BUJUMBURA October 28th (ABP) – The Minister of National Education and Scientific Research, François Havyarimana, underlined, in his explanatory memorandum for the approval and ratification by the Republic of Burundi of the Grant Agreement for the PACEJ funding granted to Burundi by the International Development Association (IDA), that the Support Project for the Improvement of Skills and Employability of Women and Youth (PACEJ) aims to promote entrepreneurship young people.
Minister Havyarimana, who spoke on Tuesday October 26, 2021, at the Kigobe hemicycle, in front of the members of the lower house of parliament, said that among the priorities of PACEJ, also include improving the development of oriented skills towards the labor market and the strengthening of data systems for market-oriented skills development, project management, monitoring and evaluation and contingent emergency response, a check on the site by ABP has revealed.
According to the Minister of National Education and Scientific Research, this project aims to restructure and upgrade vocational training and apprenticeship establishments in sectors with growth and jobs, and the setting up learning and integration mechanisms for young people based on professional support and guidance, work placements and entrepreneurship.
Specifically, Minister Havyarimana specified that the project will develop institutional and technical frameworks for diversified training courses aligned with the demand for skills expected in the labor market.
That project will set up mechanisms to promote coordination between the ministries concerned and cooperation with professional organizations in the private sector, and will facilitate information between young people, training centers and businesses, without forgetting to contribute to the creation of employment for women and young people, with particular emphasis on digital skills.
Since the project will also benefit foreign refugees living in Burundi when they already benefit from the care and support of the UNHCR, the elected representatives estimated that the refugees will have much more advantage over nationals. In addition, they proposed that refugees be granted a minimal percentage compared to that of nationals.
The Minister responsible for National Education stressed that the consideration of refugees is in accordance with the commitments made by the government with reference to the 1951 Convention on Refugees. In addition, he added, the inclusion of that category is also a condition of the project’s eligibility for Refugee Window funds amounting to US $ 20 million.
He also noted that refugees will have no greater advantage than nationals because, he explained, young refugees will benefit from training / apprenticeship in vocational education centers in the refugee camps.
Refugees will participate in entrepreneurship training and the development of competitive business plans to receive support for the implementation of their projects on the same basis and under the same conditions as nationals. “The induced effects of refugee projects such as production, taxes, job creation and many others will directly benefit Burundi, the host country,” Minister Havyarimana said.
Note that this project, which will be feasible across the whole country to the tune of 80 million US dollars, will last five years and will come into force in November 2021 to be closed on October 30, 2026.