Enpi Tunisia Etf (en).v.3

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TUNIS - With remarkable dexterity and eager to please, he is always at work on the caf's coffee machine, busily serving

customers. Since last December, Lot Ltaief, in his early thirties, has been working as a waiter in this caf in the Bardo

district, three kilometres from the centre of Tunis. Lot has been accumulating sound experience in this eld over the

last six years. What many customers don't know is that this young man has held a Master's degree

in Arabic literature since 2003. Ever since then, he has been sending out job applications, has applied

for a teaching post at the Education Ministry and has participated in various competitions, but un-

fortunately all in vain. This is just one case among so many, which is the real problem facing Tunisia.

A major concern

Of a population of over ten million, the number of unemployed is

officially estimated at nearly 700,000 of whom almost 150,000 hold

higher education degrees. The problem of creating new jobs is a

major issue in Tunisia today. Since the revolution of January 14,

the social protest movements have only become stronger. Wildcat

A good education is a prerequisite

for a good job: while Tunisia is battling to mitigate

the adverse effects of unemployment and is launching its Employment Month

on 12 September, the European Training Foundation (ETF) has made the countryone of its priorities, and doubled its budget allocation. The Tunisian government

recently adopted a programme intended to support jobseekers as they try to

nd their way into the world of work. The ETF has committed itself to supporting

this action, with the aim of helping Tunisia exploit as fully as possible the

potential of its human resources.

Text and photos by: Lot Touati

ENPI Info Centre Feature no. 60This is a series of features on

projects funded by the EUsRegional Programme, prepared by

journalists and photographers on

the ground or the ENPI Info

Centre. ENPI Info Centre/EU 2011

This publication does

not represent the

official view of the EC

or the EU institutions.

The EC accepts no

responsibility or

liability whatsoever

with regard to itscontent.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING > TUNISIA

Employment, the number one

priority for the new Tunisiawww.enpi-info.eu

n Young Arabic Literature graduateworking as a waiter in a caf


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Employment, the number one priority for the new Tunisia p.2

ENPI Info Centre - Feature no. 60

strikes and sit-ins have spread almost everywhere in

the public and private sectors, which has led purely

and simply to the closure of a number of businesses.

Employment has been the main concern for all gov-

ernments since independence. The issue is even morecrucial today because it arises at a moment when the

country is going through difficult times. Citizens have

become more demanding and have no hesitation in

showing their strength. Despite this situation, a far-

reaching effort is being made to overcome this phe-

nomenon and mitigate the adverse effects of

unemployment in Tunisia as far as possible. The pro-

visional government, headed by Mr. Bji Caid Essebsi,

is well aware of the situation and is working very hard

to resolve it. I do not have a magic wand, he emphasises at every opportunity.

The provisional government launched an emergency

employment programme last March intended to support

jobseekers to help them nd their way into the world of

work. The programme is structured into four main lines

of action, explains Mr. Ali Takout, Regional Director: de-

veloping jobs for salaried employees through the cre-

ation of 40,000 posts in the public and private sectors,

safeguarding jobs by assisting companies going through

challenging times, developing enterprise and micro-

businesses, and helping young people set up their own

businesses and improving the employability of young

graduates (the Amal section of the programme, named

after the Arabic word for hope), while helping them in

actively searching for work.

Good practices

The issue of employment is not only related to job creation, but also to reform of edu-

cation and vocational training, as well as the introduction of good practices intended

to speed up the handling of this issue and to increase transparency. Since 1995, the Eu-

ropean Training Foundation (ETF) has been cooperating with Tunisia in the eld of train-

ing, supporting the policy adopted by the government and advising on the

implementation strategy.Ms. Marie Dorlans, Director of ETF for Tunisia, explains: The ETF is not a donor but a

technical partner, mobilizing the expertise and experience required to assist decision-

making when dening policy on training and employment. At a time when the national

priority is employment and regional development, we have set up, for example, a project

to support a specic region, the governorate of Medenine, situated close to Tunisia's

border with Libya. In this initial phase, we organized meetings with all stakeholders with

the aim of diagnosing problems in the region in order to improve the match between

supply of training and jobs. After the revolution, we doubled the budget allocated to

our action in Tunisia. It has become a priority for us.

We don't have a model to sell, continues Ms. Dorlans, but we are trying to identify

which approaches or practices, in particular European ones, could be an inspiration for

Tunisia. In the medium term, ETF is committed to supporting regional policies integrat-

ing education, vocational training and employment. The emphasis will be placed on the

We don't

have a model

to sell but we

are trying to

identify

which

approaches

or practices,

in particular

European

ones, couldbe an

inspiration

for Tunisia

The ETF is not a

donor but a

technical partner,

mobilizing the

expertise andexperience

required to assist

decision-making

when dening

policy on training

and employment

n Young graduates

taking part in a sit-inoutside the EmploymentMinistry.

nThe Regional Director ofEmployment, Mr. Ali Takout

After the

revolution, we

doubled the budget

allocated to our

action in Tunisia. It

has become a

priority for us

nThe number of unemployedin Tunisia is officially estimated

at nearly 700,000 of whomalmost 150,000 hold higher

education degrees


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development of skills that are useful on the labour

market. Our foundation is perceived as a depend-

able and impartial adviser and as a partner able to

bring various players together around the table. The

Tunisian government particularly appreciates this

kind of neutrality.

The protest movements are continuing

Despite the mechanisms newly introduced to im-

prove access to jobs, the protest movements are

continuing unabated. Since May 16, a group of

young graduates has been protesting in their own

way by pitching a tent in front of the Ministry of Vo-

cational Training and Employment. They are protest-

ing against the job creation mechanisms set up during the Ben Ali era, which are, in their opinion, obsolete today.

On the other hand, from 12 to 30 September, the government launched the Employment Month, an initiative

aimed especially at bringing the players in employment closer together, i.e. jobseekers, training institutions and

public and private companies, civil society, political parties and recruitment agencies. Several themes will be

discussed, including the release of funds for certain projects, pre-hiring contracts in private companies and spon-

sorship of jobseekers by employers to nance training. Open days in businesses are also planned.

www.en i-info.eu

n r

European Training Foundation

Employment, the number one priority for the new Tunisia p.3

ENPI Info Centre - Feature no. 60

http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/Home_FR?OpenDocument

Aims

The European Training Foundation is an agency established by the European Union which aims to contribute to the development

of education and training in its European partner countries. With an annual budget of 18 million euro, its mission consists of helping

developing countries in a transitional phase to exploit the potential of their human resources through reform in the elds of

education, training and employment in the context of the external relations policy of the EU.

Find out more

European Training Foundation - website >http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/Home_FR?OpenDocument

European Training Foundation - Tunisia >http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/Tunisia

ENPI Info Centre Thematic portal Education & Training > http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject=11

The ENPI Info Centre is an EU-funded RegionalInformation and Communication projecthighlighting the partnership between the EU andNeighbouring countries. The project is managed

by Action Global Communications.

www.enpi-info.eu

nHeadquartersof the Tunisian

EmploymentAgency
http://www.enpi-info.eu/http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/Home_FR?OpenDocumenthttp://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/Home_FR?OpenDocumenthttp://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/Home_FR?OpenDocumenthttp://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/Tunisiahttp://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/Tunisiahttp://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject=11http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject=11http://www.actionprgroup.com/http://www.enpi-info.eu/http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/Home_FR?OpenDocumenthttp://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/Home_FR?OpenDocumenthttp://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/Tunisiahttp://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject=11http://www.actionprgroup.com/http://www.enpi-info.eu/

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Enpi Tunisia Etf (en).v.3