VR/LÍV and SVÞ sign groundbreaking agreement
17. March 2023VR/LÍV and SVÞ sign agreement to increase the skills and competence of the workforce in the commerce and services sector.
The Chairman of VR Union and LÍV – The Commercial Federation of Iceland, Ragnar Þór Ingólfsson, and the Chairman of SVÞ - The Association of Commerce and Services, Jón Ólafur Halldórsson, signed on Thursday, March 16th, 2023, a cooperation agreement aimed increasing skills and education in the commerce and services sector by 2030.
The agreement includes three main objectives. First, by 2030, the aim is for 80% of the workforce of companies in commerce and services to seek education with the goal of increasing their skills and educational levels. The education will be conducted through regular training and retraining according to the specific needs analysis that VR/LÍV and SVÞ will carry out together. The goal is to ensure that the workforce of companies in the commerce and services sector, have access to relevant education, that enables them to tackle the challenges of a rapidly evolving labor market. Additionally, companies in commerce and services be assured of always having access to competent employees.
Second, a special emphasis will be placed on increasing the knowledge and competence of the large group of employees in commerce and service companies who have Icelandic as their second language. The goal is for 80% of this group to possess level B2 proficiency in Icelandic according to the European Language Portfolio by 2030.
Third, the aim is to develop and define a method in the commerce and services sector that leads to recognition/certification of the goals outlined in the agreement. This entails recognized certification or diplomas being awarded for the profession and education/training of the workforce in commerce and services and for companies to receive recognition when 80% of their employees undergo active training and retraining annually.
With the agreement, VR/LÍV and SVÞ show that it’s the common goal of trade unions and employer organizations to ensure that education and competence of the workforce are in line with the ever-changing needs of the industry.