World of Work podcasts by the ILO

The number of ageing workers in the workforce is growing. People are working longer, either because they want to, they need to to make ends meet or have because they have unique skills. So, what are the implications of this trend for the trade union movement? What does it mean for older workers and their representatives? And how can trade unions address the multiple challenges that are emerging as the workforce ages? In this podcast we explore these trends with Plamen Dimitrov, President of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria and member of the Workers’ Group of the ILO Governing Body.

There’s a new trend in the world of work…the growth of an ageing workforce.

It’s called the “Silver Tsunami’, and it means more people are working past retirement age, either because they want to or because they must, to make ends meet.

So, what are the implications of this trend? What does it mean for retirement plans and social security? And what does it mean for employers and enterprises faced with an ageing workforce?

In this podcast we’ll be talking two experts on ageing in the workplace: Roberto Suárez Santos, Secretary-General of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), and Dorothea Schmidt-Klau, Chief of the Employment, Labour Markets and Youth Branch, in the ILO’s Employment Policy Department.

An explosion of online and micro-credential programmes since COVID-19 highlights the importance of lifelong learning to upskilling, reskilling and economic recovery. While these learning courses may help successfully train and equip large numbers of workers with the skills needed for the jobs of the future, they also raise several questions. In this podcast we explore the future of micro-credentialing with two experts on learning and skills development, Pedro Moreno Da Fonseca, ILO Technical Specialist on Lifelong Learning, and Anastasia Pouliou, Expert in Qualifications and credentials - Future of Vocational Education and Training (VET), and Lead Researcher on Micro-credentials at the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, known as Cedefop.

The world of work is being buffeted by a torrent of change, with multiple crises raising the magnitude and complexity of employment challenges to unprecedented levels.

Labour markets have been hit by disruptive mega-trends that weren’t on our radar just a decade ago.

These range from challenges we already know like gender disparities, informality and youth unemployment, to new and emerging issues, like climate change, increasing digitalization and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence.

So how does this impact national employment policies for promoting employment? In this podcast, we interview ILO Employment Policy Expert Sher Verick on this subject.

In the world of work, men and women are often segregated by their type of work, one of the main reasons women suffered more job losses during the COVID-19 crisis than men and are facing a slower recovery. Now, a joint programme of UN Women and the ILO has developed a new tool to help policymakers rethink the design of sectoral policies and make informed decisions on where to invest to have a greater impact on gender equality. In this podcast Valeria Esquivel, Employment Policies and Gender Specialist at the ILO and Marzia Fontana, a Research Associate at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex explain how.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, global demand for rubber gloves soared, prompting the Malaysian rubber industry to increase production in the face of labour shortages. Forced labour reports led, among other things, to the United States seizing and holding the goods of seven Malaysian companies. In response, the sector adopted a zero recruitment fee model and reimbursed migrant workers, making significant progress in combating forced labour in just four years.

This podcast episode takes an in-depth look at how Malaysian rubber businesses managed to change things for the better and shares tips, tools, and resources for businesses.

For more information, and for free tools and resources please visit https://flbusiness.network/new-podcast-tackling-forced-labour-malaysia-rubber-industry/

In a world with high rates of unemployment and underemployment, more and more people are looking for work amidst rapid change that is increasing skills mismatches and shortages.

Millions of young people in the developing world acquire skills through apprenticeships in the informal economy. In many countries they greatly outnumber youth acquiring skills through formal technical and vocational education and training.

A new ILO labour standard on quality apprenticeships has focused attention on the need to upgrade training and learning. In this podcast, Yasser Ali, a Specialist on Skills Development based in Amman, Jordan discusses this issue and what needs to be done to strengthen apprenticeships in the informal economy.

In just three years Namibia has become a world leader when it comes to tackling forced labour in fishing. What’s more, Namibia now coordinates labour and environmental inspections of vessels. Namibia’s experience shows that environmental degradation and forced labour in fishing are no longer hidden and can be addressed cost-effectively at the same time.

In this special episode we interview three forced labour experts to find out how Namibia has made so much progress in such a short amount of time. Each speaker also shares their top tips and favourite resources for the business community. To find out more, and to access the free tools and resources, please visit https://flbusiness.network/podcast-how-namibia-fights-forced-labour-fishing/

The world of work is undergoing profound change. These changes are creating skills gaps, mismatches and shortages that are resulting in unfilled jobs and lost productivity.

So how do we close this skills gap? In search of an answer, the ILO has adopted a sweeping new international labour standard focused on updating its approach to skills and quality apprenticeships.

The new “Recommendation on Quality Apprenticeships, No. 208” is designed to help workers and employers find ways to skill, reskill and upskill people to adapt to rapidly changing labour markets.

But how will it work in practice? In this podcast Martin Henry, Research, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator of Education International in Brussels, and Kathryn Rowan, Executive Director of GAN, the Global Apprenticeship Network based in Geneva, share their insights.

Are we smart enough to manage the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the world of work?

It seems there are rising concerns over whether AI is a "threat or a promise”. Is this concern warranted?

To answer the question, we interviewed Uma Rani, a Senior Economist at the ILO’s Research Department, and Enrique Fernandez Macias, a researcher at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre. They explore what kind of research and policies do we need to better assess the impact of AI on such issues as gender balance, social justice, and other ethical and moral questions arising from its use in both developed and developing economies.