This Thursday, 13 June, the government defended the equipping of the National Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (INEFP) as a crucial strategy for the success of the Promotion of Vocational Education and Employment (PEPE) project, the Agência de Informação de Moçambique reported.
The statement was made in Maputo by the permanent secretary of the Secretary of State for Youth and Employment, Ivete Alane, during the annual PEPE reflection meeting, an event organised by the government and partners such as the European Union (EU) and German Cooperation.
“We see the project as one of the mechanisms with the potential to help promote companies. We want this project to move very quickly from debates, seminars and workshops to the field and practice, with the aim of employing citizens,” she said.
The government also defended the certification of vocational training centres, the extension of work-linked training, the training of trainers and the equipping of the employment centres of the National Institute for Employment and Vocational Training. “Job centres are traditionally the gateway for young people looking for work. It is there that they receive the necessary guidance on professional training, vocational training, formal employment and self-employment,” said Ivete Alane.
The source praised the EU for the recent introduction of the project entitled “Empower to Employ”, which aims, among several objectives, to equip young people to lead the socio-economic and green transformation in the country, with a focus on the renewable energy, transport and logistics sectors, among others, due to their enormous potential for leveraging economic growth and job creation.
The head of cooperation at the German Embassy, Christine de Barros Said, reiterated that the issue of professional education and employment is at the centre of her government’s attention. “Our efforts are focused on supporting development through the modernisation of Institutes of Technical and Vocational Education, as well as influencing the ongoing training of teachers, trainers and curriculum development in line with current demands in the modern labour market,” she said.
The head of the European Union’s Infrastructure, Private Sector Development and Investment team, Veerle Smet, announced that a new project for young people is underway, called “Promoting Employment for Women” in the green transformation in Africa, which aims to engage young people in the green transformation, particularly in the connectivity chain in order to emphasise the activities underway in the Maputo, Beira and Nacala corridors.
Budgeted at 579.2 million meticals (8.5 million euros), the project is aligned with the objectives of the EU team’s two initiatives in the country: the PEPE project and job promotion.