Understanding the labour market and business opportunities are crucial for a demand-driven technical and vocational training system. More than 50 representatives from the government, the private sector, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations and academia have taken part in a workshop to deliberate on the findings of an assessment of labour market demands and needs in Khartoum State. Commissioned by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Khartoum State Supreme Council for Human Development and Labour (SCHDL), the survey was conducted by Elasima Center for Training, Labour and Migration Studies (ECTLMS).
Mohamed Elsayed Abdelmomen, UNIDO Country Representative to Sudan, highlighted the importance of understanding the skills mismatch and the challenges facing the labour market for developing demand-driven technical and vocational training and responding to Khartoum’s youth unemployment.
In his remarks, Abdelati Mohamed Elkheir, Secretary General of Khartoum State-SCHDL highlighted that the public perception of technical and vocational education is changing and that more and more youths are choosing vocational training as the best path to enter the job market. He pledged government support in promoting vocational education through its network of vocational training and entrepreneurship centres in Khartoum State.
Mohamed Mostafa, Commissioner of Jebel Awlia locality, reaffirmed the importance of the labour market study for improving technical and vocational training and emphasized the crucial role it plays in promoting job opportunities for youth in Khartoum State.
Abdelmoniem, Director of the ECTLMS, presented findings of the study and highlighted that over 90% of industry in Sudan is in the unorganized or informal sector and that there is huge demand for skilled workers by the formal and informal sector. He further emphasized that the agriculture and livestock, food and beverages, oil, leather and service sectors will be the main drivers of economic growth and job creation in the near future.
The labour market assessment was conducted within the framework of the 3EACTION project, funded by the European Union, to enhance employment opportunities and stimulate entrepreneurship for unemployed youth, especially migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and host communities in Khartoum State.
