Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
Ethiopian Herald
(Jan 08, 2025)
Terms of Reference (ToR)
Sector Skills Body Secretariat Officer
For the establishment and operationalization of Sector Skills Body (SSB)
December 2024
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
1. Introduction2
2. Country context 3
3. Objectives 4
4. The SSB Secretariat 5
4.1.Scope of Work 6
4.2. Role and responsibility of the SSB Secretariat Officer 7
5. Expected Deliverables 8
6. Required Qualifications 8
- Introduction
Sector Skills Bodies (SSBS)’ can play crucial roles in bridging the gap between the industry’s labor demands for a skilled workforce by ensuring that the training curriculum aligns with the needs of the labor market and that the certification processes meet the industry’s needs. The SSBS can be instrumental in leading better coordination, dialogue, and engagement of sector experts in the public and private sectors to enhance the skills needed to improve productivity and economic growth. Thus, fostering partnerships between the private sector (industry) and the public sector (government) will be critical for promoting market-led skills development, anticipating skill needs, establishing the qualification framework and occupational standards, assessing industry standard competencies, improving productivity, and ensuring sustainable sector growth.
2. Country context
The Ethiopia Education Roadmap (2018-2030), Section 8.5.3, prioritizes sector-focused skills development as part of the TVET system governance reform agenda. It proposes the establishment of a national sector skills body that will develop “occupational standards, occupational training curriculum, and competence assessment instruments.” The Ethiopian Plan of Action for Job Creation (2020-2025) strategy similarly states that the sector skill councils will “address both the mismatch between training and industry-required skills and the lack of linkages between training and industry.”3
The Ethiopia 2030 ten-year perspective development plan (2021 -2030) emphasizes the private sector’s economic leadership to build demand-led public-private partnerships. The plan promotes improved uptake of technology and modernized production and prioritizes the agricultural/ agri-industry sector as one of the economically productive sectors.
4. The technical and vocational education and training (TVET) 2022 reforms complement this plan by strengthening the linkages between industry and training systems to evolve the sector’s skill needs and address the skill gaps and shortages in the labor market. Adopting a competency-based training approach demands the participation of industry, employers, and businesses in developing a qualification framework and standards and implementing TVET reforms.”
The Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Labor and Skills (MoLS) has galvanized
1. Reference to what is commonly known as Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) as Sector Skill Bodies (SSBS) stems from the fact that the establishment of Councils requires the Ethiopian Parliamentary approval, and as such, the Secretariat will undergo the work to formalize the SSB transition to an autonomous SSC during the preparation and operationalization phases.
2. The Ethiopian Education and Training Roadmap (2018-2030). An Integrated Executive Summary, 2018
3. The former Jobs Creation Commission, 2019.
4. Ethiopia 2030: The Pathway to Prosperity. Ten years perspective Development Plan (2021-2030).
5. Competency-based approach to technical and vocational training in Africa. Country report: Ethiopia, 2020. the establishment of establishing a functional SSB in priority economic sectors. The Ministry aims to engage key stakeholders from the private and public sectors, training institutions, implementers, development partners, and others to establish and operationalize SSBs for priority economic areas (Agriculture, Information, Technology, and Communication (ICT), Manufacturing, Tourism, and Mining) to address the specific gaps and mismatch within the respective sector.
To this end, the MOLS will lead the establishment of the SSB’s governance structure, funding, and legal framework with the objective that the SSBS will promote an industry-relevant competency assessment and certification process. Through the Ethiopia Education and Skills for Employability Project launched in October 2023, funded by the World Bank, the Ministry aims to establish 5 SSBS (between 2024 and 2028) to enhance the formal coordination mechanisms needed to align the skills supply and demand for improved employment outcomes.
3. Objectives
The primary objective is to strengthen the quality of relevant training and increase the supply of skilled workforce. Leading and producing a competent workforce will contribute to the growth and development of the country’s economic sectors. With the right push towards formal, non-formal, and informal training delivery in agriculture through applying industry-approved occupational standards, the SSB can enhance competitiveness, productivity, and growth. It can contribute towards structured on-the-job skill training in the large informal and rural economy leading to certification and recognition of market-led skills training.
Establishing SSBs in the agro-process sector – as a pilot project – aims to produce a competent workforce that will contribute to the growth and development of the country’s economic sectors by shifting skills development to the tailored needs of the sector. Bridging the gap between the industry’s labor demands for a skilled workforce can best be achieved by a well-informed and knowledgeable sector leadership that takes ownership of identifying, defining, and shaping its skills needs and ensuring that the skills training curriculum matches the needs of the labor market and that the certification processes meet the industry’s needs.
The Agro-processing SSB will provide the crucial farm-industry linkage, which helps accelerate agricultural development by creating backward linkages (supply of credit, inputs, and other production enhancement services) and forward linkages (processing and marketing). These linkages add value to the farmer’s produce, generate employment opportunities, and increase the farmer’s net income. Agro-processing involves the pre- and post-harvest activities, including all the steps for producing quality products and getting agricultural goods to the market, including production, processing, and distribution.
It can also strengthen the linkage between the industry and skills development institutions and improve the practical orientation of skills training through work-based learning programs (i.e., apprenticeships, fellowships, internships, and externships).
SSBS is expected to identify skills challenges, provide guidance on current and future skill needs, improve the pool of skilled workforce through upskilling or reskilling new entrants or the existing labor force, and strengthen micro- and small- enterprises across the value chain to meet domestic demand and drive the export market.
To this end, establishing the SSB will complement the role of government and training institutions in identifying skills qualification requirements, providing the demanded skills needs, and promoting practical training, including developing occupational standards, occupational training curricula, and competence assessment instruments,
4. The SSB Secretariat
The Secretariat will be housed at the MOLS and it will support the coordination, monitoring, and evaluation processes involved during the SSB’s establishment and operationalization phases. It will coordinate social dialogues, produce documents, outline the legal and funding frameworks, build capacity, and track and monitor the SSB’s performance once established.
With the support from the SSB Board – nominated by the SSB members and the National SSB Oversight and Enabling Committee – chaired by MOLS and comprised of key stakeholders from the private and public sectors – the Secretariat will support in identifying key industry actors, setting the criteria for those who will serve in the SSB, ensuring representation of the vast number of micro or small businesses in the sector, and coordinating for a successful partnership by establishing a shared vision and understanding of the SSB’s objectives.
Governance at the national/ federal level
Governance at the regional level
4.1. Scope of Work
The Secretariat will support the SSB Board in engaging the SSB members, committee, key sector actors, and stakeholders to promote the benefits of SSBS, garner extensive and up-to-date knowledge of the sector in which they operate, and lay the groundwork for establishing and operationalizing them. Establishing the legitimacy of SSBS will be one of the Secretariat’s tasks, which is necessary for enhancing the SSB’s influence, effectiveness, and standing in the long run.
As a proactive advocate for SSBs, the Secretariat will actively engage key stakeholders from the private and public sectors at the national/federal and regional levels, training institutions, implementers, development partners, and others to address the specific skill gaps and mismatches within the sector. It will support the SSB Board in providing guidance and support to employers in identifying the most effective skill development solutions at the sector level, champion apprenticeship to cultivate relevant skills and foster stronger partnerships between enterprises and education and training institutions.
The Secretariat will facilitate the SSB Board and chairperson nomination and also track to monitor the SSB’s performance and report to the National SSB Oversight and Enabling Committee…
4.2. Role and responsibility of the SSB Secretariat Officer
4.2.1. SSB Secretariat Officer
- Responsible for providing day-to-day support for the Federal and Regional SSBS and support representatives of both the productive and public sectors to achieve SSB’s objectives.
- Support the SSB Board in fulfilling the establishment and operationalization of the Agri-SSB.Support the undertaking of research, identify development areas, and arrange capacity development training, Monitor the SSB performance through periodic and biannual reviews. Report performance review
- Produce regular updates to the SSB Board and the Committee.
- Assists in all administrative activities, and handles and arranges all aspects of communication, preparation, and logistics for meetings, conferences, workshops, and other events to be organized under the auspices of the Board.
4.2.2. Key functions
4.2.2.1.Develop Statement of Operation (SOP) of the Secretariat.
4.2.2.2. Serve as advocates promoting awareness of the benefits of SSBS in planning, identifying, and prioritizing industry skill and workforce development training needs.
4.2.2.3. Identify expert advisors who can develop career pathways, career guidance, qualification standards, and competency standards within the industry and enterprises, as well as curriculum development, assessment, and other aspects of skills development with support from the SSB Board.
4.2.2.4. Extend consultancy contract to the best candidates to serve as the expert advisor to the Board and members.
4.2.2.5. Facilitate the SSB Board nomination and selection process.
4.2.2.6..
4.2.2.7 Set agenda and hold regular meetings to check on progress.
4.2.2.8. Provide meeting minutes, progress summary, and performance reports.
4.2.2.9 Set advice from experts on legalization affairs of the SSBS.
4.2.2.10 Support the Board in developing a financial plan for establishing and operationalizing the SSB, amend the budget, and allocate funds as needed as well as other deliverables.
4.2.2.11.
4.2.2.12.Conduct conferences/ workshops and other events to disseminate information on behalf of the Board.
4.2.2.13.Tracks and monitors performance of the SSB once established, including reporting performance and impact, and addressing underperformance.
5. Expected Deliverables
5.1.1. Standard of operation (SOP) for a functional secretariat.
5.1.2. Legal framework of SSBs.
5.1.3. Funding framework of SSBs.
5.1.4. Support the production of deliverables such as labor market analysis or occupational standards
5.1.5. Awareness creation workshops, conferences, and media engagements regarding the establishment and operationalization of the SSBs.
5.1.6. Established and operationalized SSB in the agro-industry sector in the agro-processing sector first followed by the other four SSBS in the ICT, manufacturing, tourism, and mining sectorsCapacity-building programs for SSB members.
5.1.7. Meeting minutes and progress summary reports.
5.1.8. Performance reports of the SSB including impact and addressing underperformance.
6. Required Qualifications
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Position |
Required Qualification |
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SSB Secretariat Officer
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Ministry Of Labour and Skills