Skills mismatch and underemployment: How to boost employability of young women and men in Egypt. Success stories and lessons learned from ILO interventions
Skills mismatch and underemployment: How to boost employability of young women and men in Egypt. Success stories and lessons learned from ILO interventions
The International Labour Organization is the tripartite U.N. agency that promotes Decent Work through employment, social security, labour standards and social dialogue. Its work on skills development is guided by the conceptual framework on Skills to improve productivity, employment growth, and development agreed in 2008 by representatives of Governments, Employers’ Associations and Workers’ Associations. Research, policy advice, and pilot projects and technical cooperation programmes to apply good practices in different circumstances across its 185 member States aims to boost the employability of workers, the productivity and competitiveness of enterprises, and the inclusiveness of economic growth. The ILO Secretariat in offices in 40 countries works with Ministries of Labour, employers’ organizations, and trade unions to integrate skills development into national and sector development strategies in order to better meet current labour market needs and to prepare for the jobs of the future; to expand access to employment-related training so that youth, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups are better able to acquire skills and secure productive and decent work; and to improve the ability of public employment services to provide career guidance, maintain labour exchange services, and deliver active labour market programmes.For more information regarding the ILO’s work on skills and employability go to: http://www.ilo.org/skills/lang--en/index.htm; for ILO/Cinterfor's Knowledge Management Plarform, see: http://www.oitcinterfor.org
Access for all to good quality education, vocational training and workplace learning is a fundamental principle of social cohesion and economic growth. Some groups of people may require targeted attention if they are to benefit from education, training and employment opportunities.
This is particularly the case for disadvantaged youth, lower skilled workers, people with disabilities, and people in rural communities. The attractiveness of vocational education and training is enhanced when combined with entrepreneurship training and when public policies encourage utilization of higher skills by business.
Case studies that document good practices and illustrate the benefits and lessons learnt of particular approaches or methods in real practice.
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This publication shares ILO experiences and highlights success stories resulting from five technical cooperation projects on youth employment and women empowerment in Egypt, all designed to contribute to enhancing skills and employability among those disadvantaged in the labour market.
Egypt has witnessed tremendous social and political changes since 2011, when the Arab Spring started to shake the political landscape in North Africa. Social unrest and instability led to sharp declines in economic growth rates that soon translated into low rates of job creation. This exacerbated poor labour market prospects for young people, in particular for women, who are at a stark disadvantage to access decent jobs, and for the growing number of highly educated graduates who do not find jobs that match their qualifications.
The ILO was called upon by the national government, workers, employers and civil society to support the economic and social transition as well as smooth labour market transformations. These types of interventions, which are grounded in internationally agreed labour standards, and also apply and adapt ILO tools to the Egyptian context, aim to enhance the relevance of skills provided, improve job matching, career guidance and counselling. These interventions also target those that are most disadvantaged, including working children.
The main purpose of this publication is to share ILO experiences and highlight success stories resulting from collaborative efforts between five technical cooperation projects on youth employment and women empowerment in Egypt, all contributing to enhancing skills and employability among those disadvantaged in the labour market: The Decent Jobs for Egypt’s Young People Project is supported by the Government of Canada; The Way Forward After the Revolution – Decent Work for Women in Egypt and Tunisia by the Government of Finland; Creating a Conducive Environment for Effective Recognition and Implementation of Women’s Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in Egypt by the United States Department of State; Combating Worst forms of Child Labor by Reinforcing Policy Response and Promoting Sustainable Livelihoods and Educational Opportunities in Egypt by the United States Department of Labor; and, Transition To Employment: Career Guidance for Youth and Job Creation by the Italian-Egyptian Department for Development Swap Program.
The five success stories highlighted in this publication include: Training for employment; Upgrading informal apprenticeships; Skills sharing and upgrading within social and economic solidarity groups;
Employment fairs; and, Career guidance.
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