The AMAL Program : "Hope" for Unemployed Youth in the MENA Region

Angel-Urdinola, Diego F. ; Leon-Solano, Rene

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: ACTIVE LABOR;    ACTIVE LABOR MARKET;    ACTIVE LABOR MARKET PROGRAMS;    CAREER;    CRITICAL THINKING;   

RP-ID  :  64501

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

To respond to high unemployment ratesamong youth (often educated entrants to the labor market),many countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)region have designed and implemented programs that aim toenhance youth employability. However, a recent studyrevealed that despite significant investments, many youthprograms in MENA lack the necessary features that make thesetypes of programs successful. This note describes a newapproach to youth employment programs in MENA through therecently implemented AMAL (Arabic for 'Hope')program in Tunisia. AMAL is the first large-scale publiclyfinanced comprehensive youth program in the region. Ifwell-implemented and carefully evaluated, AMAL could becomea building block for a comprehensive reform of youthemployment programs in the region. This note starts with anoverview of international best practices for thedesign/implementation of youth programs. The note provides abrief description of youth programs in Tunisia and mainly ofthe AMAL program, highlighting some of its main challengesand opportunities. The World Bank supported the InterimGovernment of Tunisia in the design and implementation ofthe AMAL program through the Governance and OpportunitiesDevelopment Policy Loan (DPL), a multi-sector program ofreforms that supports the post-revolution transition period.