Tunisia has tremendous competitiveness potential and a well-educated workforce. At the same time it continues to experi-ence high unemployment. The USAID Business Reform & Competitiveness Project in Tunisia is addressing this challenge through a series of job fairs nationwide, connecting workers to potential jobs and creating a bridge between employers and jobseekers. The project provides jobseekers and potential em-ployers the opportunity to meet face-to-face. Jobseekers then have the chance to assess employers against their competitors and employers can gain an impression of candidates beyond their resumes.
So far, two job fairs have been successfully implemented in Tunis. In June, jobseekers gathered at the Hotel Africa to meet 25 employers from the Business Process Outsourcing sector (BPO). In October, the project collaborated with CONECT (Confédération des Entreprises Citoyennes de Tunisie) and ANETI (Agence Nationale pour l’Emploi et le Travail Independ-ent (ANETI) under the Ministry of Employment & Vocational Education. USAID financed half of the cost of the fair. Seventy-seven companies from many sectors, including ICT, BPO, manufacturing, consulting, and banking attended, looking for the perfect candidate. Ultimately, 515 jobseekers found jobs through these fairs.
To make the process more efficient, jobseekers were able to pre-register for both fairs, as well as post their CVs and apply for positions through JobCONECT, a Website developed spe-cifically for this purpose. Employers were able to use the site to post positions and seek qualified candidates, so as to invite them to visit their booths.
The project is planning additional job fairs across the country in partnership with other organizations, and a special fair for women, in collaboration with a national association of women in business. At the same time, the project is collaborating with ed-ucational institutions such as MSB (Mediterranean School of Business) and CDC Sousse (Career Development Center) to organize small job fairs at universities.
