The International Labour Organization's (ILO) PROSPECTS project, in partnership with Jigjiga Polytechnic College (JPTC), has graduated its second cohort of 75 trainees from a vocational skills training program in the Somali region of Ethiopia. The program, a three-month course focused on skills such as electrical installation, plumbing, beauty, and food preparation, aims to equip youth from both refugee and host communities with essential skills for employment and self-employment.

At the graduation ceremony, Ashenafi Demeke, Education Service Team Leader at the Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS), underscored the program’s importance for fostering technical capacity and promoting social and economic inclusion. “The training is a crucial step towards building technical capacity and fostering social and economic inclusion of refugees in the region in the public TVET institutions. It also aligns with Ethiopia's commitment to include refugees in its national education system and provide vocational training to 20,000 refugees and host community members by 2027,” Demeke said.