Activation Policies for the Poor in OIC Member States
35
2.2.2 Training
All OIC Member States require a skilled workforce as their economies develop. The challenge is in
ensuring not only that workers have the skills required by employers, but also that the timing of
training policies coincides with that of job creation so that suitable jobs are available for an educated
workforce, and that an educated workforce is available to fill skilled jobs.
High income Member States
The OIC’s high income Member States, similarly to middle income countries, tend to focus on
providing training to meet the skills required by employers. This is particularly salient in the high
income countries where foreign workers can be preferred by employers to country nationals due to
the skills they have and which country nationals may lack. Training programmes are particularly
relevant in high income Member States because, as mentioned earlier, these countries are challenged
with a significant skills mismatch.
In Bahrain, for example, efforts are being made to promote vocational education and training. This
includes a scheme whereby Tamkeen, formerly known as the Labour Fund, covers 50% of the cost of
skills training courses carried out by Bahrainis, whether they are unemployed or in work. More
vocational education institutions have been opened as well, including the Bahrain Polytechnic in
2011. In 2009, plans were also announced for an Education City in partnership with four European
universities. However, courses would be targeted at the middle classes rather than the poor.57
Upper-middle income Member States
As countries in this income grouping seek to strengthen their economic growth, there is a strong
focus on developing a skilled workforce for jobs in the technology intensive, high income economic
structure. The focus on developing these skills reflects the strength of the private sector in these
countries compared to those in Member States in other income groupings. Upper-middle income
Member States are more likely to have a skills framework in place and to involve employers in
training strategies and their implementation.
Kazakhstan, for example, has implemented the Technical and Vocational Education Modernization
Project with support from the World Bank to meet the demands of priority industries. The project
sees employers, such as oil refineries, supervise students’ progress as they are taught technical
processes by both a technical college and by on-site training. 68 training colleges have received
grants to improve their teaching and training. 58 Local institutions such as libraries are also offering
training to improve employability. In East Kazakhstan, a library developed a Youth IT Yurt Service to
improve the IT skills of young people. Over the course of a year, 244 young people completed
technology training courses and jobseeking workshops.59
Lower-middle income Member States
Several Member States in the lower-middle income group have high youth unemployment rates (as
do countries in the upper-middle income group). Many capacity building policies and programmes in
these countries are therefore targeted at young people.
Skills mismatch has been widely reported in North Africa, for example. Several programmes have
therefore been implemented to address the issue, such as the Taehil programme in Morocco. Taehil
has two components: contract training and training leading to a qualification. The aim of the
programme was to improve jobseekers’ employability, allow employers to fill positions they have
previously struggled to find suitable applicants for, and increase training providers’ awareness of
57 City & Guilds, Centre for Skills Development, article summary available at:
accessed 8th January 2015]
58 World Bank (2014), In Kazakhstan: Better Training for a Better Economy, article published 15 October 2014
59 Ehrke A. (2013), Reducing Youth Unemployment: Communities Should Mobilize Public Libraries, Beyond Access, article published
29th April 2013