Labour administration has enjoyed an increasingly high profile in recent years, both nationally and internationally. Much of the growing interest stems from government recognition that, in a globalized world, labour administration institutions have become key players in designing and implementing economic and social policies.

Convention No. 150 is among the most important Conventions of the ILO, because labour administration has a major role to play in good governance of the labour market. In line with the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda and its response to globalization, labour administration is entrusted with responsibility for responding to the diverse forces driving economic, social and technological change. Its responses must be rapid, flexible and ahead of changes. Within this framework, ministries of labour have a pivotal role, because they can influence governance from the workplace to the national level.

The International Training Centre of the ILO, in close cooperation with the ILO LAB/ADMIN Programme, has developed a modular training package to strengthen the institutional capacities of labour administration systems.

These training modules have been translated into different languages, adapted to specific contexts and used at international, regional and national level. They cover the following: labour administration today, the legal framework for labour administration, labour legislation, industrial relations, working conditions, labour inspection, employment, research for planning and development, organization of a national system of labour administration, and recent trends in labour administration.