Manila, Philippines – Labor and Employment Officers from the Institute for Labor Studies successfully completed the 10th edition of the Academy on Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) training, which was organized in collaboration with International Training Centre (ITC) of the International Labour Organization (ILO) from June 3 to 7 in Turin, Italy.

Employment Relations Division (ERD) Acting Chief Bernard Paul M. Mangulabnan, together with Ms. Malorie Joy O. Mones, LEO III from the Worker’s Welfare Research Division (WWRD), completed the week-long training which focused on the theme, “Social and Solidarity Economy: A Human-Centred Agenda for the Future of Work,” which discussed a human-centered approach in designing better policies and promoting social innovation within the ILO Future of Work agenda.

The concept of organizing an SSE Academy stems from the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for Fair Globalisation (2008) which states that “productive, profitable and sustainable enterprises, together with a strong social economy and a viable public sector, are critical to sustainable economic development and employment opportunities.” The Academy has brought together more than 100 policy researchers, policymakers, and grassroots practitioners from around 35 countries, including the Philippines, to share their insights and experiences and meet leading SSE specialists.

Highlights of the Training-Workshop include issues and concerns regarding the SSE, and how this sector can carve a niche and play a pivotal role in addressing the decent work challenges related to the future of work, such as: Key drivers and trends in the transformation of the world of work; Key features of SSE and its potential to affirm decent work and human incomparability in the future of work; and Supporting the SSE through enabling labor and employment policies.

Since 2010, nine editions of the Academy have since been organized annually by ITC-ILO to support knowledge requirements for the development, strengthening and promotion of SSE. The 10th edition of the SSE Academy was structed in conjunction with the Centenary of the ILO.

The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) is the policy research and advocacy arm of the Department of Labor and Employment. For more information on this story, please contact the Advocacy and Publications Division at 527-3590.