July 24^th was an important day for 155 youth in Gabode who successfully completed 18 days of Work Ready Now! training under the USAID Workforce Development Program (WFD), implemented by Education Development Center (EDC) in collaboration with the National Agency for Employment, Training and Job Placement (ANEFIP).  A total of 475 youth completed WRN training across all of Djibouti’s regions in July.  A total of 1,624 youth have completed the training to date.  ANEFIP Director General, USAID representatives and EDC’s Chief of Party were pleased to present the graduates with their training certificates.

During the closing ceremony, the Director General of ANEFIP, Mr. Mahamoud Omar Guelleh, encouraged jobseekers to seize any opportunity to gain work experience, no matter how small.  He also advised them to register in ANEFIP offices.  The WFD Head of Project, Mrs. Laura Dillon-Binkley, encouraged them to continue moving forward and to take initiative on their own to search for a job.  A representative of USAID, Mr. Moussa Abdillahi, congratulated them for having completed the training and wished them good luck.

Through Work Ready Now! Training, participants gain self-confidence and preparation for the world of work.  One participant at the Gabode training center said that, “to go into the field, one needs to be armed.  This training is my weapon.”  A participant from Tadjourah shared that, “before the training, I blamed everyone else for my situation.  Now I am convinced that I am the master of my own future.”

Work Ready Now! is a competency-based training program consisting of 7 modules delivered over 76 hours.  The first four modules focus on foundational skills that allow participants to better know and manage themselves, as well as to improve their skills in critical analysis, leadership, team work, communication, taking initiative, and resolving problems.  The three remaining modules help youth understand risks in the workplace, the rights and responsibilities of employees and employers, as well as how to plan and manage their personal finances.

In 2018, 72 participants out of 359 interviewed stated that they had found a job within the months following the training.  In collaboration with ANEFIP, as well as the Chamber of Commerce of Djibouti and the National Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, WFD will ensure there is a better link between job opportunities and qualified jobseekers to better facilitate durable job opportunities for youth.  To participate, unemployed youth can register at the nearest ANEFIP office.

The United States Mission to Djibouti, which includes USAID/Djibouti, also promotes youth employment through English language training and vocational skills training for both refugee and Djiboutian youth.