BRIDGES launches digitalization of labor supply, matching services in Bole Lemi Industrial Parks

First Consult, the main implementer of the BRIDGES Program, which is a five-year initiative aims to create employment opportunities for young women and men, has launched providing services of digitalization of labor supply and matching database at Bole Lemi Industrial Park.

The program is initiated by the Mastercard Foundation. It will be implemented until 2024 at with an estimated cost of $25 million.

The BRIDGES program has so far been implemented across 10 industrial parks in Addis Abeba and Dire Dawa City administrations as well as Amhara, Oromia, Sidama and South regions.

“This program, which has been co-implemented by the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works in Ethiopia strategy is leading a series of job creation and employment interventions across ten Industrial Parks (IPs) in Ethiopia,” said Henok Tenna, Team Leader of First Consult.

“The new service launched at Bole Lemi Industrial Park will unlock the potential for job creation within industrial parks, as well as their surrounding ecosystem,” he said.

Adama, Debre Birhan, Dire Dawa, Bahir Dar and Hawassa, among others are the participating IPs in the implementation of IP labor database.

“The BRIDGES Program has been facilitating, conducting and supervising training of more than 200 thousand unemployed young people to join the  job creation initiatives at industrial parks as well other small and medium enterprises ,” Henok told Origins Business.

BRIDGES employment linkages soft skill training program helps building a resilient and productive workforce in the Ethiopian industries. The audio-visual training content provides the skills and knowledge that entry-level factory workers require for better industrial orientation.

Furthermore, First Consult has been working on market-driven sourcing and screening services match factories’ demands with the supply of job seekers. Through standard industrial screening tools and adequate training for screeners will ensure that workers have comprehensive information about industrial parks and the nature of work.

In addition to the Covid-19 pandemic which had been the big challenge for activities of IPs across Ethiopia, conflicts and shortage of shades in the parks are testing job creation activities, according to Henok.