The Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with First Consult for BRIDGES Program to implement the digitization of labor supply and matching database across seven industrial parks. The program, EIC Commissioner Lelise Neme said in a tweet, is funded by Mastercard Foundation.
Inking the MoU were Lelise Neme, EIC Commissioner, and Michael Addisu, Manager of Mastercard Foundation's Young Africa Works in Ethiopia.
In her remarks during the signing of the MoU, Ms. Lelise pointed out the digital labor database will support the creation of close to 600,000 jobs for young people, 80 percent of which are women. Fifteen thousand micro, small and medium enterprises will also benefit from the digital labor database, ENA reported.
Ms. Lelise also indicated 300,000 unemployed young people will gain support in the form of equipping them with soft skills and awareness of the industry through industrial park job creation initiatives and market linkage between industrial parks and MSMEs.
The Commissioner further expressed hope that the digital labor database will unlock the potential for job creation within industrial parks, and also help create a conducive ecosystem in their vicinity. Consequently, the partnership is expected to lead to a series of job creation and employment interventions across several industrial parks throughout Ethiopia.
Michael Addisu, First Consult for BRIDGES Programme Project Manager, for his part, said the digital industrial park labor database system will promote local value addition and domestic linkages between large investors and local supplies.
Seven industrial parks - Adama, Debrebrhan, Dire Dawa, Bahirdar, Hawassa, Mekelle and Kombolcha - will take part in the first round utilization of the labor database, ENA reports.
