Skills Digitalisation Specialist

Grade: P4

Vacancy no.: DC/EMPLOYMENT/P/2023/01
Publication date: 23 February 2023
Application deadline (midnight Geneva time): 16 March 2023

Job ID: 10501
Department: EMPLOYMENT
Organization Unit: SKILLS
Location: Geneva  
Contract type: Fixed Term

Contract duration: 12 months

Under article 4.2, paragraph (e) of the Staff Regulations, the filling of vacancies in technical cooperation projects does not fall under Annex I of the Staff Regulations and is made by direct selection by the Director-General.

In order to support the best informed process in the filling of the present vacancy by direct selection, the ILO invites interested candidates to submit their candidature online by the above date.

Technical cooperation appointments are not expected to lead to a career in the ILO and they do not carry any expectation of renewal or conversion to any other type of appointment in the Organization. A one-year fixed-term contract will be given. Extensions of technical cooperation contracts are subject to various elements including the following: availability of funds, continuing need of the functions and satisfactory conduct and performance.

The following are eligible to apply:

• ILO Internal candidates in accordance with paragraphs 31 and 32 of Annex I of the Staff Regulations.
• External candidates.

The ILO values diversity among its staff and welcomes applications from qualified female candidates. We also encourage applicants with disabilities. If you are unable to complete our online application form due to a disability, please send an email to ilojobs@ilo.org.

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Introduction

The position is located in the Skills and Employability Branch (SKILLS) within the Employment Policy Department (EMPLOYMENT).  EMPLOYMENT is responsible for promoting full and productive employment by developing integrated employment, development and skills policies that maximize the employment impact of economic growth, while ensuring development and investment are inclusive, gender sensitive, productive and sustainable. The SKILLS Branch assists governments and the social partners in reviewing and reforming their vocational education and training systems, policies and institutions. Its mandate is to enable constituents to improve skills development systems and delivery in line with the changing needs of the world of work and to improve the employability of workers, the productivity of enterprises and the inclusiveness of economic growth.

Digitalisation has an enormous potential to increase business productivity. The COVID19 crisis has accelerated the use of digital technology in private companies across sectors and continents. Companies and businesses have made efforts to keep their activities running through digital solutions and teleworking arrangements to match physical distance requirements made necessary by the crisis. At the same time, 75 per cent of first users of digital technologies indicated that they will continue to use them when things return to normal. So these changes are likely to remain, even after the crisis, and they will impact massively the contents of TVET level jobs.

In the TVET sector itself, the take-up of online and distance learning has also accelerated during the crisis. Digital technology including Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs), Open Educational Resources (OER), machine learning and Artificial Intelligence, Virtual and Augmented Reality in education and training has the potential to bring about significant changes in modalities of access and learning methods, assessment and certification. New forms of certification including digital credentials are supporting the recognition and validation of formal, informal and non-formal learning outcomes, while ongoing efforts to digitize learners’ assessments is facilitating job matching and the mobility of learners.

However, the substantial digital divide remains within and between countries due to lack of distance learning infrastructure, limited educational resources, insufficient capacity of teachers and trainers and lack of digital skills of learners. A large number of workers and enterprises particularly in Least Developed Countries do not have access to these technologies and skills, and there is a need for increased efforts to bridge this digital divide.

Reporting lines: The Skills Digitalisation Specialist will lead technically the design and implementation of support activities at global level related to digitalisation systems, and digitalisation of skills delivery, in close coordination with Skills Delivery Team Lead, other Skills Specialists in Geneva and in the Field. The position reports to the Team Leader for Skills Policy and Digitalization workgroup and works under the overall supervision of the Chief of Skills Branch.

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Description of Duties

1. Establish and maintain partnerships with constituents, UN agencies, other stakeholders on TVET digitalization. Finalize the value proposition of the ILO Skills Branch for TVET digitalisation.
2. Develop high level guidance for countries to adopt digital technology in TVET to improve its effectiveness, efficiency and inclusiveness, and user friendly guidance and e-tools for colleagues and practitioners working on digital skills delivery. Review and update ILO’s digitalization framework for TVET.
3. Monitor and coordinate research and technical interventions on digitalisation carried out by junior technical officers and external collaborators - including the design and technical support for country assessments on digital skills training. Undertake comparative analyses to identify good practice examples and prepare policy tools and other resource materials required to support implementation at country level.
4. Design and promote a wide range of special subject-matter-related programmes and certification on digital learning and build the capacity of constituents and relevant stakeholders for the design and use of digital tools and materials. Provide technical inputs to office documents (sectoral meetings, technical committees, regional meetings and conference reports).
5. Develop manuals and/or training guides on related topics; support with technical advice to field and HQ colleagues the design and implementation of programmes related to digitalisation of TVET. Support the production and adaptation in digital format of training programmes, learning materials and certification processes.
6. Organize technical workshops and partner meetings, including donor meetings, to ensure achievement of Branch’s objectives and sharing of lessons learned on digitalisation of TVET. Represent the Branch in international, regional and national fora.
7. Design Terms of Reference, identify potential consultants and parties, monitor the implementation of these contracts, and validate in a timely manner the quality of outputs of external collaborators and of the work of contractors, in collaboration with relevant technical specialists.
8. Contribute to the knowledge management and communication efforts of the Branch. Promote actively through audience-appropriate formats and media, results of ILOs work in terms of digitalisation of TVET. Coordinate the preparation and global dissemination of case studies, success stories and communication materials.
9. Undertake such other tasks entrusted by the direct supervisor and Chief of Branch as appropriate from time to time.

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Required qualifications

Education

Eight years’ experience in education, training/ skills development  specialising on digitalisation, education technologies and digital skills, out of which four years with a focus on TVET/skills development transition to digital / blended learning. At least four years of international experience would be desirable.

Experience

Eight years’ experience in education, training/ skills development  specialising on digitalisation, education technologies and digital skills, out of which four years with a focus on TVET/skills development transition to digital / blended learning. t least four years of international experience would be desirable.

Languages

Excellent English writing and speaking skills. Knowledge of French and/or Spanish will be considered an advantage .

Competencies

• Excellent analytical skills and demonstrated capacity to “think outside the box”, to identify solutions with potential for upscaling, and to adapt them to ensure they are relevant to a particular context;
• Demonstrated capacity to translate complex concepts into user friendly / audience specific / actionable guidance;
• Demonstrated capacity to communicate concepts and results for specific audiences through a variety of medias;
• Demonstrated capacity to build win-win partnerships within and outside the ILO that take into account the partners’ objectives and capacities;
• Demonstrated capacity to work with minimum supervision towards agreed results;
• Demonstrated capacity to generate team commitment towards common objectives;
• Demonstrated capacity to establish accountability frameworks, and to monitor progress towards agreed milestones;
• Demonstrated capacity to work in a multicultural team, to encourage diversity of inputs, and to acknowledge and value unconventional solutions;
• Demonstrated capacity to identify risks and assumptions for an agreed strategy as well as realistic coping mechanisms.
• Ability to participate effectively in technical missions and decent work teams.
• Ability to guide and coordinate the work of external collaborators, general service staff and young professionals in the area of specialization.
• Excellent writing skills to draft reports and prepare guidelines relating to programme development and implementation. Ability to provide technical support to senior specialists carrying out research, project formulation and implementation. Excellent analytical skills and knowledge of analytical tools, and qualitative and quantitative techniques.

Conditions of employment

• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to ILO Staff Regulations and other relevant internal rules. Any offer of employment with the ILO is conditional upon certification by the ILO Medical Adviser that the person concerned is medically fit to perform the specific inherent requirements of the position offered. In order to confirm an offer from the ILO the successful candidate will be required to undergo a medical examination.
• Any extension of technical cooperation contracts are subject to various elements including the following: availability of funds, continuing need of the functions and satisfactory conduct and performance.

For more information on conditions of employment, please visit the ILO Jobs International Recruitment page.

Recruitment process

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application form. To apply, please visit (the link at Apply Button). The system provides instructions for online application procedures.

Applicants will be contacted directly if selected for a written test and/or an interview.

Depending on the location and availability of candidates, assessors and interview panel members, the ILO may use communication technologies such as Skype, Video or teleconference, e-mail, etc for the assessment and evaluation of candidates at the different stages of the recruitment process, including technical tests or interviews.

The ILO has zero tolerance for acts of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and is determined to ensure that all staff members and all beneficiaries of ILO assistance do not suffer, directly or indirectly, from sexual exploitation and abuse.
To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organisation, the ILO may conduct a background verification of candidates under consideration.

Fraud warning

The ILO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process whether at the application, interview, processing or training stage. Messages originating from a non ILO e-mail account - @ilo.org - should be disregarded. In addition, the ILO does not require or need to know any information relating to the bank account details of applicants.

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