A Head Start for Youth in the Maldives: Building National Skills and Careers

Maldives, an archipelago nation of spectacular natural beauty is expected to see the fastest economic growth in South Asia in 2023.The island nation comprises of nearly 1,200 islands, a population of about 521,457, and a gross domestic product of US$11,010 in 2021. More than 35 percent (female 36 percent; male 35 percent) of Maldives’ population are young people aged 15-35 preparing to enter the workforce. 

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a sudden reduction in tourism, the main revenue generating sector, plunging economic growth by 30 percent.

The Government of Maldives is now seeking to diversify its economy by accelerating human capital accumulation, increasing employment opportunities for young people, and promoting equitable economic and social progress in the country. The Maldives: Enhancing Employability and Resilience of Youth (MEERY) Project is supporting this initiative.

The World Bank and the Government of Maldives collaborated on developing the MEERY Project in 2019. The Project aims to improve technical and vocational skills of Maldivian youth and foster entrepreneurship to promote employment in tourism, tourism-related construction, information and communications technology (ICT), and agriculture.

However, skills building, career development and workforce development of the youth of this spatially dispersed country, require innovative communication approaches, information dissemination, and the application of digital tools such as geo-enabled monitoring for action.

In November 2022, the National Skills and Career Expo in Hulumale’, one such initiative, brought together more than 4,000 young people in the country with optimistic career aspirations.

The two-day expo was organized jointly by the Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, supported by the MEERY Project. More than 35 higher education institutions, technical and vocational training centers, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and government institutions participated in the Expo, which provided insights to young jobseekers and those looking to upskill their careers in a variety of areas, including technical and vocational skills, higher education and training opportunities, on-the-spot job offers and career pathways. 

The Ministry of Economic Development showcased the Job Center, a state-of-the-art system to inspire youth to search and identify jobs best suited to their current qualifications or a job they might aspire for in the future.

The expo was inaugurated by Minister of Higher Education Dr. Ibrahim Hassan and Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Ahmed Mahloof. 

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Ibrahim Hassan stated that building the skills of the Maldivian youth and ensuring that youths are capable and productive members of society are a priority for the government. The ‘lucky draw scholarship opportunities’ to study airline pilot training courses in Spain, aircraft maintenance in Jordan, and culinary arts and interior design in Malaysia were also unveiled at the Expo.

SOEs such as Waste Management Corporation Limited (WAMCO), Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), Agro National Corporation (Agro Nat) and others provided hands-on experience to the youth in manoeuvring heavy vehicles and other mechanization tools, as an opportunity to explore alternate career paths and technical training opportunities.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and First Lady Fazna Ahmed, as well as Vice President Faisal Naseem also visited the Expo, and encouraged the youth in attendance to take advantage of opportunities at hand.

The MEERY project is supporting more than 50 programs in youth skills development programs in ICT, tourism, and tourism-related construction. A newly introduced Waste-to-Wealth Management course focusing on climate resilience is being enhanced into a broader Resource Management and Logistics Program for new workforce development. Through the MEERY project, investments are also being made to create an e-learning platform to facilitate anywhere, anytime learning.

The Ministry of Economic Development is also addressing labor demand by supporting self-employment. This includes entrepreneurship development, business development services (BDS) and incubation facilities for aspiring youth.

The Business Pitch Competition (BPC) launched through MEERY in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Higher Education has resulted in 24 new registered businesses receiving seed capital. Eight of the registered businesses have been launched by women.

Skills development and careers for the Maldivian workforce have assumed prominence following the COVID-19 pandemic. With support from the World Bank-funded MEERY project, the Maldives is spearheading workforce development, charting a sustainable future for its youth.

World Bank staff Keiko Inoue, Gabi Afram, Shobhana Sosale, Suhail Kassim, and Maya Sherpa contributed to the development of this feature story.