On Monday, June 10, in Tunis, AVSI signs a new partnership agreement with the National Agency for Employment and Self-Employment (ANETI) and the Tunisian Agency for Vocational Training (ATFP), promoted by the Tunisian Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training.
After this important step, it will be possible to launch specific projects to train Tunisian citizens and foster their professional integration into several Italian companies, within the framework of existing regulations.
AVSI is one of the very first civil society organizations to sign such an agreement, thanks to a number of different factors: our presence in the field Tunisia and our well-established collaboration relationship with local organizations, institutional and civil society actors. In addition, AVSI can count on decades of experience in protecting migrants and supporting their integration, as well as on a wide network of relationships with the private sector and many businesses.
A pilot project for 100 beneficiaries has already been prepared and can now begin. Its goals include meeting the demand of Italian companies for specialized workforce, by setting up quality vocational training paths for Tunisian citizens, and facilitating their employment in Italian companies, partners in the project.
The project, which will be quite effective in helping counter irregular migration, will follow three steps:
- selection of beneficiaries with Tunisian partners;
- professional and language training in Tunisia;
- request for clearance, issuance of entry visas, arrival, and support during the integration phase in Italy.
The project is structured to ensure the trainings provided are high quality, to enhance the training facilities and to protect the rights of the individuals choosing a legal migration path.
Trainings are planned in three main sectors, for now: industrial maintenance, welding, and carpentry. Employment placement will be facilitated by a general agreement signed with Gi Group, which will be the contact point for businesses interested in this opportunity.
The signing of the agreement was attended by the Ambassador of Italy to Tunisia Alessandro Prunas, the Minister of Labor of Tunisia Lofti Dhiab, the Director ad intérim of the National Agency for Employment and Self-Employment (ANETI) M.Abdelkader Jemali and the Director of the Tunisian Agency for Vocational Training ATFP M. Marouane Ben Slimane. Participating for AVSI were Giampaolo Silvestri, AVSI secretary general, and Emanuele Gobbi Frattini, representative of AVSI in Tunisia.
This agreement is a first step, part of similar paths started by different actors, to connect the demand of many Italian entrepreneurs, looking for skilled workforce, and that of many Tunisian people, looking for decent work opportunities. We need to work together, with a multistakeholder approach, so that the specific skills of each actor are enhanced and we promote sustainable development for all.
Giampaolo Silvestri, AVSI secretary general
