Enhanced capacity for evidence-based macro economic and employment policies and programmes that place youth employment at the center of national development

Evidence from the 2018 SIDA-funded Employment Diagnostic Analysis (EDA) suggests that the Ugandan economy has experienced decades of ‘jobless growth’—growth accompanied by insufficient job creation. Uganda urgently needs to create high-quality, productive, decent jobs that will foster new economic opportunities for the rapidly expanding young population, boost growth (which has lately waned), reduce poverty (which has recently increased to 21.4%) and increase social cohesion. The 2011 Government of Uganda’s National Employment Policy (NEP) has 10 key priority focus areas which provide a guiding framework for all Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Workers and Employers as well as Development Partners to create conditions for decent employment. ILO support was being provided to government and social partners to finalize the EDA (funded by SIDA Uganda) and the NORAD funded skills work which has supported the development of a National Apprenticeship Framework. As prescribed by Employment Policy Convention, No. 122 which is ratified by Uganda, these programmes are being developed in a consultative manner with tripartite participation. Government has also already committed some resources to implementing of some of these policies and programmes, albeit with some challenges in sectoral planning and coordination as well as with limitations of funding. The EDA has so far provided the Government of Uganda and social partners with vital situational analysis and indicative proposals / recommendations on inclusive growth and productive employment which are being considered as possible areas of focus in order to review the 2011 NEP as well as areas for consideration in developing the third generation of Uganda’s National Development Plan (NDP III) and Employment Strategy. ILO’s continued support will be in the form of technical support for the review of polices for decent job creation, capacity building of tripartite partners to design and implement pro- employment programmes as well as on facilitating dialogue for employment creation (as prescribed by C122). The ILO will provide capacity enhancement to foster the accomplishment and implementation of these vital macroeconomic and policy frameworks, programmes and plans. Some of the Sida-targeted Outcome-based funding support will go towards development of a roadmap for the implementation of the policy suggestions of the EDA. More support will also be availed to increasing dialogue and dissemination of the Employment Diagnostics Analysis study as well as to finalization and implementation of the pilot apprenticeship programme in one key sector as guided by the NDP II.

Project symbol

UGA/18/51/SWE

Admin unit

CO-Dar es Salaam

Start date

01/05/2018

End date

31/03/2020

Total allocation

198503

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

179020

Development Partners

Sweden, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

Country/Countries

Uganda

Outcomes

Outcome 3: Economic, social and environmental transitions for full, productive and freely chosen employment and decent work for all