EMERGING partnerships between Africa and the Middle East, mediated by international labour and development agencies, have already enabled the private sector and development partners to offer a range of employment opportunities abroad for youth, based on their skills and qualifications, the government has affirmed.

Deus Sangu, the Labour, Employment and Relations state minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) made this observation at a global labour market conference here at the start of the week, bringing together labour ministers from more than 45 countries.

The conference provided a platform to discuss strategies for labour market cooperation, promote decent jobs for youth and harness science and technology to strengthen employment initiatives, as the Tanzanian government, in collaboration with private agencies, is actively deploying thousands of youths to the UAE and other nations to address unemployment.

Over 1,300 youths had already been deployed by midmonth, with opportunities ranging from nursing, construction, skilled trades and 500 recent roles for motorcycle drivers, where these positions require formal recruitment, mostly coordinated with PMO, he said 

The third global labor market conference in Riyadh on Monday and Tuesday featured high-level participation with over 40 labour ministers, international organizations (such as the International Labour Organization (ILO) ILO and the World Bank, along with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), as multilateral stakeholders in these efforts, sources affirmed. 

Labour ministers were drawn from the G20 membership, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, where six African countries participated, mostly from the English speaking sphere, where the minister underlined the government’s efforts to create more employment opportunities for young people via these partnerships.

This effort is linked with setting up vocational training centres to provide skills aligned with labour market demands, the sort of practical skills fostering innovation and creating employment opportunities, he said.

He cited the National Skills Development Programme offering apprenticeship training to build young people’s capacity to merit recruitment when such opportunities come up, locally or abroad, he said.

Tanzanian youth jobs delivered from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had major target sectors as nursing, construction (electrical, tiling, welding activities, cargo handling and transportation (drivers), he stated.

The government has accelerated efforts, with 109 youths departing recently to various countries including the UAE, while the government is strengthening employment management systems and providing pre-departure training, he further noted.

Formal recruitment requires valid travel documents and vetting, with employers managing the visa process, where it is recommended that interested youth engage through official channels, such as the Ministry of Labour, to ensure safety and legitimacy, a current advisory specifies.