Africa-Press – Angola. International Youth Day is celebrated worldwide. The date was established by the United Nations (UN), through Resolution 54/120, adopted at the organization’s General Assembly held exactly 25 years ago, on December 17, 1999.The annual celebration of the date aims to recognize the fundamental role of young people in society and is also seen as an opportunity to draw the attention of the international community to youth issues. The occasion also aims to highlight the importance of youth for the progress of society and for sustainable development.
The Angolan Executive, through public policies, has paid special attention to the situation of young people, as stated in the National Development Plan (PDN) 2023-2027.
The document presents a comprehensive approach to youth, highlighting their importance in Angola’s development until 2050.
Seven main issues related to youth are highlighted in the NDP, namely “Empowerment and Employability”, “Gender Equality”, “Sexual and Reproductive Health”, “Civic Participation”, “Support Infrastructures” and “Combating Illiteracy”.
Regarding “Employability Training”, the Angolan Government intends to increase the supply of education and vocational training, with a focus on preparing young people for the job market. This includes the creation of training programs and the promotion of entrepreneurship. The recently launched Angolan National Employment Fund (FUNEA) is one example.
The young girl, in the chapter of “Gender Equality”, is a priority, with actions to reduce gender inequality in access to education and the job market. To this end, the Angolan Executive has carried out awareness campaigns and support programs for young girls in vulnerable conditions.
“Sexual and Reproductive Health” is also a major concern for the Angolan Executive. The document in question emphasizes the need to provide support services to young people in order to reduce teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
Youth participation in civic and social activities, including the creation of volunteering platforms and raising awareness about the importance of youth involvement in society, is also a focus in the NDP 2023-2027.
The Government has built social support infrastructures for young people, such as Youth Houses and Media Libraries, among other ventures, which provide entertainment and offer health counseling services and training in the field of digital technologies.
To ensure the success of these actions, the Executive has also intensified actions to combat illiteracy among young people and adults, by hiring literacy teachers and mobilizing NGOs and associations.
Finally, a look at the “Integral Youth Development”. The NDP 2023-2027 also aims to promote the holistic development of young people, addressing issues such as education, health, employment and social participation. These initiatives aim to ensure that Angolan youth become a valuable asset for the sustainable development of the country, promoting a more just and inclusive society.
For this year, the celebration of International Youth Day has as its motto: “From Clicks to Progress: Digital Youth Pathways for Sustainable Development”.
Local contracts
Through the National Employment Agenda and the National Employment Fund, he explained, MAPTSS created Local Employment Contracts, which can cover 31,000 young people, organized into service provision cooperatives in different areas.
The Executive, through the National Employment Fund, will finance these contracts for a period of 6 to 12 months, so that they can subsequently develop their activities with their own resources. The implementation of this measure will also help to overcome the problem of informality.
On the subject, the Secretary of State for MAPTSS, Pedro Filipe, clarified that “with the creation of cooperatives, these small companies now have a social security number, a tax identification number, and start paying taxes and contributing to Social Security”.
MAPTSS aims to train 400,000 young people by 2027
The Angolan Executive, through the Ministry of Public Administration, Labor and Social Security (MAPTSS), has established an ambitious training plan that aims to cover 400,000 young people by 2027, in various areas of training, as recently said in Luanda by the Secretary of State for Labor and Social Security, Pedro Filipe, during the 11th thematic session of the “Communicating for Angola” program.
To achieve this goal, the projection points to an annual average of 112,000 young people trained throughout the country. The full functioning of training centres is essential to achieve this goal. There are currently three Integrated Technological Training Centres (CINFOTEC), two located in Luanda and one in Huambo. The construction of a new Integrated Technological Training Centre in Cabinda and the restructuring of 82 arts and crafts pavilions are planned by 2027.
The review of professional qualifications is also part of the Angolan Executive’s strategy, with the strengthening of Professional Training Centers. The goal is to accredit 240 training entities by 2027, in order to increase the quality and quantity of training offered.
MAPTSS, with the aim of encouraging young people to participate in the vocational training system, will implement subsidies for vocational training in arts and crafts pavilions throughout the country. This initiative is particularly relevant in rural areas, where many young people abandon training programs due to socio-economic difficulties.
As part of its efforts to promote employment, MAPTSS launched on 7 August the Angolan National Employment Fund (FUNEA), created by the National Employment Agenda and regulated by Presidential Decree 133/23. With an initial investment of 27 billion kwanzas, the Fund will be an essential tool to support active employment and self-employment policies in the country.
Isaac Lourenco | Journalist
National Employment Fund supports the integration of recent graduates
On 6 August, the National Employment Fund (FUNEA) was officially launched, created with the aim of guaranteeing financial resources for the promotion of employment, including for the insertion of recent graduates and unemployed citizens into the job market and to correct the constraints that still exist.
The commitment was reaffirmed by the Minister of State for Economic Coordination, José de Lima Massano, who was present at the Launch of the Employment and Entrepreneurship Measures Funded by FUNEA. On the occasion, he stated that the Fund “is the financial arm of the National Employment Agenda”.
However, the National Employment Agenda is the result of a consultation process, based on the diagnosis made on the situation and prospects for the development of employment in Angola, carried out by the Government in partnership with and with the contributions presented by the Confederation of Youth Associations, by political-party youth associations, as well as by associations representing workers and the business class, the Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé (CEAST) and the Council of Christian Churches in Angola (CICA), which allowed the definition of a realistic and inclusive agenda.
In the National Development Plan (PDN) 2023-2027, the Government recognizes that, with a growing population dominated by an essentially young fringe, job creation is a permanent challenge that requires a multiplicity of options, so that social dividends can be materialized and maintained sustainably.
According to the Minister of State for Economic Coordination, the Government, still in the PDN 2023-2027, mentioned as an objective to reduce unemployment, through the implementation of specific actions that contribute to the development of practical skills.
These actions, said the Minister of State, aim to facilitate and accelerate entry into the business world and a professional training system to support less qualified workers, particularly young people, who represent the largest percentage of unemployed citizens.
The Fund’s financial resources, the head of the Government’s Economic Team announced, will be used to create and support public and private projects and initiatives that generate employment, through financing and other incentives.
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