What is the name of your organization?
Future Leaders
What is the name of your solution?
PYCE - Youth Career Readiness
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Comprehensive Job Training and Career Transition Program
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Tunis, Tunisia
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
Tunisia
What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
The PYCE program will support two primary groups: recent graduates and youth making career transitions.
New graduates from Tunisian universities often face numerous challenges as they enter the job market, including:
1. Experience Requirements: Many entry-level positions still require 1-2 years of prior experience, creating a catch-22 for graduates who are unable to gain this experience without an initial opportunity.
2. Skill Gaps: There is often a disconnect between university-taught skills and those needed in the workplace, leaving graduates in need of additional training to meet employer expectations.
3. Economic Constraints: The competitive job market, coupled with an unstable economy, limits job openings and heightens competition among applicants.
4. Lack of Career Guidance: Career mentorship and guidance are often limited, making it challenging for graduates to transition effectively from academic life to professional roles.
Additionally, some youths are pursuing career transitions to align with evolving job market demands.
Conversely, companies take on significant risks when hiring fresh graduates or individuals from underrepresented or non-traditional employment categories, as the process requires substantial investment in training, onboarding, and integration into the company’s culture and workflow.
What is your solution?
To address the employment challenges faced by recent Tunisian graduates and those seeking career transitions, our solution offers a multi-faceted training and placement program, preparing them for careers across diverse fields such as data analysis, web development, graphic design, accounting, healthcare, customer support, and more.
Key components include:
1. 14-Month Comprehensive Training Program: Divided into two phases. The first 8 months focus on foreign language proficiency, along with technical and soft skills to prepare for the job market, followed by a 6-month professional development.
2. Bridging the Experience Gap: The program includes hands-on training through partner companies, enabling graduates to gain the 1-2 years of experience often required for entry-level roles.
3. Enhanced Compensation: We provide program participants with a salary that is more than twice the government-mandated minimum wage in Tunisia.
4. Mentorship and Professional Development: Incorporating mentorship, career guidance, and networking opportunities.
Additionally, to help youth navigate career transitions:
- Personalized Career Counseling and Coaching tailored to individual career goals.
- Skills Assessment Tools and access to a broad array of training programs for skills enhancement.
- Flexible Work Options that support continuing education.
- Internal Job Rotation and Cross-Training to diversify experience.
- Mentorship and Networking Events to expand professional connections.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Why Tunisian Youth: A Tale of Past Dreams and Lost Chances
In the aftermath of the 2011 "Jasmine Revolution," part of the broader Arab Spring, young Tunisians were infused with hope for economic freedom and job prospects. Yet, fourteen years later, persistent unemployment, economic stagnation, and a lack of job creation have dimmed these aspirations, with many of today's youth seeking prospects abroad.
Tunisia’s economic recovery was hampered by severe drought, restrictive financing conditions, and only modest reforms, resulting in growth that remained below pre-COVID levels, making it one of the slowest recoveries in the MENA region. These factors drove unemployment to 16.4% by the fourth quarter of 2023 and kept inflation high. Political instability contributed to the relocation of major offshore companies and an exodus of skilled workers. Over the last six years, 94,000 highly skilled Tunisians have emigrated, including 17,000 irregular migrants to Italy in 2023, intensifying the country's brain drain.
The impact has been particularly severe on higher education graduates, with unemployment for this group rising to 23.4% in the first quarter of 2024. Among them, 13.8% of men and a staggering 31.2% of women remain jobless, highlighting the gender disparities and the challenges facing Tunisia's youth.
