Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth

The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) offers one-stop portal for services to migrants and recruitment agencies – pre, during and after migration.

Migration of African Talents through Capacity building and Hiring (MATCH) is a 39‑month initiative funded by the European Union (EU) aimed at providing skilled talents to European private sector companies whose needs for qualified staff could not be satisfied by the offer available on the EU labour market. 

By joining MATCH, companies from Belgium, Italy, The Netherlands and Luxembourg were supported with the sourcing and pre-selection of African talents from Senegal and Nigeria, two countries offering a surplus of qualified professionals.

This project assisted host community members and SuTPs in gaining access to formal employment through the delivery of a vocational training programme, developing beneficiaries’ vocational and technical skills. This intervention created livelihood opportunities in the local market for programme graduates, specifically focused on the production of niche agri-food products with strong and stable consumer demand.

FAO supported the vocational skills of Syrians under Temporary Protaction (SuTPs) in the food and agriculture sector to improve their access to employment opportunities. Building on assessment results showing significant shortage of skilled and semi-skilled labour in the sector in southern and south-eastern Turkey, FAO in partnership with UNHCR and the private sector carried out vocational trainings in the agriculture, food processing and livestock sectors for unemployed SuTPs and host communities.

Reintegration of young migrants into their countries of origin requires coordination between several organizations. In Kenya, FAO has partnered with IOM and other organizations to build the skills and knowledge of young migrants and rural residents in migration-prone areas to harness the potential of migration and economic mobility, specifically in areas of agriculture and rural development. 

The database provides an OECD country-level analysis of demand and supply for skills to address skill imbalances in the labour market. The OECD Skills for Jobs database is an analytical tool designed for policymakers, practitioners and the general public to understand where gaps are emerging between skill supply and demand, by providing country-level information for a wide range of skill categories, including cognitive, social and physical skills. Since its first release in 2017, the database has expanded its country coverage significantly. 

The "One Million by 2021 Initiative" was launched in April 2019 to catalyze action for youth development in Africa. The African Union Commission does this by facilitating connections between AU Member States, corporate sponsors and development partners to inspire investment in African youth. It aims to create 1 million new opportunities for Young Africans in education, employment, entrepreneurship, and engagement across the continent and in the diaspora.

The Skills Initiative for Africa (SIFA) is an initiative of the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Union Development Agency (AUDANEPAD) supported by the German Government and the European Union. SIFA promotes the occupational prospects of young Africans through the support of innovative skills development programmes and close cooperation with the private sector as an integral key stakeholder in the creation of jobs. The initiative consists of two components, a Finance Facility and a Technical Component.

The project works with private-sector partners in the garment industry, logistics, ICT, optometry tourism and construction to make training better oriented to employment, to align on-the-job training experience with industry demands and to further increase private sector participation in technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

Swedish Association on Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR) - Launched in February 2015, this fasttrack initiative by the Swedish government is targeted at the quick labour market inclusion of newly arrived immigrants with residency permits and a prior work experience or education connected to a sector in the country facing a labour shortage. The targeted immigrants are offered an initial Swedish language training followed by a profession specific-Swedish language training and eventually an internship in the particular professions or as guidance counsellors and language tutors.