Youth Job Placement Rate Growth, and a Specific Program for Inmates
25 September 2009
Read by 1455 persons
Minister of Employment and Youth Professional Integration, Slim Tlatli, gave a report of the first eight months of the year during his third meeting with the national press.
The program for integrating higher education graduates, officially launched last March 1st, has yielded results. According to the minister, during this period, 111,900 job seekers were hired, compared to 109,000 during the same period last year, an increase of 2.6%. This was achieved despite a decrease in the integration rate throughout the period from January to April. "During this period, we saw a 12.4% decrease in youth job placement, a decrease directly due to the crisis," specified S. Tlatli.
From March onwards, and according to the ministry's figures, an upward trend in the integration rate was recorded. Between May and August, the number of placed applicants increased, which allowed for the absorption of the decrease, and this led to an 8-month rate of 2.6%.
The textile and clothing sector is one of the sectors most affected by the crisis, along with mechanical and electrical industries. The employability rate in the textile sector decreased by 7% during the first eight months of the year, despite a slight improvement in June, July, and August.
Regarding higher education graduates, S. Tlatli highlighted that 35,600 graduates were placed in jobs during the first eight months of the year, compared to 32,400 graduates placed during the same period last year, resulting in a significant 9.9% increase. The minister stated that "efforts will continue to be made to better guide graduates towards integration programs that will be developed to guarantee jobs for those who have difficulty finding stable employment."
The ministry's flagship program focuses on integrating higher education graduates who have been unemployed for more than three years: 7,500 applicants, according to ministry statistics. 7,295 of them were placed. According to the minister, these are mainly graduates from certain "difficult" branches, namely those in the humanities such as geography, history, Arabic literature, etc.
Slim Tlatli indicated that despite this difficulty, a rather encouraging rate was recorded. During the last six months of the aforementioned program, which will last one year, the integration rate reached 97%. "But this should in no way prejudge the continuation of the program," warned the minister.
Placement operations mainly took place in distribution spaces, "notably Magasin Général and Monoprix," as well as in accounting firms, auditing firms, and banking institutions. Among the other efforts highlighted by the minister were meetings organized with the French and German chambers of commerce. "This also allowed for the placement of even more young people in fully exporting companies," said the minister.
Furthermore, the ministry gave full latitude to the regions through contract programs. "These are contracts that consist of making the region an active growth pole based on local employment initiatives," explained S. Tlatli. These are programs proposed by the regions, the first evaluation of which was carried out in August during meetings with the regions.
The total cost of these programs is 37 million dinars. A first installment was paid to the regions, while the second installment, worth 18.5 million dinars, will be channeled through the National Employment Fund 21-21.
The press conference was also marked by the announcement of the results of the reintegration program for inmates who, once released, can create their own projects. There are 375 inmates whose educational level sometimes exceeds bac +2, including technicians. This program was launched on May 25th by the Ministry of Employment and Youth Integration and the Ministry of Justice. It provides for the establishment of collaboration mechanisms with the Association for the Integration of Released Prisoners to train these young people during the final periods of their imprisonment and subsequently enable them to create projects. A job consultant has been assigned to each employment office where an initiative space will be set up for the examination of files by the BTS (Tunisian Solidarity Bank).
Published September 24, 2009
Posted online September 25, 2009
African Manager
The program for integrating higher education graduates, officially launched last March 1st, has yielded results. According to the minister, during this period, 111,900 job seekers were hired, compared to 109,000 during the same period last year, an increase of 2.6%. This was achieved despite a decrease in the integration rate throughout the period from January to April. "During this period, we saw a 12.4% decrease in youth job placement, a decrease directly due to the crisis," specified S. Tlatli.
From March onwards, and according to the ministry's figures, an upward trend in the integration rate was recorded. Between May and August, the number of placed applicants increased, which allowed for the absorption of the decrease, and this led to an 8-month rate of 2.6%.
The textile and clothing sector is one of the sectors most affected by the crisis, along with mechanical and electrical industries. The employability rate in the textile sector decreased by 7% during the first eight months of the year, despite a slight improvement in June, July, and August.
Regarding higher education graduates, S. Tlatli highlighted that 35,600 graduates were placed in jobs during the first eight months of the year, compared to 32,400 graduates placed during the same period last year, resulting in a significant 9.9% increase. The minister stated that "efforts will continue to be made to better guide graduates towards integration programs that will be developed to guarantee jobs for those who have difficulty finding stable employment."
The ministry's flagship program focuses on integrating higher education graduates who have been unemployed for more than three years: 7,500 applicants, according to ministry statistics. 7,295 of them were placed. According to the minister, these are mainly graduates from certain "difficult" branches, namely those in the humanities such as geography, history, Arabic literature, etc.
Slim Tlatli indicated that despite this difficulty, a rather encouraging rate was recorded. During the last six months of the aforementioned program, which will last one year, the integration rate reached 97%. "But this should in no way prejudge the continuation of the program," warned the minister.
Placement operations mainly took place in distribution spaces, "notably Magasin Général and Monoprix," as well as in accounting firms, auditing firms, and banking institutions. Among the other efforts highlighted by the minister were meetings organized with the French and German chambers of commerce. "This also allowed for the placement of even more young people in fully exporting companies," said the minister.
Furthermore, the ministry gave full latitude to the regions through contract programs. "These are contracts that consist of making the region an active growth pole based on local employment initiatives," explained S. Tlatli. These are programs proposed by the regions, the first evaluation of which was carried out in August during meetings with the regions.
The total cost of these programs is 37 million dinars. A first installment was paid to the regions, while the second installment, worth 18.5 million dinars, will be channeled through the National Employment Fund 21-21.
The press conference was also marked by the announcement of the results of the reintegration program for inmates who, once released, can create their own projects. There are 375 inmates whose educational level sometimes exceeds bac +2, including technicians. This program was launched on May 25th by the Ministry of Employment and Youth Integration and the Ministry of Justice. It provides for the establishment of collaboration mechanisms with the Association for the Integration of Released Prisoners to train these young people during the final periods of their imprisonment and subsequently enable them to create projects. A job consultant has been assigned to each employment office where an initiative space will be set up for the examination of files by the BTS (Tunisian Solidarity Bank).
Published September 24, 2009
Posted online September 25, 2009
African Manager
