Research Network on Competence and Job Creation

Job creation and competence building is a global challenge. However, this challenge is most critical for the poorest countries. In the coming decade, nearly 600 million people will be looking for jobs, according to the World Bank, and many of them lack the competences needed to secure a job. Most of these people will live in developing countries, and many are poor. Lifting people out of poverty and fulfilling the Agenda 2030 on poverty reduction (SDG 1) and decent employment creation (SDG 8) will require the creation of millions of productive jobs for both men and women (SDG 5), and the poor needs enhanced competence to be eligible for such jobs. However, the research base that can inform decision-makers and practitioners on how this can be achieved is scattered, not synthesized and not in a form accessible for users of research-based knowledge. In addition, there is no platform in Norway for researchers and users to share knowledge and experiences in this priority area, and many key knowledge gaps need to be addressed. The network focuses on the role of competence building in creating decent jobs for the poor in less developed countries. The network brings together researchers from important partner countries in Norwegian development cooperation, in a joint effort with their long-term Scandinavian partners to strengthen research on competence building and job creation. CMI, the Frisch Centre, NHH, international scholars as well as key academic institutions in three Norwegian partner countries, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Nepal, will form a network and hub for research cooperation, dialogue, learning, and exchange for researchers, practitioners, policymakers and the general public. The ultimate aim is to strengthen the results of interventions and policies on job creation and improved competences, and hence contributing to the creation of more decent jobs for the poor, leading to poverty reduction.

Job creation and competence building is a global challenge. However, this challenge is most critical for the poorest countries. In the coming decade, nearly 600 million people will be looking for jobs, according to the World Bank, and many of them lack the competences needed to secure a job. Most of these people will live in developing countries, and many are poor. Lifting people out of poverty and fulfilling the Agenda 2030 on poverty reduction (SDG 1) and decent employment creation (SDG 8) will require the creation of millions of productive jobs for both men and women (SDG 5), and the poor needs enhanced competence to be eligible for such jobs. However, the research base that can inform decision-makers and practitioners on how this can be achieved is scattered, not synthesized and not in a form accessible for users of research-based knowledge. In addition, there is no platform in Norway for researchers and users to share knowledge and experiences in this priority area, and many key knowledge gaps need to be addressed. We will therefore establish a new research network on the role of competence building in creating decent jobs for the poor in less developed countries. The network’s main purpose is to bring together researchers from important partner countries in Norwegian development cooperation, in a joint effort with their long-term Scandinavian partners to strengthen research on competence building and job creation. CMI, the Frisch Centre, NHH, international scholars as well as key academic institutions in three Norwegian partner countries, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Nepal, will form a network and hub for research cooperation, dialogue, learning, and exchange for researchers, practitioners, policymakers and the general public. The ultimate aim is to strengthen the results of interventions and policies on job creation and improved competences, and hence contributing to the creation of more decent jobs for the poor, leading to poverty reduction.