According to the document, the public sector prevails with regard to employability in the Middle East and North Africa, with the promise of secure jobs and better working conditions. “This has led to the phenomenon of the most talented and skilled essentially standing in line and waiting for public sector jobs that provide high individual returns, but are not necessarily associated with the highest social productivity. It has also influenced education systems, which focus on providing students with skills relevant to the public sector, at the expense of those required by the private sector,” according to the statement.
The World Bank report suggests cutting down on public sector incentives by making wages and benefits compatible with those of private companies, and a reform in the region’s educational systems, so they may offer students more relevant aptitudes. The document also proposes incentives to female labour. “Specific policies would also be needed to address the barriers women face, by guaranteeing a safe working environment, and compensating for the additional domestic burdens they shoulder.”
“Young people in the region need a clearer path from school to work,” said Steen Jorgensen, the World Bank’s Human Development director for the Middle East and North Africa. “The private sector should signal to students what skills are most valued, and higher education needs to adapt and offer students courses that respond to those signals,” says the executive.
According to the report, a highly competitive environment in the Arab world will be a critical factor in converting the region’s private sector into a driver of economic growth and good jobs. To the World Bank, through investment with quick returns and good profitability, the Middle Eastern and North African governments could recover their credibility.
“This could take the form of investments in training programs to help people develop new skills and increase their employability, as well as the launch of labour-intensive public works projects to develop critical infrastructure and social services using public/private partnerships. This would set the stage for the game-changing reforms that would drive competition, generate jobs, and allow the region’s great human potential to become the source of prosperity,” the document posits.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
