Developed countries with a high demand for skilled workers continue to approve work visas for professionals from developing nations due to several driving variables. For instance, this year, Germany has approved an additional two hundred thousand work visas, a 10 percent increase from the previous year. Nowadays, many European and Middle East countries are signing agreements with source countries to join the labor market in a bid to address the growing demand for skilled humanpower.
Reports from industries and renowned companies confirm the shortage of skilled labor in essential sectors such as healthcare, technology and hospitality. Thus, through these programs, those developed nations are endevouring to closing the gaps and overcoming the challenges.
This week, presenting her Ministry’s report to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Human Resource Development, Employment, and Technology Affairs, Labour and Skills Minister Muferihat Kamil stated that preparations to send trained experts to Norway and Sweden have been completed.
The Ministry has finalized initial preparations to send a number of experts to these countries after providing them with the necessary training.
In her deliberation, the Minister explained the implementation of the plan for the first quarter of the fiscal year. Norway and Sweden are seeking skilled manpower. Although citizens have not yet begun to travel, they are being trained for upcoming opportunities.
The Minister explained that agreements with several countries for new reviews have led to the inclusion of trained professionals. At the same time, activities have begun to enable these professionals to obtain international certifications and create a favorable employment environment.
The Minister also mentioned that legal employment has commenced with two European and six Middle East countries so far. In the first quarter of the fiscal year, more than 87,000 citizens have traveled through the system.
Various countries are looking for skilled professionals in fields such as healthcare, engineering, driving, electricity, and plumbing. For example, Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in hiring professionals in the engineering field, she added.
Pointing out that there are some entities who are engaged in fraud activities, the Minister cautioned citizens to protect themselves from fraudulent claims made by entities that falsely promise job placements in the name of the Ministry.
One inquiry raised to the Standing Committee was about the current situation of Ethiopian citizens in Lebanon, both documented and undocumented ones. In response, the Minister informed the Committee that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established a task force to repatriate Ethiopians, who are currently in Lebanon.
While acknowledging that different countries have their own standards for finding skilled professionals, the Minister stated that discussions are underway with the government to revise previous bilateral agreements.
She explained that last year following the coordinated efforts by the Ministry and relevant institutions in terms of job creation within the country and abroad, it was possible to create job opportunities for 4.1 million citizens. And currently, various activities are ongoing targeting to create job opportunities for 4.9 million citizens in this fiscal year.
According to her, due to a coordinated approach at all levels of government, citizens who are going to be traveling receiving foreign employment opportunities are being trained to ensure that they are qualified, competitive, and can demand for equal pay with citizens of other countries, and the provision of services is being rendered fairly, without exploitation.
Chairman of the Standing Committee Negeri Lencho (PhD) also stressed the need to strengthen efforts to increase the number of employer organizations and employees through creating peaceful employer-employee relations, boosting productivity, and ensuring occupational safety.
In an exclusive interview with The Ethiopian Herald, Operation Manager of the Ethiopian Labor Market Information System Project (E-LMIS) Office Hilina Belachew also stated that countries are competing to grab the opportunities that allow their citizens to secure jobs abroad.
To facilitate this, the Ministry of Labor and Skills has launched the Ethiopian Labor Market Information System (E-LMIS) to promote a safe and dignified labor market.
For those seeking employment abroad, E-LMIS has transformed the process from a risky endeavor into a safer and more secure pathway. E-LMIS ensures the rights and dignity of Ethiopian workers from Ethiopia to their destination countries. In the past nine months, over 277,000 foreign jobs have been secured through the platform. Bilateral agreements with countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, and Lebanon have established legal protections, significantly reducing the influence of illegal brokers and making overseas work safer.
E-LMIS also benefits employers by providing access to detailed employee profiles, including biometric verification and employment history, ensuring that only the most qualified candidates are hired. This digital record-keeping extends beyond hiring, offering a reliable history of each employee’s performance and any issues that may have arisen, assisting employers in making informed decisions.
For Ethiopia, where unemployment remains a significant challenge, E-LMIS could be a game-changer. By facilitating better matches between job seekers and employers, the system could help reduce high levels of underemployment and informal employment. Furthermore, by providing access to international job opportunities, E-LMIS could increase the flow of remittances into Ethiopia, a vital source of foreign exchange and household income.
So far, E-LMIS has attracted over one million registrants and is serving as a crucial tool for job seekers while becoming an invaluable resource for employers and policymakers. The platform features a straightforward yet effective registration process where individuals aged 16 to 65 submit biometric data to receive a unique labor identification number. Accessing the platform’s services and job postings requires this ID, ensuring a secure and comprehensive database of the nation’s workforce. This extensive data empowers policymakers to make informed decisions, aligns educational institutions with market needs, and enables employers to identify and recruit the talent they require.
“Currently, we are operational at major cities and 420 towns. We are looking to expand to 2,400 spots,” she added.
Mentioning that the E-LMIS is reshaping the labor landscape, impacting workforce development, and bringing broader economic implications for Ethiopia she urged fellow citizens to join E-LMIS, as it is free and beneficial for everyone.
BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2024
