Unemployment is one of the pressing problems and a major concern for governments of almost all countries. Though the scope and the magnitude differ from country to country, it is possible to say that the issue of unemployment and creating decent job opportunities for the growing number of young people is challenging in all countries.
The case is not different in Ethiopia. Though there are several efforts to reduce the rate of unemployment, following the ever increasing number of young people, reducing the number remains challenging.
The Ministry of Labor and Skills (MoLS) is working diligently to create more jobs for the young generations and improve their lives by providing a series of training and the needed support that build their entrepreneur skills and increase their employment opportunities thereby reducing the rate of unemployment.
In particular, giving due attention for those young people who could not join higher education institutions and who have dropped out of school for various reasons, it is carrying out a number of activities to create employment opportunities and prepare them toward a brighter future.
As part of this effort, the Ministry, joining hands with the World Bank and devising a program known as “Beqat Youth On-the-job Training Project” (“Qualified Youth On-the-job Training Project”) is working to enable young people with low educational preparation and limited economic potential to capacitate them with the appropriate knowledge and skills; generate their own income and improve their living standard through providing on-the-job training, combining theoretical ideas with practical knowledge.
According to the Ministry, this On-the-job Training national project, which will be implemented across the country, will benefit more than 70,000 young people who have not been able to enter higher education institutions and withdraw their education.
Recently, the Ministry held discussion with sector’s officials drawn from Addis Ababa City Administration regarding the implementation and future direction of the program.
Speaking on the occasion, State Minister for Job, Employment and Market Sector with the Ministry of Labor and Skills, Nigussu Tilahun said that the youth on-the-job training project has a purpose of benefiting those people who have not received enough attention on the formal job creation.
According to him, the project that was first implemented as a pilot program in two selected districts in Kirkos Sub-City has been implemented in 36 districts in Addis Ababa and in 10 cities in the states in order to facilitate the opportunity for young people to engage them in internship programs in private organizations by developing their attitudes towards work and enhancing their skills. And through the process, it has been enabled to acquire best practices.
Among the gained best experiences, the capacity technical and vocational institutions have in equipping the young people with the desired knowledge and skills, the role of communication structures at all levels, youth and women’s organizations can play in terms of creating sufficient awareness for the young people who benefit from the program, and the general society are the main ones, Nigussu added.
In this regard, to make the 2nd round program which will take in 45 more districts more effective, scaling up the best practices, identifying the challenges encountered in the first round of the program, and setting solutions and directives was also underlined at the forum.
Deputy Mayor of Addis Ababa City Administration and the Head of Labor, Enterprise and Industry Development Bureau Jantarar Abay on his part said that, the program because it was new to the country, the implementation was very challenging. And, to ensure the effectiveness of the second phase of the program, leaders at all levels should implement the activity with strict discipline, he urged.
At the forum, documents that show the general features of the program and the implementation report of the first round were presented and discussed.
Trainees after attending the internship program in various fields in 1,350 organizations for six consecutive months, it was learned.
Meanwhile the labor market information system that the Ministry of Labor and Skills has developed and employed is said to have created a national capacity to manage labor migration.
This was stated at a forum carried out in relation to the migration management system.
Speaking at the event, State Minister for Employment and Labor Sector, with the Ministry Aseged Getachew (PhD) said that migration carried out seeking jobs if managed properly, will have tremendous benefits in terms of benefitting both countries of the origin and destination of the migrants by improving labor migration governance and recording the necessary information.
However, the multi-faceted challenges that migrants face in countries of origin, transit and destination aside, challenging them extremely, put their lives in danger, added the State Minister.
To this end, collaborations, discussions, consultations, and partnerships that can solve the problems that migrants may encounter, should be implemented at the national and international level. In this regard, the Ministry of Labor and Skills has developed a new labor market information system which plays a significant role in facilitating favorable working conditions in the country and is implementing it accordingly, he said.
According to him, the effort made to develop and put in place the labor market information system has created special capacity in the sector. What is more, managing the labor market information activities supported by technology has eliminated the harassment of citizens who used to travel abroad for work, and because the work is carried out in coordination with the destination countries, has made it possible to register a significant change in the sector.
He also pointed out that a technical committee that comprises the Ministry of Labor and Skills, the International Labor Organization and other partners and can have decisive role in terms of modernizing the migration management system, identifying challenges faced by countries related to labor migration and setting solutions, facilitating job opportunities for the citizens of the Horn countries in the region and curbing illegal immigration, has been established. The plan prepared by the group will be approved by the forum and will be implemented, Aseged remarked.
BY STAFF REPORTER
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 24 OCTOBER 2023
