submission of research papers.

This programme is targeted at Heads of Technical Units and Departments as well as trainees from the open market. Besides internal promotions, Advanced Labour Market Course graduates will find jobs as union organizers, public relations specialists, human resource consultants, mediators, journalists, or government officials in related departments.

This page will be updated with details about the development of this programme as they unfold. Meanwhile, prospective trainees are encouraged to keep in touch with ARLAC on the same.

advanced labour market

Symposia/Colloquiums/Master Class

“Colloquium” is a Latin derivative that refers to an informal meeting or seminar which is usually of an academic nature where different scholars/lecturers/specialist deliver lectures on different topics at each meeting. Each presenter will then entertain questions based on their delivery. The meeting is of a dual nature where an address is followed by a question and answer session/forum. A colloquium is meant to deal with a current, cutting-edge concerns through preparatory study, followed by a debate and meeting to formulate policies. Concerns are usually of an academic nature that is common to particular to a group in our case labour administrators. A colloquium is usually of an academic nature with one common academic theme, and is meant to garner the views of others. The presenters at colloquium present papers and then analyze and discuss a particular topic.

ARLAC organizes symposiums for labour Ministers, Directors General, Principal Secretaries, CEOs, Leaders of business and Trade Unions. Through an unparalleled intersection of Labour analysts, industry experts, peers and solution providers, participants explore new ways to approach critical challenges, make decisions with confidence and achieve greater impact as leaders.

The topics for these symposiums are determined based on:

  1. existing and anticipated labour market trends and challenges; and
  2. international and regional labour market agendas and development frameworks.

.ARLAC conducts at least on Symposium at the sidelines of its annual Governing Council Meeting. During the 45th ARLAC Governing Council Meeting, the High-level Symposium was on “Violence and Harassment of Women and Men at Work”. This particular session helped prepare the ARLAC family for informed discussions during the Fifth item on the agenda of the ILO 108th International Labour Conference. ARLAC also takes opportunity of related gatherings to apprise its membership of the labour administration trends.

master class