SINCE Addis Ababa

On August 2020, the SINCE Addis Ababa project has concluded the rehabilitation, including equipment and a digital information system support database, for Addis Ketema, Arada, Kirkos and Yeka Public Employment Service (PES) centers.

Since 2019, SINCE Addis Ababa project team has worked in strict collaboration with the mentioned 4 sub cities PES to create a well-organized job matching service and producing a database that is collecting information from enterprises, TVET colleges, and other relevant stakeholders. The project team also continuously encouraged the 1500 SINCE direct beneficiaries to keep contact with respected sub city PES offices regarding their job status. Addis BoLSA has ensured the continuity of the fully functional PES after the disclosure of SINCE Addis Ababa project on 31^st August 2020.

On 26 May 2020, the SINCE Addis Ababa Project has handed over 500 cooperative training manuals, 330 short term training guidelines, 240 training guides and 150 training modules to the Addis Ababa City Administration TVET Agency. The material was produced with the aim to support the ongoing efforts of Technical Vocational and Education Training (TVET) colleges in Addis Ababa.

On 28 February 2020, SINCE Addis Ababa was organizing a sharing conference among all SINCE implementers and a total of 39 (14F, 25M) attended the meeting. The participants were representatives from BoLSA, TVET Agency, Embassy of Italy, UNIDO, ILO, Dereja/Ethiojobs, and all SINCE implementing partners. The agenda of the event included the discussion on updates from BoLSA (Addis Ababa PSC), best practice/lessons learned from each SINCE implementing areas, gender promotion activities monitored by UNIDO and the Embassy of Italy information on the next Progamme final phase. Since the main purpose of the event was learning, all partners have presented the lesson they learned so far from the different SINCE projects implementation.

On 26 November 2019, SINCE Addis Ababa has successfully purchased and handed over sewing machines for Misrak Polytechnic College and EIFCCOS (Ethio-International Footwear Cluster Cooperative Society) for further continue leather training courses also after SINCE.

The ceremony was attended by the Addis TVET Agency Director, TVET Trainers, Addis Development Directorate Director, Misrak college Dean, UNIDO Cluster Development Facilitator, SINCE Programme Coordinator and representatives from the Leather Industry Development Institute.

This activity is part of the SINCE Addis Ababa project capacity building of public institutions in order to promote employment opportunities with a focus on youth and women.

From 9 to 12 November 2019, at Millennium Hall in Addis Ababa, the SINCE Addis Ababa established leather sectorial platform participated at the African Sourcing Fashion Week (ASFW) Exhibition.

SINCE Addis Ababa partners leather companies presented their products, including the ones made by the SINCE beneficiaries engaged with Kabana and Linu leather enterprises after their 3-month short term training.

The main objectives and the structure of the Addis Ababa leather sectoral platform were also presented to the visitors on the occasion.

On 7 November 2019 in Addis Ababa at Kokeb Hall, the SINCE Addis Ababa project organized the second graduation ceremony for 739 beneficiaries who completed the 3 month short-term training in different TVETs of the town.

The graduation ceremony was attended by representatives of the European Union Delegation to Ethiopia, Government officials, the Embassy of Italy in Addis Ababa, trainees, invited guests and family members of the graduates.

From 24 to 27 September 2019, the SINCE Addis Ababa project participated to an International Construction Exhibition held at the Millennium Hall.

The event was a good opportunity to promote the SINCE facilitated construction sectoral milti-stakeholders platform led by the Addis Ababa Construction Contractors Association.

The event was attended by higher officials including the Minister of Construction and Urban Development, the Chair of the Construction Association and representatives of the Italian Embassy.

On 18 April 2019 in Addis Ababa at the Ethiopian National Cultural Center, the SINCE Addis Ababa project organized the graduation ceremony for the first group of the 726 beneficiaries of the 3-month short-term training in leather, metal and construction sectors.

The graduates are from Addis Ketema, Arada, Kirkos and Yeka, sub- cities are now starting their apprenticeship programme to improve their skills in selected private companies willing to offer decent work opportunities.

The ceremony was officially opened by the FDRE State Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, H.E. Getahun Abdissa, the Deputy Mayor of Addis Ababa city, H.E. Engineer Endawok Abite, the Italian and the European Union Delegation Deputy Head of Missions, respectively Mr. Giuseppe Coppola and Mrs. Terhi Lehtinen, and many heads of bureaus of Addis Ababa.

On 28 February 2019 in Addis Ababa at Sapphire Hotel, SINCE Addis Ababa project organize a bi-annual conference to share best practices, challenges, lesson learned and ways forward among all SINCE Programme implementers.

Representatives from the Ethiopian Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, EU Delegation to Ethiopia, Embassy of Italy, heads of bureaus and 50 SINCE implementing partners delegates attended the workshop.

On 8 May 2018, representatives of the Italian Embassy and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have visited, the EIFCCOS center, a leather cluster in Yeka subcity, which is involved in the “Job creation for potential migrants in Addis Ababa” project implemented by SINCE in Addis Ababa.

During the visit, the SINCE team discussed, together with the implementing partners NGOs (People In Need, Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo, CONCERN and CHADET), the next steps in the identification of the SINCE Programme beneficiaries which will be engaged not only in the leather sector but also in metal work and construction value chains.