Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment have opened the National Skills and Career Expo 2022 as part of the administration’s efforts at empowering youth.
The two-day career expo, organised jointly by the Higher Education Ministry and the Youth Ministry, is held from November 18-19 at Central Park in Hulhumalé. It features 35 stalls and seeks to provide insight to youth and job seekers in a variety of areas, including building skills, higher education and training opportunities, jobs, and career pathways.
The expo was inaugurated by Minister of Higher Education Ibrahim Hassan and Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Ahmed Mahloof. Speaking at the opening of the expo, Minister Hassan said the government attaches great importance to making the youth professional and skilled people. He also added that scholarships will be awarded to four winners during the lucky draw.
Furthermore, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and First Lady Fazna Ahmed also visited the expo. During their visit, President Solih and First Lady Fazna visited the stalls and spoke with members of the youth attending the career expo, which targets youth between the ages of 16 and 35. Higher education institutions, technical and vocational training centres, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and government institutions participate in the career expo, which also features panel discussions and interactive events.
The aim of the expo is to provide information on education and training opportunities in the field of technical skills, to encourage youth to engage in technical skills, and to address the shortage of locals in the labour sector of the Maldives. The government stated panel discussions will be held to discuss various topics in the field of employment skills during the expo and also feature stalls from higher education and training providers, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centres, state-owned companies, and relevant ministries. The higher education ministry will also provide further information on student loans, scholarships, and government-funded undergraduate schemes. The expo is held as part of the World Bank-funded Maldives Enhancing Employability and Resilience of Youth (MEERY) project.