Silatech and Microsoft have partnered with the Business Reform & Competitiveness Project (BRCP), which is implemented by the international development organization Pragma Corporation, to boost support for the Tounes Ta3mal youth employability platform (www.tounesta3mal.com). The tripartite partnership was formally announced on March 5th at the Investment & Entrepreneurship Conference, an event organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Tunisia, the PNB-NAPEO Tunisia local chapter and the U.S. State Department.

Youth unemployment is a longstanding and acute problem in the Arab world. At 29 percent, Arab countries have the highest rate of youth unemployment of any region in the world. The problem is especially acute in Tunisia, which according to the Tunisian government has a youth unemployment rate of 42.3 percent.

Founded in April 2012 by Silatech and Microsoft, Ta3mal is a regional network with specialized country online portals developed for Egypt, Qatar, Iraq, Tunisia, Algeria, Palestine and Morocco. Silatech and Microsoft are regional co-partners, while at the local level, 64 partners from the non-profit, educational, governmental and private sectors provide specialized content, job opportunities and access to services appropriate for each country.

Launched in Tunisia in October 2013 in partnership with Edupartage, Tounes Ta3mal helps young job seekers by connecting them with tools, resources, career guidance, training and job opportunities. Under a new partnership agreement, BRCP, which is a 3-year program to increase employment in Tunisia and is completing its first year, will strengthen the Tounes Ta3mal network through capacity building for a number of Career Development Centers it has established with the Ministry of Higher Education through training and certification of career counselors; soft skills training; coaching and e-learning modules; and, assistance and mentoring for young entrepreneurs.

Friday, March 6th saw the first meeting of Tounes Ta3mal’s current partners and stakeholders, including Edupartage, AIESEC Tunisia, Mercy Corps, Pragma, EFE Tunisia, TAMSS and regional partners Silatech and Microsoft. Silatech Country Representative Ali Mnif announced the intention of formally launching a Tounes Ta3mal steering committee in the coming months, noting that “An essential source of strength for Tounes Ta3mal is its connection with and relevance to the local community. With this in mind, we welcome participation from any organization that is interested in helping us fulfill our mission of helping young people find employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.”

“With the launch of the new version of the platform in spring 2015 we are looking forward to developing richer content and new opportunities for Tunisian youth. We are also working to enrich this initiative with new public private and civil society partners for a stronger impact” added Mohamed Bridaa, Microsoft country manager.

“We are thrilled to be able to work with Silatech and Microsoft, along with the Ministry of Higher Education, to bring these innovative, cutting-edge, and continuously developing resources, tools, and expertise to the large number of unemployed university graduates in Tunisia whose knowledge and other talents need to be mobilized to assure Tunisia’s promising future.” Greg Hemphill, Chief of Party, BRCP.