Tunisia: "The next government will have to face a problem of job insecurity!" warns Moez Joudi.
6 November 2011
Read by 1413 persons
While economic liberalization has created jobs strongly marked by the integration of the economy into the international subcontracting chain with a positioning at the bottom of the value chain, Dr. Moez Joudi believes that the next government will also have to address inequalities and the lack of equity in worker remuneration.
WMC: How should the next government observe and then address the issue of employment in Tunisia?
Moez Joudi: In a first global approach, it must be noted that today, the unemployment rate recorded in Arab countries amounts to 14%, it is considered one of the highest rates in the world, despite the considerable economic growth achieved by Arab economies in recent years thanks to high oil prices and economic reforms undertaken by many Arab countries.
It should be noted in this context that the highest unemployment rate was perceived among the young population since this rate amounts to approximately 25%.
In Tunisia, despite advantageous rankings in international economic reports, unemployment is one of the black spots in the economy and constitutes a major problem that must be addressed urgently. A study developed by Tunisian economists shows that between 2002 and 2010, the unemployment rate has practically not evolved downwards. According to this study, the unemployment rate between 2002 and 2006 was 14.3%. After an insignificant decrease of 0.1% in 2007, it returned to 13.4% between 2008 and 2009. The 11th Development Plan provided for a decrease in unemployment to reach 13.4% based on an average growth rate of 6.1%. That is an average of 74,400 between 2002 and 2006 and 82,400 between 2007 and 2010.
Despite a relative resistance to the effects of the global crisis, growth forecasts were not met and did not exceed 4%. As a consequence, the unemployment rate returned to its 2002 levels, more than 14% and 58,000 new jobs were created while the 11th Plan provided for 82,400 jobs. In 2009, 38,000 jobs were lost in manufacturing industries, which raised the unemployment rate to 14.7%, compared to 14.2% in 2008 and an average of 14.1% between 2004-2010.
Will the next government also have to face a problem of precariousness?
A recent study by the Tunisian workers' union underlines that "the quality of employment does not meet the expectations of job seekers, who are increasingly qualified". "At more than 14%, the unemployment rate remains high" and particularly among women (16%), those under 25 (30%) and higher education graduates.
From a cross-section of specialist viewpoints, the process of economic liberalization has created employment strongly marked by a model of competitiveness and work organization that generates inappropriate work. Worse, the integration of the economy into the international subcontracting chain with a positioning at the bottom of the value chain further accentuates inequalities and the lack of equity in workers' remuneration.
Should the next government go to the root of the problem, to the failure of the education and training system to understand the handicaps of employability?
In Tunisia, a number of experts and operators note a mismatch between the needs of markets and investors, and the skills available. This mismatch is a particularly crucial problem, insofar as it has a direct impact on economic and human development. It explains the increase in unemployment among higher education graduates whose knowledge and skills do not correspond to the recruitment criteria of companies, which seek more operational skills, capable of adding value from the first days of recruitment.
The crux of the problem is employability, which can be defined, on the one hand, as the individual capacity to find a job and maintain it, and, on the other hand, as the capacity to transfer knowledge and skills within an organization.
Originally, the problem stems largely from the failure of the education, higher education and training system, which is increasingly characterized by a mediocre level and below the expectations of the job market. Diplomas have lost their value, selection is no longer properly done from higher education and the system increasingly produces young people who lack qualifications and do not have enough skills and qualifications to integrate the job market.
Entrepreneurs who lack incentives, supervision and encouragement...
The great paradox today in Tunisia is that economic growth is present even if there has been a slowdown in recent years, but job creation is not keeping pace.
Companies are not in fact sufficiently encouraged to do so. First, they do not find a reliable interlocutor, then the existing offer is below their expectations as underlined above, finally the State does not provide the necessary support to integrate new job seekers. These companies are obliged to proceed with "internal" recruitments and promotions and are no longer very interested in the new skills produced by the educational system.
What are the prospects for reforms to be explored by the next government?
First, it is necessary to strengthen employability through a more reliable vocational training system, which can be considered a particularly suitable solution. Worldwide comparisons show that some countries have perfectly succeeded in their educational system, by focusing on vocational training as a preparatory stage for professional life: the most important of these countries are Germany, Switzerland and Denmark, which have managed to control the phenomenon of unemployment, placing it for the under-25s category at 8%, while in the European area this average peaks at 18.4%.
The implementation of vocational training would make it possible, in particular, to reduce the problems of "mismatch" between the labor market and the qualifications of young graduates. The mismatch can be of several types: quantitative (lack or excess of new graduates in a given field, compared to the needs of the national economy), qualitative - technical (the notions taught are not useful to the future professional) or qualitative - behavioral (insufficient attention is paid to collaborative dimensions - teamwork - or entrepreneurial - initiative and creativity -, to name but a few).
In Tunisia, this mismatch is real and constitutes an obstacle to the economic development of this country which has always relied on its human resources to "boost" its growth. Local but also foreign investors suffer from the quality of the available resources which lack initiative and technical skills in areas essential to the smooth running of companies and large groups.
At what price will it be possible to institute the logic of added value?
In view of this observation, it is essential to bring together the various actors and to create structures for reflection and exchange bringing together representatives from the business world, public decision-makers and training professionals, with the aim of assessing the real needs and consequently developing programs that can best meet them.
A real change creating added value and contributing to solid economic development cannot be achieved without:
- a proactive public policy, ready to allocate significant budgets to higher education and vocational training;
- the establishment of an autonomous educational system, applying good governance rules, and governed by "bottom-up" approaches, rather than uniform "top-down" policies;
- an educational foundation based on a true general culture offering benchmarks (humanism, understanding of the world, etc.) and impetus (capacity to act, create, innovate).
Shall we return more seriously to the PPP concept (partnerships between the public and private sectors)?
Furthermore, an approach based on the development of partnerships between the public and private sectors must be undertaken. The promotion of a culture of business creation and the exchange of information on vocational training qualification approaches. Tunisia must improve the governance of intermediation in the labor market and encourage the creation of efficient information systems.
It is also important to launch large structuring projects capable of creating jobs for a more qualified workforce.
A reorientation of the job market must also be carried out with a more intelligent "production" of manpower able to work internationally and which would be exportable.
In conclusion, it is important to remember that beyond technical vocational training, it seems necessary to provide a behavioral component in training programs. Ethics, integrity, diligence, initiative and leadership are essential elements for forging skills capable of meeting the challenges of development and economic and social progress in the countries of the South.
Maryam Omar.
Webmanagercenter.com
Published on November 3, 2011.
Posted online on November 6, 2011.
WMC: How should the next government observe and then address the issue of employment in Tunisia?
Moez Joudi: In a first global approach, it must be noted that today, the unemployment rate recorded in Arab countries amounts to 14%, it is considered one of the highest rates in the world, despite the considerable economic growth achieved by Arab economies in recent years thanks to high oil prices and economic reforms undertaken by many Arab countries.
It should be noted in this context that the highest unemployment rate was perceived among the young population since this rate amounts to approximately 25%.
In Tunisia, despite advantageous rankings in international economic reports, unemployment is one of the black spots in the economy and constitutes a major problem that must be addressed urgently. A study developed by Tunisian economists shows that between 2002 and 2010, the unemployment rate has practically not evolved downwards. According to this study, the unemployment rate between 2002 and 2006 was 14.3%. After an insignificant decrease of 0.1% in 2007, it returned to 13.4% between 2008 and 2009. The 11th Development Plan provided for a decrease in unemployment to reach 13.4% based on an average growth rate of 6.1%. That is an average of 74,400 between 2002 and 2006 and 82,400 between 2007 and 2010.
Despite a relative resistance to the effects of the global crisis, growth forecasts were not met and did not exceed 4%. As a consequence, the unemployment rate returned to its 2002 levels, more than 14% and 58,000 new jobs were created while the 11th Plan provided for 82,400 jobs. In 2009, 38,000 jobs were lost in manufacturing industries, which raised the unemployment rate to 14.7%, compared to 14.2% in 2008 and an average of 14.1% between 2004-2010.
Will the next government also have to face a problem of precariousness?
A recent study by the Tunisian workers' union underlines that "the quality of employment does not meet the expectations of job seekers, who are increasingly qualified". "At more than 14%, the unemployment rate remains high" and particularly among women (16%), those under 25 (30%) and higher education graduates.
From a cross-section of specialist viewpoints, the process of economic liberalization has created employment strongly marked by a model of competitiveness and work organization that generates inappropriate work. Worse, the integration of the economy into the international subcontracting chain with a positioning at the bottom of the value chain further accentuates inequalities and the lack of equity in workers' remuneration.
Should the next government go to the root of the problem, to the failure of the education and training system to understand the handicaps of employability?
In Tunisia, a number of experts and operators note a mismatch between the needs of markets and investors, and the skills available. This mismatch is a particularly crucial problem, insofar as it has a direct impact on economic and human development. It explains the increase in unemployment among higher education graduates whose knowledge and skills do not correspond to the recruitment criteria of companies, which seek more operational skills, capable of adding value from the first days of recruitment.
The crux of the problem is employability, which can be defined, on the one hand, as the individual capacity to find a job and maintain it, and, on the other hand, as the capacity to transfer knowledge and skills within an organization.
Originally, the problem stems largely from the failure of the education, higher education and training system, which is increasingly characterized by a mediocre level and below the expectations of the job market. Diplomas have lost their value, selection is no longer properly done from higher education and the system increasingly produces young people who lack qualifications and do not have enough skills and qualifications to integrate the job market.
Entrepreneurs who lack incentives, supervision and encouragement...
The great paradox today in Tunisia is that economic growth is present even if there has been a slowdown in recent years, but job creation is not keeping pace.
Companies are not in fact sufficiently encouraged to do so. First, they do not find a reliable interlocutor, then the existing offer is below their expectations as underlined above, finally the State does not provide the necessary support to integrate new job seekers. These companies are obliged to proceed with "internal" recruitments and promotions and are no longer very interested in the new skills produced by the educational system.
What are the prospects for reforms to be explored by the next government?
First, it is necessary to strengthen employability through a more reliable vocational training system, which can be considered a particularly suitable solution. Worldwide comparisons show that some countries have perfectly succeeded in their educational system, by focusing on vocational training as a preparatory stage for professional life: the most important of these countries are Germany, Switzerland and Denmark, which have managed to control the phenomenon of unemployment, placing it for the under-25s category at 8%, while in the European area this average peaks at 18.4%.
The implementation of vocational training would make it possible, in particular, to reduce the problems of "mismatch" between the labor market and the qualifications of young graduates. The mismatch can be of several types: quantitative (lack or excess of new graduates in a given field, compared to the needs of the national economy), qualitative - technical (the notions taught are not useful to the future professional) or qualitative - behavioral (insufficient attention is paid to collaborative dimensions - teamwork - or entrepreneurial - initiative and creativity -, to name but a few).
In Tunisia, this mismatch is real and constitutes an obstacle to the economic development of this country which has always relied on its human resources to "boost" its growth. Local but also foreign investors suffer from the quality of the available resources which lack initiative and technical skills in areas essential to the smooth running of companies and large groups.
At what price will it be possible to institute the logic of added value?
In view of this observation, it is essential to bring together the various actors and to create structures for reflection and exchange bringing together representatives from the business world, public decision-makers and training professionals, with the aim of assessing the real needs and consequently developing programs that can best meet them.
A real change creating added value and contributing to solid economic development cannot be achieved without:
- a proactive public policy, ready to allocate significant budgets to higher education and vocational training;
- the establishment of an autonomous educational system, applying good governance rules, and governed by "bottom-up" approaches, rather than uniform "top-down" policies;
- an educational foundation based on a true general culture offering benchmarks (humanism, understanding of the world, etc.) and impetus (capacity to act, create, innovate).
Shall we return more seriously to the PPP concept (partnerships between the public and private sectors)?
Furthermore, an approach based on the development of partnerships between the public and private sectors must be undertaken. The promotion of a culture of business creation and the exchange of information on vocational training qualification approaches. Tunisia must improve the governance of intermediation in the labor market and encourage the creation of efficient information systems.
It is also important to launch large structuring projects capable of creating jobs for a more qualified workforce.
A reorientation of the job market must also be carried out with a more intelligent "production" of manpower able to work internationally and which would be exportable.
In conclusion, it is important to remember that beyond technical vocational training, it seems necessary to provide a behavioral component in training programs. Ethics, integrity, diligence, initiative and leadership are essential elements for forging skills capable of meeting the challenges of development and economic and social progress in the countries of the South.
Maryam Omar.
Webmanagercenter.com
Published on November 3, 2011.
Posted online on November 6, 2011.
