Amid the covid—19 pandemic, as Maldives government prepares to strengthen the economy, the special program for youth, “Skills for a Resilient Workforce” was inaugurated by Vice President Faisal Naseem today.

Vice President Faisal Naseem has called upon the youth of the Maldives to educate each other and learn to be attentive and respectful during the learning process. He made this statement while making opening remarks at the inauguration of the 'Skills for a Resilient Workforce' program initiated by the Ministry of Higher Education in collaboration with Maldives Polytechnic, TVET Authority and Meery Project of the World Bank. The Vice President further expressed the importance of being keen learners who take calculated risks and face challenges head-on from a young age, firm in his stance that earning a living and being self-sufficient is a crucial undertaking for every young person.

Vice President Faisal Naseem underlined that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih affords special significance to assisting Maldivian youth towards constructive careers in their chosen field of work. The Vice President said that COVID-19 had caused severe damage to the Maldivian economy and had resulted in adverse impacts on the workforce of the country overall. He stated that it is vital to introduce training opportunities and build our national human resources if we are to overcome these challenges, cater to the deficiency in the workforce and rebuild the economy.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Higher Education Dr Ibrahim Hassan stated that as the government of Maldives is focusing on economic recovery, this key initiative by the government is being inaugurated with a renewed hope and strength for a resilient workforce.

Minister Dr Ibrahim Hassan also highlighted that 80 students from 14 atolls have enrolled to the programs and mentioned that he is pleased to know that the majority of the enrolled students are women and it is important for more women to be involved in the labour market of the Maldives.

In Minister Dr Ibrahim Hassan’s address, he emphasized on taking full advantage of research, development, innovation and digitalization. By nurturing skills, education and training, gender equality, the Maldives will create sustainable growth and competitiveness as well as wellbeing for its citizens.

At the conclusion of the speech Minister Dr Ibrahim Hassan also stated that the growth of the Maldivian economy has slowed down due to the pandemic. The labor market has to adjust to rapid technological developments and fill the gaps left by the skilled expat workers. It is essential to an innovative rethinking of work in many ways: in terms of knowledge development, work organization, governance, self-sufficiency and team work.

Skills for a Resilient Workforce program is a initiative by the government to develop the skills of the youth workforce needed for the Maldivian labour market. The program would be conducted for a duration of 1 year.

1200 people would be trained as follows, 600 for tourism sector, 200 for ICT sector, and 400 for tourism related construction. 33% of the course slots would be allocated for women.

Skills for a Resilient Workforce program would be directed by Ministry of Higher Education in collaboration with Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Youth Sports and Community Empowerment and the MEERY project of World Bank.