Beyond responding to shocks and crises, countries across the world are confronting deeper structural challenges. Productivity growth has slowed in many contexts, disparities between and within countries persist, and large shares of workers remain in low-productivity and informal employment. At the same time, rapid technological change – including artificial intelligence – demographic shifts and the transition to environmentally sustainable economies are reshaping labour markets and development pathways.

Evidence shows that productivity and decent work tend to advance together. Progress on decent work depends on gains in productivity, and conversely, better jobs make for more productive work. However, large disparities exist in the strength of this relationship and in the pace of progress. In many countries, productivity gains have not translated into adequate job quality and job creation, and structural transformation remains incomplete.

In this context, the 2026 Employment Academy, jointly organized by the Employment Policy Department of the ILO and the Employment Policy and Analysis Programme of the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITC-ILO), will focus on the relationship between productivity, structural transformation and decent work. The Academy will explore how countries can pursue a high road to productivity – one that combines economic upgrading with social justice, policy coherence and effective social dialogue.

Delivered in a blended format, with an online phase followed by a residential training, the Academy will provide a platform for exchange among policymakers, workers’ and employers’ representatives and practitioners on practical approaches to foster productive employment in the context of technological, demographic and green transitions.

The Academy is designed for:

• Policymakers, policy advisors, planners and technical experts from relevant institutions;
• Government officials from Ministries of Labour and other relevant line ministries, including Ministries of Economy, Finance, Planning, Industry and Central Banks;
• Representatives of workers’ and employers’ organizations;
• Staff from international and regional organizations, donor agencies and academic institutions, as well as ILO staff.

The participation of full tripartite country delegations (government, workers and employers) is strongly encouraged to support integrated dialogue and policy coherence. The Academy promotes the equal participation of women and men.

The Academy seeks to strengthen participants’ understanding of the productivity–decent work nexus and enhance their capacity to design coherent policy responses to structural change. More specifically, the Academy aims to:

• Deepen your understanding of the relationship between productivity and decent work at macroeconomic, sectoral and enterprise levels;
• Analyse global trends in productivity, including patterns of convergence and divergence across countries and sectors;
• Examine the implications of technological change, demographic shifts and green transitions for productive employment;
• Explore how skills systems, enterprises and labour market institutions shape productivity and job quality;
• Strengthen your capacity to promote policy coherence across employment, sectoral, and macroeconomic policies;
• Enhance your understanding of the role of social dialogue in shaping inclusive and productivity-enhancing structural transformation.

How?

The Academy is learner-centred and highly participatory. It will be facilitated by a pool of ILO and ITCILO officials and other learning experts. Different learning techniques will be applied in order to facilitate collaborative building of knowledge and experience sharing. Time will be dedicated to the presentation of national experiences and group work. The Academy will also offer technology-enhanced activities and a learning platform within the ITCILO eCampus.

The Academy will be a bilingual event held in English and French, with interpretation services provided during the entire programme. Kindly note that it is important to be proficient in one of these languages to be able to actively and successfully participate in the Academy.