The Ministry of Labour and Social Security has embarked on consulting stakeholders over the Work-Based Learning bill of 2025.
The consultation is aimed at repealing and replacing the Apprenticeship Act of 1964.
Assistant Labour Commissioner for Legal, Kabaso Chola, said the 1964 Apprenticeship Act is no longer responsive to the needs of the labour markets and the training that is required to remove skills mismatch.
Mr Chola explained that the new bill will transform the manner in which
internships and those on attachment are governed.
“This bill will transform the status of workers and how they are being governed in various institutions,” he said.
He stated that the Work-Based Learning Bill is also going to guard against abuse of apprenticeships and interns.
Mr Chola further indicated that during the process, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security will utilise this opportunity to also get the views of stakeholders on International Labour Organisation convention 102, which deals with social security.
He indicated that it is important for Zambia to ratify the international convention as a member state of the ILO so that the nation meets the mandate of the International Labour Organisation which will make it easy to domesticate the provisions that will suit the country’s environment.
“Once the country ratifies the convention, it will make it easy to domesticate it to our standards,” he indicated.
The Assistant Labour Commissioner further noted that it is important for the Ministry OF Labour to get views and positions from stakeholders in provinces on every Act contained in the bill.
Mr Chola has since urged all stakeholders across the country to state their position with regard to Zambia ratifying the convention 102, which will help to transform the social security of workers.
Meanwhile, Zambia Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) Northern Region Coordinator, Chitupi Musonda, commended the government for engaging stakeholders to deliberate on the new bill, which will help guard against abuse of workers in various workplaces.
Mr Musonda noted that the bill is very important, as it will also recognise skills acquired from different trade schools and give them equal shares.
 “This will give equal shares to workers in places of work,” he said.
He explained that for a long time, skills from trade schools have been neglected despite their massive contribution to driving the developmental agenda of the nation.
Mr Musonda has since urged the government to continue engaging stakeholders in various issues of national development and when developing policies.
