Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — Dereja, in partnership with the Ministry of Labor and Skills (MOLS) and the Mastercard Foundation, will host the 5th National Career Expo on November 6 - 7, 2024, at Millennium Hall, Addis Ababa. The event will connect over 30,000 skilled professionals to the job market.
Since 2019, Dereja, a social enterprise unit of the leading online recruitment platform of the Africa Jobs Network, has been working with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labor and Skills, higher education institutions, the Mastercard Foundation, and relevant non-government organizations with over 600 university instructors, has trained more than 100,000 graduates in employability skills, and helped more than 90,000 graduates access employment opportunities.
Over the past few months, Dereja has conducted several job fairs in various regions across Ethiopia. This series will conclude with the 5th National Career Expo. The Expo will draw over 300 companies and offer over 30,000 job openings across various sectors, including 20,000 jobs in construction and engineering, 5,000 in healthcare, and additional roles in other fields. The event serves as a centralized hub for young job seekers and employers, streamlining the job search process and reducing costs for candidates. Employers will also benefit from access to a diverse pool of skilled young individuals in one location, significantly shortening the time required to find the right candidate and lowering recruitment expenses.
"What makes this year's job fair different from the ones we have held before is not only that it brings a greater number of job opportunities, but also makes it a part of the solution to the unemployment problem in our country by fostering relationships between employers and job seekers," said Mr. Yusuf Reja, Founder and CEO, Infomind Solutions.
More than 300 hiring companies will participate in the expo, including Ovid Construction, Hybrid Designs Plc, East African Pharmaceuticals Plc, Rohobot Home-Based Health Care Service Plc, and Ethio Post.
"We believe that investing in young talent is essential for the growth and success of our company. The National Career Expo provides us an excellent opportunity to connect with talented individuals and offer them exciting career opportunities. We are committed to providing our employees with comprehensive training and development programs to help them reach their full potential," stated Mr. Abdulrahman Anaam, General Manager for East African Pharmaceuticals PLC.
Mandefro Tsegaye, a recent graduate and job seeker from Addis Ababa University, shared how Dereja's initiatives have influenced his career journey and the importance of the National Career Expo for graduates like himself. "I am excited to attend the National Career Expo to connect with leading companies and explore meaningful job opportunities. Events like the Expo are crucial for graduates like me as they create direct pathways to employment and invaluable networking experiences," said Mandefro.
The National Career Expo will feature a platform for job seekers to connect directly with employers, skill development training sessions, and opportunities for candidates to apply to companies through a digital platform. Additionally, career centers from 12 government universities will be represented.
"Dereja is one of the few partnerships the Foundation established as it commenced work in Ethiopia in late 2019. It was designed to equip university students with the right skills, boost their employability, and create platforms to link them with employers. To date, 208,846 young people have been trained, of which over 90,000 have accessed employment. We believe platforms like the 5th National Career Expo are vital for young people, particularly university graduates, to connect with potential employers and for employers to tap into their future talented employees in one place," said Samuel Yalew Adela, Mastercard Foundation Country Director for Ethiopia.
About the Ministry of Labor and Skills
Established as part of a national reform under Proclamation No. 1263/2022, the Ministry of Labor and Skills (MoLS) in Ethiopia focuses on job creation, skill development, and labor issues. The Ministry aims to align labor market demand and supply while promoting equitable access to sustainable employment by 2030. Its core values include skill, empowerment, ethics, diligence, entrepreneurship, and collaboration. MoLS oversees various institutes, such as the Federal TVET Institute and the Tourism Institute. For more information, please visit: www.mols.gov.et
About the Mastercard Foundation:
The Mastercard Foundation is a registered Canadian charity and one of the largest foundations in the world. It works with visionary organizations to advance education and financial inclusion to enable young people in Africa and Indigenous youth in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. Established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company, the Foundation is an independent organization separate from the company, with offices in Toronto, Kigali, Accra, Nairobi, Kampala, Lagos, Dakar, and Addis Ababa. Its policies, operations, and program decisions are determined by the Foundation's Board of Directors and leadership. For more information on the Foundation, please visit www.mastercardfdn.org .
About Dereja.com
Dereja.com, established in 2015, is a platform for addressing youth unemployment in Ethiopia. With its job listings, career tips, skill development programs, and job fairs, Dereja bridges the gap between recent graduates and employers, fostering seamless transitions from academia to the workforce.
For more information, please visit: www.Dereja.com
Media Contacts
Ministry of Labor and Skills:
Abebe Alemu, Public Relations and Communications Executive
Phone: +251 9911977467
Email: abebealemu18@gmail.com
Dereja.com:
Yanet Tadesse, Communications Officer
Phone: +251 912706789
Email: Yanet@ethiojobs.net
