Since the past two decades, Africa’s economies are growing steadily at faster rate than almost any other countries of the world. At least a dozen have expanded by more than six percent a year for six or more years. As a result, economic change has made life more rewarding for Africans themselves.
It has enabled its citizens to commence their own businesses, generate income and betterment the lives of themselves and their families, according to a recent report of the Economic Commission for Africa Employment and Social Protection Section report.
However, Africa’s growth is projected to grow consistently and is promising to benefit billions of Africans; due to a growing number of populations millions of its citizens are still jobless and disgruntled. Though poverty, inequality and lack of productive jobs are declining steadily in the continent, they still remain the greatest challenges for Africa, the report further elaborated.
The issue is not different in Ethiopia. The country over the years has seen rapid progress and become one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Further than the immense investment activities expanded throughout the country, a wide range of programs targeted to promote and benefit youth entrepreneurships have been applied.
Most importantly, the country by launching a National Employment Policy and Strategy, it has been attempting to address the problems of both unemployment and underemployment.
Despite the continued economic growth, the efforts have not created sufficient labor market for the fast growing number of labor force poured into the market progressively. As a result, a large portion of energetic working-age group has remained unemployed while they are supposed to play role in country’s overall growth.
To deal with the issue of unemployment, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has recently announced plan to send some 50,000 Ethiopians to United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the 2019-2020 fiscal year.
The plan which is said one of the short-term mechanisms to lessen the burden of youth unemployment, enable citizens generate their own income and betterment their lives.
According to Abeje Tariku, Communication Specialist in the International Labor Organization Project, under the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, workers have the right to a safe and healthy workplace and work environment.
While the Ethiopian government sends its workforce to overseas countries, it uncompromisingly gives due emphasis to ensure the protection of citizens’ rights, safety, well-being, by ensuring the availability of fair and safe workplaces and better working conditions so as to safeguard them from any other harmful acts. It is also duty bounded to make sure that the social and psychological dignity of the employees’ are respected.
When the government plans to send its semi-skilled workforces to UAE, it has made the necessary arrangements in this regard, he stressed.
As to him, the agreement made with UAE, apart from curbing illegal human trafficking and reining in labor exploitation, harassment, violence among others, it would lessen nation’s unemployment burden.
While talking the reason the Emirates is selected to be one of Ethiopians semi-skilled workers destination, he said United Arab Emirates is one of the countries that have better working conditions to expatriates than many other places. There is also plan to send workers to Japan and other countries, he added.
As to him, the workers intended to send to Emirates are semi-skilled ones, (drivers, nurses, housemaids). He said that the employees would receive the necessary trainings so as to close the skill gaps and build workers’ confidence and those who met the requirements only benefited from the opportunity. The Ethiopian Embassy in Emirates, in conjunction with Emirate’s senior government officials will follow up the condition of the workers.
Solomon Mekonnen, a scholar at the Addis Ababa University, on his part said that youth unemployment is a universal phenomenon even though it is more conspicuous and prevalent in developing countries than the developed nations. The issue is more demanding because it can cause social problems that lead unemployed youths to frustration, dissatisfaction and drive them to havoc and conflict.
Over the years, subsequent to the expansion of investment, youth centered small and medium enterprises plus developed entrepreneurship skills, significant amount of jobs, both formal and informal-were created. Unfortunately, the created jobs were not enough to absorb the growing large number of workforces. In this regard, the bold move the Premier has taken to establish links with close by foreign countries to exploiting niche labor markets and send skilled labor forces is commendable, he said.
The plan, as short-term way out would lessen nation’ unemployment and underemployment challenges and benefit destination countries if it is implemented accordingly. However, further than this, the country has to do a lot to find lasting solution and tackle the issue, the Sociologist commented.
As to him, promoting investment, enhancing private sector’s involvement, subsidizing labor intensive industries, build up the productive capacity of the youths through trainings and building up their entrepreneur skills are critical to address the problem and restrain it in sustainable manner.
“Even the labor force planned to send to foreign countries should be capacitated with the knowledge and skills the market demanded to cut back skill mismatch which often leads to underemployment”, he stressed.
Above all, reviewing the education curriculum in a way it prepares students for a wide range of knowledge, skill and entrepreneurial skill that direct them to high achievement in their chosen domain is key to create well equipped, competitive generation and enhance efficiency and productivity, he opined.
The Ethiopian Herald July 24/2019
BY STAFF REPORTER
