Professional integration of young people in Algeria through a stronger civil society

The A’AMAL project encourages collaboration among local actors, more specifically civil society, for the professional integration of young people in Algeria. The initiative is part of the Youth Employment Support Programme (‘PAJE’), co-financed by the Algerian Government and the European Union. Launched in 2012, PAJE aims to support the reforms and actions taken by the Algerian Government in the implementation of youth-centred policies.

Since January 2016, A’AMAL has been contributing to the enhancement of employability and professional integration of young people in two wilayas in Eastern Algeria, Annaba and Khenchela, through direct technical and financial assistance to civil society organizations. This two-year project benefits from ILO’s expertise in the areas of local economic development and entrepreneurship development, including for cooperatives and other social and solidarity economy enterprises. The interventions are expected to directly benefit at least 500 young people in the two regions, of whom at least 30 per cent are women.

The consultations with main local actors in the two wilayas for the design of the project confirmed the need to ensure coordination between the project and the different local stakeholders. As part of the wider PAJE initiative, the A’AMAL project staff ensure close coordination and cooperation mechanisms are in place.

The specific objectives of the project are to:

• Implement efficient mechanisms of coordination and partnership between institutional actors and civil society to the benefit of youth employability and professional integration,
• Strengthen the technical capacities of associations and institutions with regard to employability and professional integration of young people, and
• Provide technical and financial support for the implementation of activities by civil society associations in favour of the employability and professional integration of young people.

A key feature of A’AMAL is the grant mechanism used to support community based projects benefiting young women and men. Further to a thorough diagnosis of local economic, social and institutional conditions in the targeted wilayas, two calls for proposals have been organized for civil society organizations. Out of 53 applications submitted 17 were selected for funding. The sectoral activities proposed in the applications range from beekeeping and the promotion of regional tourism to empowerment of rural women. A third call will be launched in the second part of 2017.

For more information about this project please contact:

Algeria

Mr. Djilali Temzi
temzi@ilo.org

Geneva

Mr. Guy Tchami
tchami@ilo.org