EGX ends in red on August 20    Egyptian pound weakens against US dollar on August 20    Contact Reports Strong 1H-2025 on Financing, Insurance Gains    Egypt expresses 'deep dissatisfaction' to Netherlands over embassy attack    Global pressure mounts as Gaza fighting intensifies and death toll surges    Egypt, India's BDR Group in talks to establish biologics, cancer drug facility    AUC graduates first cohort of film industry business certificate    At TICAD, Egypt's education minister signs pacts with Casio, SAPIX    Madbouly invites Japanese firms to establish industrial zone in SCZONE    Cairo, Tokyo sign LOI to expand educational cooperation, support for persons with disabilities    Egypt to tighten waste rules, cut rice straw fees to curb pollution    Al-Sisi meets Qatar PM, Bahrain security adviser to discuss Gaza crisis, regional stability    Egypt's FM, Palestinian PM visit Rafah crossing to review Gaza aid    Egypt prepares unified stance ahead of COP30 in Brazil    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



The 80 million jobs challenge

Dead Sea, Jordan - According to the World Bank and the United Nations, 80 million jobs will be needed for new graduates and the unemployed across the Middle East and North Africa over the next twenty years. The Arab Labor Organization predicts more than 32 million people will be looking for jobs in Arab states by 2010. Masses of jobless young Arabs not only represent a tragic waste of human potential - they also threaten regional harmony and security.
For too long, government intervention has been seen as the solution to this challenge, but jobs that provide meaningful employment can only come from real private sector growth.
There is much talk of what should be done yet too little practical action that builds on existing good practices. Bad news dominates media coverage from this region, but there are some good examples of companies and local partnerships that have been creating significant employment opportunities.
The challenge is to scale up these good practices and inspire more business leaders and entrepreneurs to get involved. With proper leadership, this could deliver a massive boost for sustainable job creation across the region.
Concurrently, governments need to loosen their hold on their economies to promote enterprise growth - particularly to help micro-businesses, which are critical to the delivery of new jobs. They also need to refocus education to deliver skills employers need. But the motor for development must be the indigenous private sector and its international business partners.
There are many regional examples of what can be done to tackle this crisis according to a report to be published this month by the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) with the support of the Young Arab Leaders, Emirates Environmental Group, Young Entrepreneurs Association, the United Nations Development Program and a consortium of companies. An analysis of success factors in over twenty private-sector-led projects from Morocco and Lebanon to Saudi Arabia and Jordan shows that, with strong leadership, companies can create jobs within their core business activities. This not only helps their reputation as good corporate citizens, it also helps their business.
Essentially, these good practice projects follow four models. First, businesses can help by offering more work experience and training to high school and college graduates. This helps to equip young people for work. Dubai Aluminium Company, for example, organized pre-employment courses in a project that doubled employment of national youth, including women, while doubling its number of indigenous managers.
Second, businesses can find ways to stimulate and support new jobs linked to their products, processes, supply and distribution chains. Sekem Group in Egypt enabled two thousand small farmers to find livelihoods in higher-value agricultural production, and to gain access to education for their 6000 dependents.
Abdul Latif Jameel Company (ALJ) developed a series of community programs committed to furthering and promoting opportunities for thousands of young Saudi men and women each year. One of the programs involved building a new cadre of local taxi owners/drivers by making auto finance loans more accessible. Another initiative combines microfinance-style loans with training to match the required skill sets of the labour market, targets women and is set to create more than 16,000 new job opportunities this year alone. On a wider scale The Grameen-Jameel Pan Arab initiative www.grameen-jameel.com has targeted the creation of 1 million jobs through a microcredit program by 2011. Over 200,000 clients will be reached through guarantees to microcredit institutions by this initiative by the end of 2007.
Third, businesses can collaborate through education and training partnership projects to improve vocational training and school linkages. INJAZ is an organisation working across the region that has mobilised private sector mentoring for work experience and preparation for over sixty thousand students. The Jordan Education Initiative, stimulated by the World Economic Forum, Cisco Systems and others, is delivering curriculum access and IT to schools and over fifty thousand students across the nation.
Finally, companies can mount outreach programs to bring their management and development skills to sustainable community programs that stimulate new enterprise. Some can train unemployed youth for areas of the economy where there are skills shortages - such as services, IT and handicrafts. The IBLF s Centennial Fund youth business program in Saudi Arabia, and the newly launched Youth Careers Initiative in Jordan s hotel sector, are two such platforms for private sector mentoring. In another initiative, the Sawiris Foundation, supported by Orascom in Egypt, has trained almost one thousand graduates to fill nursing vacancies.
Supporting sustainable economic and enterprise development for young people makes good business sense. We need to align our business activities and priorities with the enterprise needs of the Middle East. We will make the greatest impact when we move beyond discussion and donations, and apply our business skills and strategic mindset. We need to work together, in partnership with other businesses, with government, and with the charitable sector.
Finding eighty million jobs is a daunting challenge - it requires us all to pool our resources to help. But what greater resource does the business sector have than its spirit of enterprise, adaptability and willingness to learn from models which have been shown to work?
Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameelis president of ALJ Group of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of IBLF for the Middle East. Robert Daviesis founder and CEO of the International Business Leaders Forum, IBLF. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.


Clic here to read the story from its source.