Education, entrepreneurship and energy – the three “E”s to job creation in Tunisia

Tunisia was once seen as a place to do business in the Arab World. According to the World Bank, between 1990 and 2010 the country’s GDP rose sharply from US$12 billion to US$ 42 billion. Despite such impressive stats, a big part of the story has been missing.

Prior to the Arab Spring and up until today, the country has been plagued by a lack of basic infrastructure, an alarmingly high unemployment rate and increasing levels of poverty. The previous government was seen as highly corrupt with little respect for human and civil rights; there was an absence of democracy.

In the wake of the Tunisian revolution in 2011, which led to the fall of the 23-year-old regime, Tunisia has been forced to confront this list of ills that was once well hidden. The immediate economic downturn following the revolution led to serious consequences that have affected every part of society, albeit differently: some investors see opportunity in the aftermath while others deem the risk too great. Youth have been torn between their desires to celebrate their new political freedom with their worries about an increasingly uncertain economic future.

Since the election of a new constituent assembly, which was held on 23 October 2011, Tunisian citizens have hoped for a new start and a chance to influence their future. But change doesn’t happen overnight and the reality of a seemingly unchanged situation can be discouraging – the unemployment rate continues to rise, labour strikes and demonstrations persist, feelings of safety diminish, families in impoverished areas remain neglected and environmental issues are still an afterthought.

Although the new government has identified these issues as priorities, more aggressive measures need to be taken to effectively address them. In Tunisia, unemployment has reached over 700,000, including 170,000 unemployed university graduates; youth unemployment alone represents 30% of the population. The expansion of the public sector can only absorb so many of these unemployed.

Such a critical situation requires that the government, civil society and the private sector work together to create new models to create jobs. To ensure Tunisia’s transition is a successful one – one that presents more opportunities than risks – all stakeholders must urgently address unemployment by focusing on the three “E”s: education, entrepreneurship and energy.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia