BUJUMBURA January 26th (ABP) – The Ambassador of the European Union, Claude Bochu, explained the initiatives of the European Union aimed at promoting employment and entrepreneurship, on the occasion of the launch of the job roundtable organized from 24 to 25 January 2023 in Bujumbura, by the Ministry of Public Service, Labor and Employment, sectoral ministries and key actors in development, with funding of the European Union, through its “Dukurire Hamwe” program.
In his speech, Claude Bochu indicated that the round table was organized within the framework of a priority shared between the government of Burundi, civil society and other actors, namely the establishment of a national coordination framework and permanent dialogue between actors in the field of employment, as one of the supports for sustainable development in Burundi.
Thus, he declared, “employment and entrepreneurship for young people and women is at the heart of the priorities of the European Union”. He explained that it is a way to promote participation and the creation of decent jobs and to support the economy with new initiatives and forms of employment, more in harmony with changes in society.
According to Mr. Bochu, young Burundian women and men have the potential to create a new dynamic generating economic growth and employment. He affirmed that this round table comes in addition to the efforts already made by the EU and its Member States, such as the improvement of the public-private dialogue, the business framework or those aimed specifically at strengthening civil society organizations so that they are dynamic actors and ready to meet the employment challenges of today and tomorrow.
Through its support program for civil society in Burundi (PASCB), “Dukurire Hamwe”, the EU is committed to strengthening local actors whose contributions, experience and anchoring are invaluable for the implementation of the PND 2018-2027. The EU also contributes to addressing challenges related to access to technical and entrepreneurial skills relevant to the labor market.
According to Ambassador Bochu, the European Union is also preparing a program of 12 million euros to support the training and professional integration of young people whose first contracts will be signed during this year 2023. That program also aims to support the government of Burundi in improving the quality of vocational training, in order to enable young men and women to improve their professional skills and increase their chances of professional integration and claim decent employment.
He also pointed out that the EU already has other projects, namely the project to support the socio-economic integration of young people for peace and development, “Inkingi z’amahoro mw’iterambere” and the project “Support to women entrepreneurs in the agribusiness and handicraft sector”, all implemented by international and national NGOs.
As societies evolve more and more rapidly under the impetus of technical progress of globalization, exchanges of new ways of producing, trading and communicating, Mr. Bochu suggests that it is fundamental, for the future of a country and its place in the concert of nations, to equip its young people with the tools, skills and keys that will allow them to be full actors in their society.