The UfM explores the postpandemic horizon for employment and job creation
- This year’s edition of the Med4Jobs Stakeholders Dialogue, which is held biannually, focused on the Post-Pandemic labour landscape, with an emphasis on lessons learned, best practices and ideas for the creation of more resilient labour markets.
- Med4Jobs is the UfM flagship initiative for job creation and SME support, with 13 labelled projects of regional outreach and concrete range of activities.
Barcelona, 29 October 2020. The UfM organized today the second edition of the UfM Med4Jobs Stakeholders Dialogue in an online format, with the aim of discussing the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the employment landscape in the region, the prospects for the near future, and the actions that can be taken in order to contribute to the creation of more resilient labour markets and the creation of jobs.
The Dialogue brought together representatives from a broad spectrum of partners and stakeholders in order to discuss their respective experiences in the wake of the pandemic, share lessons learned and conceive actions for the future, producing an Outcome Document of Recommendations that should guide the regional efforts in tackling the economic aftermath of the crisis and contributing to the post-pandemic recovery. Among others, stake holders highlighted the need to develop new skill sets adapted to the post-pandemic landscape and take into consideration the technological disruptions and the case for a green recovery. They also underlined that the Private Sector has a key role in contributing to the building of more resilient economies in the aftermath of the pandemic towards a sustainable, inclusive and responsible recovery.
Launched in 2013, the Mediterranean Initiative for Jobs (Med4Jobs) is a UfM flagship cross-sectorial initiative, that has eventually become a pipeline of projects addressing a broad spectrum of employment-related challenges in the UfM Region, with over 100,000 beneficiaries, mostly young people and women in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean. Med4Jobs currently has 13 labelled projects under its umbrella, including the network of Second Chance Schools MedNC or CEED GROW: Growing and Scaling Small and Medium-Sized Businesses.
The first edition of the Med4Jobs Stakeholders Dialogue took place on 8 October 2018 within the framework of the Third UfM Regional Forum with the aim of taking stock of the progress achieved and the lessons learned with a focus on testimonials by project beneficiaries and discussions tackling the role of the Private Sector in supporting the ongoing development efforts. It was agreed that this Dialogue would be held biannually in order to turn it into a structured exchange between project promoters, partners, beneficiaries, and other pertinent actors.
In the margins of the Stakeholders Dialogue, the UfM also organized the Sixth Med4Jobs Advisory Board Meeting back-to-back with the Dialogue. The Advisory Board which brings together several regional and international organisations has as its objectives the selection of best practices, the contribution to the promotion of job creation and SME development, and the coordination of regional actions and efforts in the employment field.
