The African Employers’ Task Force on Employment and Employability has drawn up a Blueprint for Jobs in Africa. The Blueprint sets out ten Recommendations that African governments, working closely with employers’ organisations and trade unions, should implement in order to sustain growth and accelerate the pace of job creation in the continent.

Job creation is an important priority of the African Union Commission in the Ouagadougou Declaration on Employment and Poverty Alleviation and the Africa 2063 Agenda. It is also an important objective of the UN Sustainable Development Goal number 8 which seeks to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and decent work for all. Job creation through sustainable enterprises is a core priority of the IOE.

In order to continue with this work, the International Organization of Employers (IOE), with the support of the International Labor Organization, the European Commission and other partners, will launch the Jobs for Africa foundation. The main objective is to advance the work of the Taskforce by supporting governments, African employers’ organisations and trade unions to implement the 10 Recommendations of the Blueprint for Jobs in Africa.

Jamal Belahrach of CGEM Morocco will continue leading this work and will be supported by Frederick Muia and Anetha Awuku of the IOE.

The IOE announced that the European Commission has agreed to fund the next social partners’ forum on Jobs for Africa, which will be hosted by the Tunisian Employers’ Federation (UTICA) in Tunis on December 15-16, 2016. A formal invitation will be forwarded to our members and partners in Africa in due course.