On Tuesday 23^rd January 2018, the OECD Development Centre together with the Ministry for Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development and the Delegation of the European Union (DEU) organised an event in Lilongwe to launch the Youth Well-being Policy Review of Malawi.

Honourable Mr Francis Kasaila, Minister of Labour, Youth and Manpower Development (MoLYSMD) of Malawi, and the EU Ambassador to Malawi, Mr Marchel Germann, attended the event and presided over the official launch of the report. Over 80 people took part in the event.

The project team presented the main findings of the report and highlighted the urgent need to invest more in training of young Malawians to strengthen the country’s economy. A round table on skills development and entrepreneurship was held during the event. The objective of the round table was to discuss and reflect on the policy recommendations provided in the study; present the main policy challenges faced by Malawi on skills development and entrepreneurship; and discuss the main policy opportunities to tackle them. Representatives from the private sector, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism (MoITT), technical and vocational departments of the MoLYSMD, as well as from a youth organisation participated to the round table. Participants recognised the importance of ensuring up-to-date provision of skills in line with the needs of the strategic economic sectors and stressing the role of the private sector in contributing to this goal. They also highlighted that young people needed more support to be able to contribute their motivation and competencies to orientate policy design in their favour but also to participate to the modernisation of Malawi’s economy.

Following the launch event, the OECD organised a two-day training course on Monitoring and evaluation of youth programmes for youth organisations representatives and government officials both at the national and district levels involved in the supervision and implementation of education, employment and health policies aimed at young Malawians. 

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