The ILO’s Fair Recruitment Initiative (FRI) was launched in 2014 as part of the ILO Director General’s call for a Fair Migration Agenda. Since its launch, the FRI has been critical to ILO’s work in the area of national and international recruitment of workers and has added renewed impetus and visibility to this important topic. The second phase of the Initiative (2021-2025) is seeking to ensure that recruitment practices nationally and across borders are grounded in labour standards, are developed through social dialogue, and ensure gender equality. Specifically, they:

• Are transparent and effectively regulated, monitored, and enforced;
• Protect all workers’ rights, including fundamental principles and rights at work (FPRW), and prevent human trafficking and forced labour;
• Efficiently inform and respond to employment policies and labour market needs, including for recovery and resilience.

In this rapidly changing context the ILO’s General Principles and Operational Guidelines for Fair Recruitment and Definition of Recruitment Fees and Related Costs (GP&OG) provides invaluable guidance on how to ensure that the recruitment process of workers, especially migrant workers, is organized in a way that respects the rights of those involved, the needs of communities of origin and destination, and takes into account the legitimate needs of employers and recruiters.

This course, based on the ILO Fair Recruitment Initiative Strategy, is a direct answer to the acknowledged need to reinforce the capacities of the ILO constituents and other key actors. 

• International binding and non-binding instruments promoting Fair recruitment (including the General principles and operational guidelines)
• Policies and enforcement to promote fair recruitment
• Legislation to regulate recruitment, including licensing and monitoring mechanisms, complaints mechanism and effective access to remedies
• Recruitment regulation in practice
• Monitoring and Enforcement of Recruitment Regulations and access to justice
• Trade Union and NGO actions in support of Fair Recruitment
• The different recruitment processes including recruitment through private and public agencies and bilateral labour agreements
• Fair Recruitment at the sector level
• Experiences on ensuring compliance, including certification and social auditing
• The impact of fair recruitment on the global supply chain
• Recruitment fees and other related costs
• Fair Business practices and the actions taken by employers
• The role of the media in promoting fair recruitment processes
• Promoting fair and ethical recruitment in a digital world.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Appreciate the relevant international labour standards as well as the General principles and operational guidelines for fair recruitment and definition of recruitment fees and related costs;
• Understand the economic determinants of informal/formal recruitment and measurement of recruitment costs;
• Analyse alternative options to private employment agencies, including via public employment agencies, workers’ cooperatives and directly through accredited employers, with tripartite and bipartite supervision;
• Share good practices of laws and regulations, policies and enforcement mechanisms, including a compilation of regulatory and enforcement models that have demonstrated a measurable impact in reducing human trafficking and irregular migration;
• Understand the needs to protect the rights of workers, including migrant workers, from abusive and fraudulent practices during the recruitment and placement process.

Course learning materials and tuition will be offered in English.

The following requirements are therefore essential to participate in this course:

• The ability to use and access a computer with internet
• Working knowledge of written English
• The availability to dedicate per week between 5-10 hours to the course.

The course is composed of an online phase and a residential phase.

The online phase consists of modules offered through the eCampus online platform to be completed over a period of 3 weeks from 30 September to 20 October 2024. This will build the foundation for the residential component, which will take place from 21 to 26 October 2024 and will accompany formal training with activities fostering knowledge exchange and cross-fertilization of ideas. This will be followed by an online wrap-up phase from 26 October to 01 November 2024.

The course is broken down into three phases, for an estimated total of 60 learning hours:

• Pre-course learning: Flexible self-guided and tutor-led online learning on eCampus and an end of phase assessment.
• Residential learning: Face-to-face sessions and engaging presentations by highly experienced trainers, blended with individual and collaborative group exercises, peer-to-peer assessment and an end-of-phase assessment.
• End of course assignment: Individual assignment applying the key learnings to a concrete context.

Participants who successfully complete all assessments and the final assignment will receive a Certificate of Achievement.

This course qualifies for the ITCILO Diploma for Labour Migration Experts and Practitioners. Take the Academy on Labour Migration, three courses out of all eligible courses within a five year period, and complete a capstone project to become part of a global cadre of practitioners and experts with a recognised set of skills in labour migration policy.

Interested candidates should register on-line clicking on the “APPLY NOW” button at the top-right of the page.

Selection will be based on the following criteria:

• Proven work experience in relevant field;
• Submission of a letter of sponsorship to cover the total course fees:

The cost of participation is payable in advance by the participant or his or her sponsoring organization.