Materials of Seminar on Employment, TVET and Youth the Mediterranean Region - Amman May 2012

The unrest in several Southern Mediterranean countries is clearly linked to economic weaknesses. The youth employment gap, low labour force youth participation rates, particularly for women, demographic pressure, weak education and training systems or limited job creation are some examples of the challenges that the region is currently facing. Employment, decent work and skills development, particularly for young people, have become major issues in EU's development cooperation with the Southern Neighbourhood region in the post-Arab spring context.

EuropeAid Unit D3 has organised a knowledge-sharing Regional Seminar on Employment and Skills Development with a focus on Youth in Amman on 21-23 May 2012. It constituted a privileged platform among EU Delegations staff in ENP south countries, headquarters and various international development partners (such as EIB, ETF, ILO and others) which allowed for developing a mutual understanding and a collaborative approach on the areas of employment, TVET and youth policies; for sharing of relevant experiences from the region; and to jointly conclude on a number of key points and recommendations for future interventions.

Agenda and concept note

View synthesis report of the seminar

AGENDA

DAY 1: Monday 21 May

9:00-10:45 Session 1: OPENING AND CONTEXT

• Ms. Joanna Wronecka, Head of European Delegation in Jordan

• Aims and objectives of the seminar, Hélène Bourgade, Head of Unit D3, DG DEVCO

• Dynamics of the regional seminar, Iván Martín, Consultant-Facilitator

KEY-NOTE SPEECH: EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC CHALLENGES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION - Jean Louis Reiffers, Co-director, FEMISE Report on the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership 2011, Towards a New Med Region: Achieving Fundamental Transitions

11:15-13:00 Session 2: EMPLOYMENT POLICY FOR ALL IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION

• Promoting Decent and Productive Jobs in the Mediterranean: Situation and Prospects, Dorothea Schmidt, ILO

• UfM Regional Employability Review 2011, Ummuhan Bardak, ETF

• Employment policy instruments in the European Union, Charlotte Olsson-Altansur, DG EMPL

• Case Studies: Morocco: Multiple instruments according to maturity of government strategies, Olga Luisa Anghelakis, EU Delegation in Morocco

14:00-15:45 Session 3: EMPLOYMENT, YOUTH AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AS A NEW PRIORITY FOR EU ACTION IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

• Employment within the framework of EU Development Cooperation, Henrik Huitfeldt, DG DEVCO

• The policy dialogue between the EU and Mediterranean Partner Countries in the field of employment and labour, Charlotte Olsson-Altansur, DG EMPL

• Issues on EU cooperation modalities in the field of employment and skills development. Bilateral cooperation (general budget support, sector support, project approach), Irene Mingasson, EU Delegation in Jordan

• Regional programmes, Miryam Ibáñez, DG DEVCO

• Thematic programmes: "Investing in people", Alba Riobo Souto, DG DEVCO

• Case Study: Articulation between the EU and other development partners: the case of Tunisia, Nabil Ben Nacef, EU Delegation in Tunisia

16:15-18:00 Session 4: LABOUR MARKET ANALYSIS

• Analysing labour markets in the Middle East and North Africa, Tariq Haq, ILO, Department Economic and Labour Market Analysis, Geneva

• Labour Market Information Systems as a basis for efficient employment policies, Iván Martín, Consultant

• Case Study: Accounting for the employment impact in the framework of credit and investment assessment, Sabine Bernabe, EIB

***

DAY 2: Tuesday 22 May

9:00-9:45 Session 5: YOUTH IN TRANSITION IN THE MEDITERRANEAN: POLICY CHALLENGES FOR YOUTH INCLUSION

• Social inclusion and youth in ENP South countries, Alexandre Kolev, Consultant

• School-to-work transition, Ummuhan Bardak, ETF

• Case Studies:

  • Algeria: Programme d’Appui Emploi-Jeunesse, Sophie Huet-Guerriche, EU Delegation in Algeria

  • Euromed Youth Regional Programme, Miryam Ibáñez, DG DEVCO

11:45-13:00 Session 6: SOCIAL DIALOGUE

• How to promote social dialogue in the ENP South region, Abid Briki (ACTRAV, ILO)

• Working with trade unions in the ENP South region, Mustafa Tlili, ITUC Office for Arab Countries

14:00-15:30 Session 7: SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

• Trends and approaches in reforms of vocational education and training in the Mediterranean, Anastasia Fetsi, European Training Foundation

• Improved youth employability in the MENA region, Patrick Daru, International Labour Organization

16:00-17:30 Session 8: SKILLS DEVELOPMENT: CASE STUDIES

• GIZ experiences of VET and entrepreneurship promotion in the MENA region, Mariem Abdelkefi, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, GIZ

• Case Studies:

  • Egypt: Assessment of TVET I y II Programmes, Anna Lixi, EU Delegation in Egypt

  • Jordan ETVET Programme, Abel Piqueras, EU Delegation in Jordan

***

DAY 3: Wednesday 23 May

9:00-10:15 Session 9: THE PUZZLE OF GENDER EQUALITY IN THE REGION

• Women and Work: Access, Limitations and Potential in Egypt, Jordan and Tunisia, Outi Kärkkäinen, ETF

• Which policies to increase women participation in the labour market in Arab countries?, Ivan Martin, consultant

10:45-12:30 Session 10: EMPLOYMENT POLICY INSTRUMENTS

• Public employment services and active labour market policy in the ENP South, Jean-Pierre Callais, Pole Emploi

• The use of employment-intensive programmes and public works in the ENP South, Emmanuel Rubayiza, ILO

• Case Studies:

  • Egypt: Emergency Employment Investment Project, Anna Lixi, EU Delegation in Egypt

  • Algeria: Programme d’Appui au secteur de l’emploi, Sophie Huet-Guerriche, EU Delegation in Algeria

  • Tunisia: Support Programme for Less Developed Areas, Nabil Ben Nacef, EU Delegation in Tunisia

13:30-15:00 Session 11: IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTITIONERS IN DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION

Structured discussion facilitated by Hélène Bourgade, Head of Unit D3, DG DEVCO

15:30-18:00 Session 12: EU Delegations coordination meeting (EU staff only)

This event is organised by: EuropeAid Unit D3