Master in Industrial and Employment Relations

In a fast-changing environment (political, economic, social, cultural, technological) in which governments, workers’ organizations employers and business membership organizations have to adapt their strategies continuously, a better understanding of the contemporary trends and challenges of different industrial and employment relations in the world is a compelling need.

To provide labour relations practitioners the best learning environment and the opportunity to engage in deep discussions related to Industrial and Employment Relations the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITCILO), in partnership with the University of Turin, Italy, is offering a Master in Industrial and Employment Relations. It includes a distance-learning phase with synchronous activities (weekly live Webinars), and an optional residential phase at the ITCILO campus in Turin, Italy, to deep dive into our learning centre, followed by a second distance-learning phase for the preparation of the Master’s thesis.

The online learning journey allows students to engage continuously with a global faculty coming from a wide range of institutions, from the ILO to universities, training and research institutions around the world. The Master also provides an opportunity to live a learning experience with practitioners and students coming from all the regions of the world.

The Master in Industrial and Employment Relations aims to develop specialized multidisciplinary knowledge in the field of industrial and employment relations from a comparative viewpoint. It will provide students with a deep theoretical and practical understanding of industrial and employment relations systems in the world, by looking into recent changes and trends.

The Master’s programme combines the sound academic background of the University of Turin with the ITCILO’s international training experience. An international approach has been applied to the content, the methodology as well as the composition of the faculty.

The Master in Industrial and Employment Relations is aimed at participants with the following profiles:

• Consultants and graduate students;
• Government, workers’ and employers’ representatives;
• Practitioners in the field of industrial and employment relations from the public and private sectors;
• Human resources managers, personnel in human resources departments dealing with industrial and employment relations;
• Labour court judges and lawyers;
• Labour administration and labour inspection officials;
• Staff from the ILO and other international organizations.

The Master’s Programme will be divided into two mandatory distance-learning phases and one optional face-to-face component:

Phase 1: Distance-learning phase with live Webinars from 30 September 2024 – 27 April 2025

Students will be enrolled in an interactive e-learning program, which includes live webinars typically held on Mondays and Thursdays, amounting to 6 hours of instruction per week over these two days. Attendance at these sessions is mandatory. In addition to the webinars, students will have access to a range of supplementary materials for both individual and collaborative study. They are expected to dedicate a minimum of 15 hours per week to their learning, which includes time for webinars, reading, and other activities. Throughout the course, students will be supported by a tutor and they will also have the opportunity to participate in forums and engage in discussions with fellow students, facilitating a rich exchange of ideas and perspectives.

This phase is designed around 7 macro-competence areas:

• 1. Fundamentals of industrial relations: Students will be introduced to the basics of industrial relations such as scope and definitions, actors involved, and regimes of industrial relations. They will be exposed to the history of industrial relations and will better understand the actors of industrial relations. Students will acquire the necessary knowledge to use statistics and data around industrial relations and will develop an understanding of the role of industrial relations institutions in the labor market.
• 2. The regulatory framework: Within this area of study students will be able to enrich their knowledge of the different regulations around industrial relations. Students will be fully exposed to the international labor standards system and will reflect upon the role of labor law in shaping employment and industrial relations. Private and social initiatives and their impact on the development of industrial relations will be thoroughly explored.
• Forms of Industrial Relations: Collective bargaining, workplace cooperation, and international framework agreements are, among others, different forms of industrial relations. Under this macro area, students will gain in-depth studies of the different modalities under which interactions between workers and employers’ organizations can take place at different levels.
• Labor dispute prevention and resolution: Students will be exposed to the principles underpinning dispute resolution and will look at labor conflict from different angles including psychological and organizational. Students will get an increased understanding of the role of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and other dispute resolution methods including adjudication and arbitration.
• Application of economics for industrial relations practitioners: Understanding economics to discuss while negotiating collective bargaining or setting a minimum wage is of paramount importance. In this area of study, students will be introduced to the rules of the labor market and its institutions and the relationship between economics and industrial relations.
• Variety of Industrial Relations: Industrial relations vary from country to country. During the program, students will “travel” around the globe to gain knowledge on the different types of industrial relations systems and their peculiarities, from developed economies, emerging economies, and developing economies.
• Drivers of Industrial and Employment Relations: Students will study a variety of drivers of industrial and employment relations development, such as global supply chains, trade agreements, and regional integration. Students will also be exposed to the impact of technological change on industrial and employment relations and many others.

This phase includes self-study, assignments, quizzes, and exams.

Face-to-face phase (optional): Residential phase at the ITCILO campus in Turin, Italy, 28 April 2025 – 17 May 2025 - To Be Confirmed (Optional)

The optional phase of the Master in Industrial and Employment Relations is designed to provide deep knowledge and skills for those with professional interests in industrial and employment relations, notably with an interest in negotiation skills and workplace practices. Students will be exposed to international and comparative industrial and employment relations practices and will be able to discuss and compare with their own countries’ practices and context.

A study visit at the ILO Headquarters in Geneva will also be organized, providing students with engaging sessions with experts from the ILO, as well as several study visits to selected institutions and enterprises in Turin, providing students with an opportunity to be exposed to different practices of industrial and employment relations.

All the study visits, including to the ILO Headquarters will depend on availability and restrictions

Phase 3: Distance-learning phase for the drafting of the thesis from 28 April 2025 – 26 September 2025 (22 weeks)

Students will be required to carry out individual research in their home country for the preparation and submission of a thesis. The outline of the thesis is to be presented by 27 April 2025, and the thesis is to be completed by 21 September 2025.

Methodology and Resource Persons

Methodology

Professors, Practitioners, and Other Resource Persons Will Use Lectures, Case Studies, Case Law Judgments, Excerpts of Collective Agreements and Legislation, Discussions, Group Work, and Practical Exercises to Strike a Balance Between Theory and Practice and To Stimulate Interaction with The Resource Persons and Among Students.

Resource Persons

Resource Persons Are Selected Based on Their Professional Experience and Subject, Matter Expertise. They Consist of Experts from The Ilo and Itcilo, University Professors, and Practitioners.

General objective

The Master in Industrial and Employment Relations is designed to provide a wide spectrum of knowledge and skills for those with professional interests in industrial and employment relations. In addition, students will be exposed to international and comparative industrial and employment relations systems to better understand the implications for current industrial relations systems and practices.

Specific objectives

On successful completion of the Master’s programme, participants will be able to:

• Describe industrial and employment relations systems with a comparative approach;
• Critically reflect upon theoretical approaches and analyse their application to achieve effective industrial and employment relations strategies;
• Apply multi-disciplinary knowledge to industrial relations-related decision-making;
• Apply tools and methodologies for effective labour-management relations at different levels of the economy from enterprise to the national and international levels;
• Advise government, employers’ and workers’ representatives on industrial and employment relations issues.

What will I be able to do?

The Master offers a range of learning situations in which participants can enhance their analytical and problem-solving skills:

• Critically reflect upon theoretical approaches and analyze their application to achieve effective industrial and employment relations strategies;
• How to apply multi-disciplinary knowledge to industrial relations-related decision making;
• How to represent employers or workers in industrial relations, including negotiation of collective agreements
• Best approaches to assist employers or workers in conciliation/mediation procedures
• Tools and methodologies for effective labor-management relations
• Advise government, employers’ and workers’ organizations on industrial and employment relations issues.