Project Information Document - Lao PDR Priority Skills for Growth - P172774 (English)

Between 2012 and 2018, poverty declined faster in farming households close to the border in the north and the south, highlighting the importance of agricultural commercialization and cross-border trade in reducing poverty. [...] The most notable feature in the institutional setup of skills development in Lao PDR is the division of responsibility between the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) and the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MoLSW).19 Defined in the Prime Minister’s Decree No. [...] NTC operates and is funded under MoES and chaired by the Minister of Education and Sports with two vice chairs: the Minister of Labor and Social Welfare and the President of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI).21 A Permanent Office is assigned to the Council as its operational arm. [...] TWGs are established by NTC and are meant to play the role of technical units in charge of advising the Council on the development of training standards, assessment and certification, curriculum development, and evaluation of skills development programs.23 The president of the relevant business association serves as the chair of the TWG, and a Nov 10, 2021 Page 9 of 20 The World Bank Lao PDR Prior [...] The capacity of these offices and job centers to provide support to jobseekers is limited as staffing and capacity is often inadequate.24 The services provided to jobseekers do not follow a client-centric approach, the outreach to both jobseekers and prospective employers is nascent, and the options to enroll in an ALMP insufficient, given needs of jobseekers.