Dear participants, We recognised the efforts made by the Government aimed at enhancing a broad spectrum of skills in the country through such institutions as TEVETA. What is required is a more Targeted intervention in order to improve labour market opportunities for individuals by helping them obtain necessary skills and facilitating labour market transitions. Countries that have been most successful in skills development did so by sustaining implementation of coordinated policies linking education systems, skills formation, employment and decent work. These countries include India, Costa Rica, and South Korea. They made quality education broadly available and introduced mechanisms to match supply to the current demand for skills, often by means of linking training providers and employers at sector and local levels. They helped workers and enterprises adjust to change and used skills strategically as a core element of industrial, technology and trade policies to move from lower to higher productivity activities and facilitate investment in new industries. Involving workers and the private sector was a main feature of this approach. Zambia can learn a lot from some of these countries. Effective training systems in conjunction with the private sector should facilitate demand-driven training in sectors and locations with high job growth potential, avoiding bottlenecks and improving employability. 2  BIS central bankers’ speeches  Expanding accessibility to quality training is a powerful instrument for empowerment and inclusion of the youth and disadvantaged groups: women, rural dwellers and persons with disabilities.
Dear participants The productivity and the quality of work are major determinants of life quality, affecting nutrition, health and education, social protection, and fair treatment. Jobs are particularly important for the poor, whose labour is often their only asset and a primary route to poverty eradication. It is for this reason, that we at the central bank recognise skills development as an economic imperative. This is because it increases productivity of economic agents. Chairperson In the aftermath of the recent global financial crisis of 2008, employment has re-emerged as a top priority area across the world. A large and growing young population can be a driver for economic growth and social progress provided they access quality education and health, and are engaged in decent employment, without which, many young people will not be able to escape negative social vices and poverty. In recognition, of the foregoing, the National Budget for 2013 whose theme is; “Delivering Inclusive Development and Social Justice” has for the first time put job creation at the centre of its development agenda by explicitly targeting the creation of 200,000 jobs in 2013. BIS central bankers’ speeches  1  Sectors targeted for these jobs are agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and construction (including infrastructure). Ladies and gentlemen Sustained efforts to bring in private investment coupled with supportive public policies and investment, would contribute to enhancing productive capacities and generating the much needed jobs in our country.