Germany launches training and employment programme for refugees in Ethiopia

Refugees and host communities in Ethiopia can now look forward to greater skill development and job opportunities in Addis Ababa, Somali and Beishangul-Gumuz, following an announcement from Germany that it will be financing a four-year programme to reintegrate refugees with host communities in Ethiopia.

Ethiopian State Minister of Education, Sahile Teka, said the new Qualifications and Employment Perspectives for refugees and host communities in Ethiopia (QEP) programme will play a vital role in supporting thousands of refugees in Ethiopia to become economically self-reliant, through increased access to education and employment.

Speaking at the launch ceremony for the QEP programme on 17 October 2018, Minister Teka said the programme will initially focus on improving employment opportunities for some 1,500 refugees and host communities by investing in vocational training.

Europe has been investing in skills and employment for young people in Ethiopia. In August, the UK signed a GBP 115 million grant to finance job creation and tax system reform in Ethiopia. According to the central statistics agency of Ethiopia, its unemployment rate stands at 16.8 percent in 2015.

Ethiopia hosts nearly one million refugees in its 27 refugee camps spread across six regions. It is the second largest host of refugees in Africa, mostly from Eritrea, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen.

In Somali and Beishangul-Gumuz, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reports about 320,000 refugees, while Addis Ababa is now home to about 22,000 urban-based refugees. Such a large refugee population is becoming a continuous burden for the country where nearly a quarter of its youths are out of work.

QEP will first begin in the Nifas Silk Polytechnic College, one of Addis Ababa’s TVET Colleges. In the next phase, the training be rolled out in refugee camps in Somali and Beishangul-Gumuz.

Since late 2016, Ethiopia is working for the social integration of refugees by launching a comprehensive refugee response strategy and securing strategic partnerships with the EU and other international entities.

TMP – 31/10/2018

Photo Credit: NRC