Within the framework of the SESRIC Project titled “Fostering Information Technology (IT) Solutions to Improve the Effectiveness of Public Employment Services (PES) in the OIC Member Countries”, which is funded by the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC) under the 9th Call for Project Proposals of COMCEC Project Funding, the Centre organised a Training Course on “Fostering Information Technology (IT) Solutions to Improve the Effectiveness of Public Employment Services (PES) in the OIC Member Countries” on 19-20 October 2022 through an online video conferencing platform.

The training course was provided by competent experts from the Malaysian Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) for the benefit of 91 participants from the national public employment services (PES) agencies/ authorities of 26 OIC Member Countries.

The main objective of the training course was to enhance the technical skills and knowledge of the participants on integrating IT and digital applications into public employment services as a solution to improve service effectiveness. It also provided insights into relevant IT-related technical topics to ensure that job search and counselling services are available to all, especially for vulnerable segments of society.

The training course commenced with the opening remarks of Mr. Onur ÇAĞLAR, Director of Training and Technical Cooperation Department at SESRIC. He first thanked the COMCEC Coordination Office (CCO) for their guidance and support for the project, as well as the implementing partners of the project, namely the Malaysian Social Security Organisation (SOCSO), Ministry of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia and the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR), for their invaluable contribution and support since the formulation stage of the project. In addition, in his speech, he stressed the main challenges underlined by the participants of the workshop on “The Role of Digital Solutions for Effective Delivery of Public Employment Services in the OIC Countries” that the PES Institutions face in devising information technology (IT) solutions and their integration into the systems. He also mentioned the recommendations discussed and agreed upon as an outcome of the said workshop and highlighted the necessary measures to close the gaps and effectively adopt digital and information technologies in their employment services. Before concluding his remarks, he invited national PES institutions of the OIC Member Countries to participate in the Online Annual Meeting of the National Focal Points (NFPs) of the OIC PESNET, which will be held virtually on 17 November 2022 in collaboration with the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR), in its capacity as the Chair of the Network.

In his welcoming remarks, Mr. Muhammad Arif HIDAYAT, Head of the Cooperation Bureau at the Ministry of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia, started by expressing his gratitude to SESRIC for continuously extending its support to the OIC Member Countries. He also pointed out that over the past years, public employment services agencies worldwide have invested in new ways of making their services easily accessible and straightforward. This has significant benefits, particularly for those looking for a job or interested in a career change, as well as for businesses looking to recruit workers, he added. Before concluding his remarks, Mr. HIDAYAT expressed his belief that this training will have a good impact on the participants and all policymakers in formulating effective, efficient, and inclusive public employment services that are adaptive to the needs and keep up with technological developments.  

In his speech at the opening session, Mr. Oğuzhan KÜPELİ, Head of External Relations and Projects Department at the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR), pointed out that the labour market transformed by both the pandemic and the development of technology that has resulted in changed expectations from the public employment services institutions. He added that technology plays a crucial role in delivering employment services, enables PES to obtain data collection efficiency in the labour market, and allows understanding and adapting the type of data that PES institutions need to improve their data collection methods. He concluded his remarks by thanking SESRIC and the other partners for their productive cooperation in implementing the project activities.

The COMCEC Coordination Office (CCO) introduced in 2013 the COMCEC Project Funding (CPF), a financing mechanism that funds projects submitted by the Member Countries and relevant OIC Institutions to realise the strategic objectives and outcomes of the COMCEC Strategy. The funding is provided in the form of a grant through the Development and Investment Bank of Türkiye, which is one of the main bodies in the COMCEC Project Funding scheme. Since the initiation of the CPF, SESRIC has implemented seven projects under various cooperation areas and in accordance with sectoral themes determined by the CCO. For more details about SESRIC projects funded by the COMCEC, please visit: https://www.sesric.org/tcd-activities-projects-funded.php

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