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Tunis, Tunisia, October 29, 2013
—IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, signed an agreement today designed to improve the employment prospects of young people in Tunisia’s up-and-coming information and communication technology (ICT) sector.
IFC will advise the National Federation of Information and Communication Technology, a member of the Tunisian Industry, Commerce, and Artisans Union, as it formalizes standards for the ICT industry. The effort will help monitor trends in the labor market, outline the skills and education needed to work in the sector, and help educational institutions better align their programs with the needs of employers. These measures are crucial because while Tunisia’s ICT sector is booming, there is a mismatch between the skills of graduating students and the demands of employers.
"The ICT sector is rapidly expanding and constantly evolving, but unfortunately many recent graduates do not have the right training," said Kais Sellami, President of the National Federation of Information and Communication Technology. "This initiative will help give young people an education that is relevant, helping drive growth in the industry.”
The ICT sector is one of the most dynamic in Tunisia. It currently produces 7 percent of GDP, equal to the tourism industry. That represents a more than three-fold increase over the last decade.
"Unemployment is a critical threat to the region’s stability and economic growth,” said Antoine Courcelle-Labrousse, IFC’s Principal Country Officer in Tunisia. "This partnership will reinforce the dialogue between universities and businesses and improve youth employability to support Tunisian economic growth."
This partnership is part of IFC’s E4E Initiative for Arab Youth, a joint effort with the Islamic Development Bank. Active in Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco, the program is designed to help equip young people with the skills and education in demand by employers.
The partnership with the National Federation of Information and Communication Technology was made possible with the support of the Government of the Netherlands, the Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs, and UKaid.
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. Working with private enterprises in more than 100 countries, we use our capital, expertise, and influence to help eliminate extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity. In FY13, our investments climbed to an all-time high of nearly $25 billion, leveraging the power of the private sector to create jobs and tackle the world’s most pressing development challenges. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org
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About the National Federation of Information and Communication Technology
The National Federation of Information and Communication Technology is one of 17 industry federations composing the Tunisian Industry, Commerce, and Artisans Union. The National Federation of Information and Communication Technology contains eight chambers. Its mission is to plan and implement actions to develop the ICT sector and promote private businesses, to provide advocacy support to ICT chambers in order to improve the business climate, and to represent the ICT sector in the national, regional, and international spheres. For more information, please visit
www.utica.org.tn
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