Hulda Lilliendahl, Programme Director,
Ministry of Fisheries- and Agriculture, Skúlagata 4, 150 Reykjavík
Iceland

Tel: +354 560 9670
Fax:+354 562 1853
E-mail: hulda@slr.stjr.is

The Committee on Vocational Education in Fisheries began its activities in 1985, in the wake of collective bargaining agreements with workers in fish processing. The Committee is comprised of two employers' representatives and two representatives of employees, together with an additional two members appointed by the Minister of Fisheries. In addition, a programme director works for the Committee.

The role of the Committee is to supervise and organise training courses for workers in fish processing. The Committee operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Fisheries and is financed by allocations from the national treasury. This financing is to cover the travel expenses and compensation for instructors and the programme director, the preparation of instructional and teaching materials, distribution, reproduction, printing, etc. The first courses organised by the Committee were held in 1986.

Courses are held when an employer and employee organisation agree is the most suitable time for holding them. Workers in fish processing have the right to attend a course after having worked for three months and no later than after 12 months of work for the same employer. Companies pay their employees a basic wage during the period of the course and their wages increase by one level upon its completion. The companies can apply to recover their wage costs for the course period from the unemployment insurance fund if they experience a shortage of raw material during the week the course is held. Upon completing the courses participants are classified as specialized fish processing workers.

Courses are 40 hours in duration. There are ten basic areas covered under the vocational training programme, dealing with the following subjects:

In accordance with collective bargaining agreements, specialised fish processing workers are to be entitled to attend refresher courses at three-year intervals. These courses review the main points and discuss changes which have taken place to the Vocational Education programme courses. The course is 8 hours in length.

In addition, the Committee on Vocational Education in Fisheries organises courses for workers in the fishmeal industry. They are 32 hours in duration and provide the worker with a pay increase in the form of a course premium on his wages. The course is intended to provide a comprehensive introduction and overview of work in the fishmeal industry for new workers. It deals with the following questions:

Over 10 thousand workers have attended courses held by the Committee on Vocational Education in Fisheries since 1986, but no annual breakdown is available for the years 1986-1990. Since that time participation has been as follows:

In 1998, special courses were initiated for foreign workers, some of which were held only for foreigners (esp. Poles), while on many other courses they were among the participants. Course materials have been translated into English and Polish and an interpreter is provided during the course if necessary. In 1998, 130 foreigners attended the Committee's courses and in October 1999 they already numbered 200.