SANAA (ILO NEWS) — The ILO launched one of its flagship enterprise development programmes in Yemen at training-of-trainers workshop in the capital Sanaa. The programme is entitled ‘My First Business’ (MFB), a youth specific adaptation of the ILO Start and Improve Your Business Programme which aims to build up the capacity of 25 trainers to deliver the MFB training to prospective entrepreneurs across four governorates in Yemen.  This first batch of trainers will provide training to youth and women entrepreneurs across the targeted governorates in order to equip them with necessary entrepreneurial skills and information required to run successful businesses.

The training workshop was officially launched by the Acting Minister for Social Affairs and Labour, Hon Abdo Mohammad Al-Haimi. In his opening speech, the Minister thanked the ILO for organizing the workshop, while acknowledging the importance of such training as a method to improve business strategies. He also called upon the participants to actively participate in the workshop in order to enable them to transfer acquired skills and knowledge to future trainees, specifically the youth and female beneficiaries.

The UN Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative for the Republic of Yemen Jamie McGoldrick also spoke at the launch. McGoldrick called for an expansion of access to livelihoods in Yemen through cooperation between agencies across sectors and noted that the strategy developed by the ILO is not only consistent with the UN Sustainable Development Goals but also with in the long-term assistance to Yemenis that can promote an increase in economic self-reliance and, subsequently, social cohesion.

He also called on agencies to coordinate and collaborate on policies and strategies to create jobs for potential and existing small business entrepreneurs from vulnerable communities in Yemen. The Resident Coordinator also noted that the ILO’s efforts to identify persons receptive to the MFB training in Yemen as well as the agency’s revamp of a country-wide apprenticeship system.

The ILO Representative in Yemen Ali Dehaq extended his thanks in equal measure to ILO consultants Wael Ghosn and Hassan Morhaly for facilitating the training session. He also stated that the session was the first phase in the process of training and equipping up to 1,400 youth, women and marginalized groups with skills for business, entrepreneurship and other related expertise such as those related to market assessment, access to finance and development of feasible business plans.

The training-of trainers session is part of the EU-supported Joint Programme entitled ‘Enhancing Rural Resilience in Yemen’, which is being implemented by the ILO, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United National Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Food Programme.