The Ministry of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development has inked two pivotal agreements aimed at dramatically increasing training, skills development, and employment opportunities for Maldivian youth.
Hailed as a crucial step forward, these partnerships are designed to directly support national development by equipping the next generation with the tools and opportunities needed for successful careers.
The first agreement, signed with leading local tech firm Octopus Systems Pvt Ltd, focuses on creating structured apprenticeship and internship programmes. This initiative is set to provide invaluable workplace training, offering participants direct pathways to employment. Octopus Systems will commit to providing essential mentorship and guidance, ensuring trainees gain practical, hands-on experience in a professional environment.
Complementing this effort, a second agreement was formalised with Taskin LLP, a prominent Maldivian digital freelancer platform. This collaboration will see both parties work in tandem to enhance the digital skills of the workforce and promote new, flexible employment opportunities within the country's growing gig economy.
These strategic agreements were finalised under the framework of the Sustainable and Integrated Labor Services (SAILS) project. This major initiative is jointly implemented by the Ministry of Higher Education and the Maldives Pension Administration Office (MPAO), with critical support from the World Bank.
The overarching SAILS project provides comprehensive support—including career guidance, job search assistance, skills development training, and mentoring—specifically designed to help locals secure sustainable employment and thrive in the modern economy.