In July, the Government of the Italian Republic and the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia signed the implementing agreements related to two initiatives within the Ethio-Italian Cooperation Country Framework.
On the 1st of July, 2021, H.E. Arturo Luzzi, the Ambassador of Italy to Ethiopia, and H.E. Yasmin Wohabrebbi, the State Minister of Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Finance of Ethiopia, signed the agreement to implement the Programme “Entrepreneurship development and employment creation for women entrepreneurs – Focus on supporting women to enter or grow in the leather sector”.
With a budget of 1 Million Euros on grant, the project will be implemented by the Ministry of Urban Development and Construction (MoUDC) through the Federal Urban Job Creation and Food Security Agency (FUJCFSA). The Programme aims to promote entrepreneurial development and employment opportunities for women in the leather sector enhancing entrepreneurial skills, strengthening market linkages, and networking opportunities.
On the 19th of July, H.E. Arturo Luzzi, the Ambassador of Italy to Ethiopia, and H.E. Ahmed Shide, the Minister of Finance of Ethiopia, signed the Implementing Agreement on Building Labour Market Intermediation that supports Economic Transformation in Ethiopia.
With a grant of 4 Million Euros provided by the Government of Italy, the overall objective of the project is to improve labour market outcomes for the rural population in Ethiopia by building effective Public Employment Services. The project aims to establish pilot rural job centers in three regions of the country providing services to vulnerable job seekers.
The project is part of the Ethiopian government’s “National Job Creation Plan 2020-2025” established to respond to one of the national priorities – creating jobs for millions of young Ethiopians entering the workforce each year and reducing the national unemployment rate.
The Jobs Creation Commission (JCC) together with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA) will be in charge of the implementation of the project.
The agreements were also countersigned by the Head of the Italian Development Cooperation Agency’s (AICS) Office in Addis Ababa, Isabella Lucaferri.
The projects fall within one of the AICS priority areas in Ethiopia. In fact, job creation support, especially for youth and women, is one of the sectors where Italian cooperation invests the most in the Country. The Agency’s role is important throughout the different phases of the projects, providing support to the Ethiopian partners from the project design to the monitoring and evaluation.