2011年-世界发展银行全球_The_AMAL_Program___Hope_for_Unemployed_Youth_in_the_MENA_Region_4页_942kb

AMAL Program Summary: "Hope" for Unemployed Youth in the MENA Region

Core Content

The AMAL (Arabic for "Hope") program is a comprehensive youth employment initiative launched in Tunisia in February 2011, following the Jasmine Revolution. It aims to address high youth unemployment by providing a range of employment services, including career coaching, vocational training, life skills development, retraining, and on-the-job training. The program is publicly financed and supported by the World Bank through the Governance and Opportunities Development Policy Loan (DPL).

Main Components of AMAL

• Career Coaching: Helps youth identify and develop professional goals. ANETI counselors classify beneficiaries into three categories based on their career clarity, with varying levels of coaching intensity.
• Vocational Training: Offers training in manual or practical skills, adapted to regional needs and provided by both public and private institutions.
• Life Skills Training: Focuses on psycho-social and interpersonal skills, such as critical thinking, communication, and stress management. Beneficiaries must complete a three-day introductory course and can enroll in additional modules.
• Retraining: Aims to equip hard-to-employ youth with new, in-demand skills.
• On-the-Job Training: Provides work experience and allows employers to assess performance.

Key Information

Program Beneficiaries

• Eligibility: First-time job seekers with at least an Associate's Degree (tertiary education) from an accredited institution. Individuals who have previously benefited from SIVP are also eligible.
• Participation Requirements: Beneficiaries must report monthly job search efforts via an electronic form and attend all coaching and training sessions. Only three excused absences are allowed.
• Program Reach: Over 170,000 youth have enrolled since 2011. The highest numbers are in Tunis, Sfax, Gafsa, Nabeul, and Medenine.
• Gender Profile: 68% of beneficiaries are women, and 22% are men. This aligns with the gender distribution of registered unemployed university graduates before AMAL's launch.
• Education Profile: 88% of beneficiaries have degrees in Sciences, Management & Law, and Humanities & Arts. Women are more likely to have degrees in Management & Law (32%), while men are more likely to have degrees in Sciences (46%).

Unemployment Profile

• 77,000 beneficiaries (45% of total) obtained their diplomas between 12 and 24 months prior to AMAL's launch.
• AMAL targets long-term unemployed youth, with 77,000 beneficiaries having been unemployed for more than 12 months.

Challenges and Opportunities

Constraints on Labor Demand

• Youth unemployment in Tunisia is structural, driven by limited job opportunities. AMAL addresses supply-side issues but may struggle to impact labor market outcomes without increased demand.

Implementation

• ANETI must enhance its capacity to deliver employment services, especially coaching and life skills training.
• Strong partnerships with private providers and NGOs are essential, as these services have traditionally been state-monopolized.
• Efficient data exchange and coordination between employment and training agencies are needed to improve program effectiveness.

Private Sector Involvement

• Close coordination with the private sector is crucial for on-the-job training and aligning training with market needs.

Sustainability

• AMAL is a one-year program with implementation costs equivalent to about 1% of GDP in 2011. Its long-term sustainability is uncertain, especially for Arab countries with similar economic constraints.

Conclusion

AMAL represents a significant step towards addressing youth unemployment in the MENA region. It introduces a more comprehensive and flexible approach to employment support, combining traditional and modern elements. While it faces challenges related to implementation, private sector engagement, and sustainability, it has the potential to serve as a model for other countries in the region. If successful, AMAL could contribute to social cohesion, temporary income support, and improved employability of university graduates.

Contact Information

• Director, MNACS: Emmanuel Mbi
• Regional Knowledge and Learning Team: Omer Karasapan, Roby Fields, and Hafed Al-Ghwell
• Tel #: (202) 473 8177
• MNA K&L Fast Briefs: http://go.worldbank.org/OXADZV7110