Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Ethiopia is making notable progress in its approach to overseas labor migration, transitioning from informal to formal mechanisms of sending workers abroad, as stated by Muferiat Kamil, the Minister of Labor and Skills.
According to the Ethiopian News Agency, the government has been actively developing clear national policy frameworks, legal instruments, and signing international labor treaties to improve governance and skills in labor migration. These initiatives are geared towards modernizing Ethiopia’s overseas labor migration by providing formalized training, certification, and advocating for fair wages, thereby developing a globally competitive workforce and addressing local employment needs.
The shift from traditional informal channels to formal mechanisms for labor migration, especially to Gulf countries and other parts of the world, marks a significant change in the country’s approach. Muferiat emphasized the investment in training and certification of workers before their departure, ensuring they are well-prepared and capable of delivering better results. This focus on skills development is aimed at enhancing Ethiopian workers’ capabilities in the global labor market and identifying where demand lies through continuous market assessments.
Furthermore, the minister highlighted the importance of collective bargaining in the Horn of Africa region to secure better positions and appropriate payment for Ethiopian workers. Recent initiatives have led to the overseas placement of about 181,000 skilled individuals in the past six months, a notable increase from the previous year. The shift includes sending skilled and semi-skilled workers, such as engineers, nurses, architects, and agriculturalists, marking a quality improvement in Ethiopia’s labor migration. Alongside these efforts, over 1.4 million local job opportunities have been created, addressing high domestic employment demands.