Jobs: A Challenge Tunisia Is Determined to Win
18 October 2010
Read by 1465 persons
With the new school year, economic life has resumed its normal course with positive indicators in most sectors, particularly those that suffered most from the global economic crisis: IME, textiles and clothing, and exports, which have regained their pre-crisis growth rate. We are far from the gloom that marked last year's back-to-school period, with sluggish growth and companies laying off workers en masse. Only certain sectors facing structural difficulties, unrelated to the economic situation, such as tourism and employment, remain major concerns for public authorities and professionals, as the measures taken so far have yielded mixed results.
Tourism continues to suffer from its reputation as a low-cost destination and the predominance of the "3S" (sun, sea, sand). However, the return or highly visible arrival of major international hotel chains that had previously shunned Tunisia, and the diversification of tourism products, should boost conference tourism and attract high-spending clientele, particularly during the low season.
As for employment, it is the challenge that Tunisia is determined to win, mobilizing all its energy and resources: training, with capacity increased from 100,000 to 150,000 places; a special program to offer 15,000 additional integration and training opportunities by the end of 2010; language learning; the National Employment Fund (21-21), whose resources have been doubled; the BTS (Brevet de Technicien Supérieur), whose budget has been increased by 50%; and the widespread creation of business incubators in training centers. The Minister of Professional Training and Employment gave an overview of this yesterday during a televised debate.
The guiding principle of this strategy is above all to develop entrepreneurship among young people by providing them with the necessary funds and support. To this, we must add cooperation agreements with countries seeking labor and skills, such as France, Canada, and the Gulf countries, which should be extended to other countries, such as perhaps Australia, where an embassy has just been opened and whose needs in this area are immense, and African countries, such as Africa, where 100 Tunisian doctors already work. We must persevere until 2025, when the pressure on the job market will ease and the number of university students will begin to decline due to demographic decrease.
Published October 6, 2010
Posted online October 18, 2010
leaders.com.tn
Tourism continues to suffer from its reputation as a low-cost destination and the predominance of the "3S" (sun, sea, sand). However, the return or highly visible arrival of major international hotel chains that had previously shunned Tunisia, and the diversification of tourism products, should boost conference tourism and attract high-spending clientele, particularly during the low season.
As for employment, it is the challenge that Tunisia is determined to win, mobilizing all its energy and resources: training, with capacity increased from 100,000 to 150,000 places; a special program to offer 15,000 additional integration and training opportunities by the end of 2010; language learning; the National Employment Fund (21-21), whose resources have been doubled; the BTS (Brevet de Technicien Supérieur), whose budget has been increased by 50%; and the widespread creation of business incubators in training centers. The Minister of Professional Training and Employment gave an overview of this yesterday during a televised debate.
The guiding principle of this strategy is above all to develop entrepreneurship among young people by providing them with the necessary funds and support. To this, we must add cooperation agreements with countries seeking labor and skills, such as France, Canada, and the Gulf countries, which should be extended to other countries, such as perhaps Australia, where an embassy has just been opened and whose needs in this area are immense, and African countries, such as Africa, where 100 Tunisian doctors already work. We must persevere until 2025, when the pressure on the job market will ease and the number of university students will begin to decline due to demographic decrease.
Published October 6, 2010
Posted online October 18, 2010
leaders.com.tn
