The job fair relating to youth, jobs and mobility in the Senegalese capital Dakar was a major success. Thousands of young people used the event to make contact with companies and develop new career prospects.

The job fair in Dakar’s Grand National Theatre lasted for three days. Its programme was very varied: in addition to podium discussions, there were training and coaching sessions along with conferences on finding a job, entrepreneurship and mobility. The participants also had the opportunity to discuss their occupational projects with companies and funding institutions.

Combating youth unemployment

Around 23 per cent of the working population in Senegal is unemployed, with young people the most severely affected. “This trade fair focusing on young people, employment and migration was organised by the Senegalese National Agency for the Promotion of Youth Employment alongside the ‘Migration for Development’ programme run by the GIZ. Its aim was to tackle this crucial challenge”, stressed Youth Minister Pape Malick Ndour during the opening ceremony. His ministry had assumed patronage of the event. Prime Minister Amadou Ba expressly praised the “extremely important cooperation” that is assisting Senegal in its strategy for combating youth unemployment and underemployment.

Finding jobs in Senegal

27-year-old Bassirou visited lots of stands. The pile of brochures and business cards which he has collected from exhibitors demonstrates his great enthusiasm for the event. He is gaining work experience in the bookkeeping department of a private school and wants to make the most of his vocational training in finance and tax administration. “This trade fair is the best place to find a job, because it gives me the opportunity to meet business owners”, says Bassirou.

The young Senegalese job seeker also took part in a round table discussion on the topic of entrepreneurship. And the discussions gave him new ideas. “I’m thinking of starting my own business in the agricultural sector. The conversations and information opened my eyes to the potential that there is in agriculture”, he explains.

Another young Senegalese man, Ibrahima, is expecting a lot from the job fair. He completed a degree in logistics after graduating from university with a degree in modern literature. When he heard about the job fair, the 26-year-old immediately contacted the CSAEM, the Senegalese-German Centre for Jobs, Migration and Reintegration. “The centre arranged for me to have an interview with a transport and logistics company. I hope that our conversation increases my chance of a job.”

There were also businesses and organisations taking part in the job fair that offer support, coaching and training services. “We’re here to support young people and women by bringing them together with experts in personal development, human resource management and psychology. These services are intended to help them develop their personality and talent, and to realise their potential”, emphasised Ndèye Anta amidst a crowd of visitors. Together with their colleagues, they presented the association called Maam Jigeen.

Bringing job seekers and businesses together

The job fair organisers had also set up an area for start-ups in the grounds of the Grand National Theatre. This gave young people the opportunity to carefully elaborate their project ideas and increase their chances of obtaining funding. There was also an area dealing with recruitment. It enabled job seekers to gain practical experience in submitting applications and to meet corporate personnel managers.

Amadou Tidiane Diallo, an advisor at the CSAEM, feels that the job fair is so relevant that it should be organised every year. “We’ve create a space where job seekers can meet with personnel managers, especially those from the private sector. Many of the companies that we invited as exhibitors are potential employers who undertake to offer jobs to young people”, Diallo emphasises.

Information also provided regarding regular migration

The job fair in the theatre also offered space for master classes where access to expert knowledge was available, as well as an area dedicated to international migration and mobility. This was where young people were able to obtain official information concerning safe and regular migration.

Student Cheikh took part in a master class dealing with legal migration to Canada. He learned a lot from it: “I noted that there are two types of immigration: student scholarships and work visas. We learned how to identify the official Canadian government websites and obtained a lot of information on aspects of legal immigration. This means that we can also avoid becoming the victims of scams. I found it very interesting.”

As of: 06/2023