In a bid to strengthen access to employment, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko unveiled an ambitious plan yesterday during the Council of Ministers. The plan comprises reforms, strategic sectors, infrastructure, and local projects aimed at building a "Senegal with sustainable employment."

"For the Prime Minister, the sustainable management of employment is essential to the nation's economic and social life, to guarantee every Senegalese citizen the possibility of accessing decent and lasting work. He noted that the Employment sector faces cyclical crises generated primarily by the problem of integrating job seekers. He highlighted the low qualification level of human resources, stemming from insufficient supply due to weak business activity and the inadequate development of high-potential, job-creating sectors," states the communiqué from the weekly meeting held at the Palace of the Republic.

Furthermore, Ousmane Sonko pointed out the mismatch between training and employment, low employability, the ineffectiveness of funding, support, and guidance systems, and constraints related to the Labor Code.

Consequently, he outlined the measures taken by the government, including implementing an inclusive process to develop a national employment policy. This policy will account for the rationalization of governance structures and will strengthen the National State-Employers Convention, as well as provisions on apprenticeships and dual training.

Moreover, the government has committed to implementing the Social Stability Pact, in addition to signing the decree on the general status of local government civil servants and the decree setting the lump-sum allowance for non-civil servant staff of local governments. The generalization of the housing allowance is also part of this commitment.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister asserted that the renewal of employment will be driven by the development of strategic sectors, the revival of infrastructure construction projects, the establishment of agropoles, and the expansion of the industrial fabric. "In this framework, the government will work, notably, to finalize and adopt the framework law on employment, to reform the Labor Code and social security, to evaluate and strengthen the organizational and financial capacity of the National State-Employers Convention, and to rationalize the structures responsible for promoting employment," the statement reads.

It is indicated that "the Prime Minister also announced the strengthening of the link between employment and training, the pooling and optimization of structures, interventions, and resources, the establishment of a grand coalition for employment, the development of local employment in territorial hubs, and the implementation of labor-intensive public works projects (HIMO)." The statement also informed about strengthening employment hubs and establishing Local Employment Initiative Centers (CIEL) in each department, as well as local missions for employment and entrepreneurship in each municipality.