Transforming Job Centers into Opportunity Hubs across Ethiopia

The Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI), in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor and Skills (MoLS) and with technical support from the World Bank, commenced the first round of the 10-day Soft and Technical Skills Excellence Training today, July 27, 2026.

The capacity-building program gathers more than 160 Job Center staff members across five strategic hubs: Addis Ababa, Adama, Bahir Dar, Hawassa, and Dire Dawa. The training serves as a critical operational step in reforming 18 model Job Centers during this pilot phase, with long-term plans to scale standard operating procedures to 200 centers nationwide.

The training is designed to enhance the professional competencies of frontline staff, enabling them to build a responsive ecosystem where employment services and enterprise development are enhanced. The program covers 11 practical modules, including labor market analysis, standard operating procedures, effective communication, emotional intelligence, case management, biometric registration, job matching, employer relations, and performance monitoring.

Through interactive simulations, workplace application tools, and action planning, the 10-day program ensures staff can efficiently guide citizens along structured wage employment and self-employment pathways.

This training directly advances the national Job Center Transformation initiative launched on July 9, 2026, in Bishoftu. In the presence of H.E. Solomon Soka, State Minister of MoLS, EDI, Regional and City Administration bureaus, and stakeholders gathered to redesign public employment services into data-driven engines for sustainable enterprise creation. The pilot intervention aims to directly equip 249 personnel, engage 2,225 employers, and place 18,000 Ethiopians into sustainable and dignified work.

At the launching, the State Minister reminded attendees of the significance of the transformation, stating, "Job centers serve as the vital nucleus of our economy, gateways of opportunity for job seekers. Reforming and modernizing these centers is foundational to achieving our long-term national development goals."

Together, EDI, MoLS, and the World Bank are laying a firm foundation for modern, data-driven, accessible, and dignified employment services across Ethiopia—transforming Ethiopia’s Job Centers into dynamic, client-centered Opportunity Hubs!