DOHA: Silatech and Somali NGO Shaqodoon have concluded a programme in Hargeisa, Somaliland, training 12 advisers to implement Tamheed career guidance programme.
It was the first Tamheed training in the country.
Silatech is a regional social initiative that works with partners in the Arab world to promote large-scale job creation, entrepreneurship, access to capital and markets, and participation and engagement of young people in economic and social development.
Since its inception in 2008, Silatech has financed over 104,000 youth-owned businesses and created or sustained over 134,000 jobs.
Developed by Silatech and UK-based Mindmill, Tamheed analyses the personality and aptitudes of young people and helps them align with available career paths.
Tamheed is available through Silatech partnerships with universities, NGOs, and government institutions in Qatar, Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Somalia.
Tamheed, part of a partnership between Silatech, Shaqodoon and American Refugee Committee, was signed last June to develop a network of ‘One-Stop Shop’ centres for youth employment and business support services.
These centres in main city centres of Hargeisa, Bosaso and Mogadishu and easily accessible by youth and employers, serve as knowledge and career guidance hubs for jobseekers and entrepreneurs and employers looking for skilled youth.
Services available for jobseekers include soft skills training, Tamheed career guidance and work placement and financial literacy training. Young entrepreneurs are able to access entrepreneurship training, business development services and linkages with partner microfinance institutions.
Twelve students took part during the last day of training, providing an opportunity for newly-trained advisers to conduct career counselling sessions to help them choose careers.
Fahad Shaker, a student, said, “The system is almost magical in that it reflected my personality and behaviour as they are. The adviser helped me identify my potential in a short time and gave me advice on what kind of careers might suit me best.”
Youth unemployment in the Arab world stands at 28 percent — the highest in any region. Although they comprise around two-thirds of the labour force, unemployment rate among young Somalis is one of the highest in any country. According to a 2012 UNDP report, unemployment among Somalis in the 14-29 age group was 67 percent.
The Peninsula
