The first virtual meeting of the ILO/Cinterfor network of member institutions was held on 3 April with the aim of introducing the ILO Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Ana Virginia Moreira, and the Director of ILO/Cinterfor, Elena Montobbio de Balanzó.

The meeting was attended by representatives of a large majority of the Network's member entities.

The Director of ILO/Cinterfor, in addition to greeting and celebrating the meeting, highlighted the role of vocational training institutions in a reality where vocational training is called to be a response to many of the challenges of the region: youth unemployment, precarious work, gender gaps, among others. "A democratic vocational training, regulating inclusion, solidarity, allowing to close gender gaps and providing practical answers for the life of everyone in the region".

"Vocational education and training holds many of the keys that are being raised in the framework of the six transitions to be addressed at the Summit of the Future, which is expected to take place in September. There, vocational education and training is uniquely placed to constitute some of the innovative solutions to these transitions. The transition on the issue of food, for example, as food accessible to all and food security is closely linked to the production chains of this food and therefore calls for all of them to have decent and qualified work with the appropriate level of competence. He also highlighted the role of vocational training in addressing the digital transition and the actions that institutions are already developing to address these changes and challenges. "Vocational training has many challenges to train people aware of just transition, green transition and addressing the challenges that climate change is generating".

The Regional Director, Ana Moreira, after thanking and greeting the region, highlighted the role of Cinterfor as a unique institution in the world and in the region. She added that "vocational training is a key instrument in Latin America and the Caribbean, a region where unemployment and informality rates are so high, as well as youth unemployment and the large number of young people who do not study, do not work outside the home and do not attend training". All this creates a very problematic situation in terms of the opportunities that can be generated by thinking in the context of the energy and digital transition. In this, "the work of you, the training institutions, is fundamental".

Moreira added that "the ILO is committed to building a global coalition for social justice, in which its role as an implementer of public policies for training and development is fundamental". The Coalition, launched in 2023 by the ILO, is an initiative that highlights the role of vocational training as a key aspect and already has several partner countries in the region as well as employers' and workers' organisations. "With the development of this initiative, we will have the opportunity to concretise different actions on this issue ... being central to the achievement of the goals of the 2030 Agenda, especially goals 4 and 8". She also highlighted the relevance of Cinterfor, as a unique institution, based on mechanisms of dialogue between the social actors themselves. The regional director mentioned that the creation of employment and universal social protection; the reduction of inequalities in the world of work and the strengthening of social dialogue institutions, priorities of the Coalition, can be developed and implemented in conjunction with actions programmed and coordinated by Cinterfor.

Afterwards, a space for exchange was opened with the representatives of the vocational training institutions, who welcomed both directors, highlighting the collaboration between the institutions of the network articulated by ILO/Cinterfor, the exchange of good practices in vocational training, and the challenges shared by the countries of the region, highlighting the importance of strengthening the collaboration network supported by a tripartite social dialogue.