Certification of Occupational Skills: A Decisive Step Towards Professionalizing Waste Picking as an Occupation and Recycling of Solid Waste in Colombia
For more than 80 years, Colombian waste pickers have been recovering
potentially recyclable materials that have been discarded and mixed with the
garbage in our largest cities. According to the 2010 National Study of Recycling
in Colombia, the livelihoods of more than 50,000 persons depend directly on this work. The National Association of Waste Pickers estimates that more than 50,000 families are working in this sector of the informal economy in Colombia.
Thanks to the actions to defend the right to work carried out by waste pickers
organized by ANR – under the leadership of their Bogota branch, the Waste
Pickers’ Association of Bogota (ARB, by its acronym in Spanish) – since 2013 a
real transformation in solid waste management has taken place in the country.
From a scheme based on contracting – and paying – big companies to transport
and bury waste, there is a shift towards a model that emphasizes recycling, where waste pickers are recognized and receive remuneration for their work. This transformation requires national and municipal authorities to develop affirmative actions in favour of waste pickers. Some of the most important ones
include capacity building, and equipping and training waste pickers to improve
their work practices and processes.
The process to certify occupational skills, offered by the National Traning Service
(SENA, by its acronym in Spanish), has probably been the most significant step
in advancing the professionalization of this occupation.
This document discusses the process for the certification of occupational skills used in Colombia and the role that WIEGO plays in supporting this process in various municipalities in Colombia.
View list of all: Research Reports
