MPTF for Employment and Youth in Tunisia  

Objectives

Fund scope
Tunisia faces a deepening social and economic crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine. The worsening social and employment situation over the past decade has highlighted the struggle of many young people to integrate into society and find jobs. Youth currently comprise two-thirds of the population and have an unemployment rate of over 38%, which is significantly higher than the national rate of 16.1%.

The Tunisia Vision 2035 and Development Plan 2023-2025 provide the framework for development in Tunisia, with objectives aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Objectives include combating poverty, creating sustainable and decent income and jobs, promoting social equity, encouraging private initiative and investment in promising sectors, developing clusters and value chains, strengthening the social and solidarity economies, fostering public-private partnerships, and supporting a transition from the informal to formal economy.

This broad reform program in Tunisia is meant to revive the economy and boost growth—preventing a considerable segment of the population from falling into vulnerability and improving economic standards for 963,000 low-income households.

To provide better job opportunities for young people, women especially, the Tunisian Government, United Nations, and local partners established the MPTF for Youth and Employment in Tunisia to identify and explore new opportunities. Using a four-tiered approach, stakeholders collaborate to launch entrepreneurship and private initiatives in innovative sectors that offer high value and employability potential, as well as support the creation of new micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises and jobs that can be easily integrated into the labour market, particularly the green and circular economies.

Strategic action and theory of change
Equally crucial aspects of the MPTF are to promote job creation for young people and women by developing existing value chains in the creative economy, agriculture, agro-industry, cultural and creative industries, and cultural heritage professions and strengthen the capacities of active job seekers to guarantee equal opportunities in recruitment processes. Efforts are also made to strengthen public-private dialogue and capacity development in the private sector to improve gender equality standards at work and improve the adoption of female entrepreneurship in sectors with high demand and opportunities.

MPTF stakeholders aim to achieve visible changes in short and medium-term results in professionally integrating young people into the Tunisian labour market. The theory of change states that IF enterprises and decent jobs are created through the development of value chains and the strengthening of private initiative, and IF regional inequalities are reduced thanks to the strengthening of local strategies and their implementation in favour of youth employment, and IF the employability of young people is enhanced through appropriate vocational training, THEN young people in targeted governorates of Tunisia will have access to more work opportunities.

Action-oriented, partners have set out to:

• Identify key sectors or value chains that have high potential for job creation and economic development, and where skills shortages exist (both quantitative and qualitative).
• Enhance the professional and interpersonal skills of Tunisian job seekers through a combination of personalized assessments, technical and soft skills training, individual coaching and counselling, and entrepreneurship and business internships.
• Provide support to young people and women in establishing and developing businesses in promising sectors and targeted regions.
• Guide job seekers towards critical sectors by identifying profiles that align with their abilities and interests. This includes offering advice on additional training and retraining opportunities to render skills in line with sector requirements.

Companies receive assistance to enhance productivity and working conditions through the adoption of best international practices and ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks. Stakeholders foster innovation by implementing strategies that promote research and the development of new methods and processes, resulting in added value and access to promising markets.

Governance

Steering Committee and Co-chairs
Members are responsible for the allocation of available resources and monitoring their status, approving requirements concerning implementation modalities, and ensuring the mobilization of resources under the auspices of the Resident Coordinator. Co-Presidents, meanwhile, are responsible for the governance and supervision of the fund, strategic leadership, securing fund partnerships, and supervising the Secretariat.

United Nations Resident Coordinator
The Resident Coordinator provides overall management of the MPTF in consultation with participating UN organizations. All work to ensure the fund is aligned with UNSDCF, 2030 Agenda, and national development priorities.

Secretariat
Provides technical and administrative advice to the Steering Committee and Resident Coordinator on strategic and programmatic priorities. The team is responsible for day-to-day operations of the Fund, including programmatic and financial allocations, monitoring Fund performance and operational risks, ensuring the programme has a gender marker, consolidating necessary reports and documentation, and developing a communication strategy that highlights key stakeholders. 

Participating Organizations
Participating United Nations Organizations develop project/programme proposals, and report on implementation and financial performance to the Steering Committee through the Secretariat and Administrative Agent. Organizations establish mechanisms to implement activities through national authorities and other national, regional, and international organizations, private sector, and local NGOs.

Administrative Agent
Recipient Organizations receive funds through the Administrative Agent, the MPTF Office. The Administrative Agent is responsible for the receipt, administration, and management of contributions from donors, disbursement of funds to Recipient Organizations, and consolidation and dissemination of progress reports to donors. 

Projects

MPTF for Employment and Youth in Tunisia

MPTF for Employment and Youth in Tunisia is currently supporting count_projects ongoing projectscount_globalInterregional and count_countries country-specific. This table shows the most recently approved ongoing projects.

All project financial information can be found in the Financials section, including delivery analysis by organization, theme and project; project financial status by country and by theme.

MPTF for Employment and Youth in Tunisia

Results

Inclusive and participatory results are pursued through the implementation of programmes in four strategic areas and according to national development priorities. 

ContactsPoints of contact