SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SKILLS FOR AFRIC A’S DE VELOPMENT APRIL 2014 88636 BURUNDI: Building Skills for Coffee and other Priority Sectors Moving Forward Key Messages Burundi is at a critical stage in its development. Over 13 years of conflict devastated much of the n After 13 years of conflict, Burundi has made progress in consolidating peace and security, and is now looking towards stimulating economic growth. country’s physical, social and human capital. Since the Arusha Peace Agreement (2000), n Out of a total labor force of about 4.3 million, 3.8 million (88 percent) are employed in Burundi has made progress in consolidating agriculture, 132,000 (3 percent) in trade and 112,000 (3 percent) in the public sector. peace and security, establishing a relatively n Burundi’s main asset is its youthful population; over the next ten years (2014-2024) 3.5 stable macroeconomic environment, rebuilding million young Burundians will leave the education system ready to enter the labor force institutions, and improving sector outcomes, with different levels of education attainment. particularly in basic health and education. n Upgrading workforce skills is critical for Burundi to develop priority sectors such as coffee and agribusiness. Burundi’s GDP per capita of US$153 in 2012 n A workforce development strategy for Burundi includes the following essential elements: compares with US$982 for Sub-Saharan Implement basic education reforms consistently to improve foundational skills across the Africa. However, the country is making strides board, restructure institutional frameworks, and align skills training with market demand. in improving the investment climate, one of the fundamentals of job creation. Burundi has jumped from its 2013 rank of 157, to 140 out Investing in skills is critical for the success of Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP-II) that lay out of 185 countries in the World Bank 2014 Doing Burundi’s growth strategy and the creation a development plan for the country. Education Business ranking. Regional integration within of productive employment opportunities for is at the heart of the government’s development the East African Community (EAC) has enabled Burundi’s youth. The Government of Burundi strategy. To begin with, the government the country to access an important channel has developed strategic documents such as the abolished school fees—a move which caused for growth and competitiveness thanks to Burundi Vision 2025 and the second Poverty gross primary school enrolment rate to increase connective infrastructure and sustained business environment improvement. As the government focuses on upgrading its growth sectors, it is Figure 1: Sectoral contribution to GDP simultaneously prioritizing the education and skills development of Burundi’s workforce. 100% 90% Educating a 80% Young Population 70% Percentage of GDP With limited land, capital and a fast growing 60% population, Burundi’s main asset is its youthful 50% population. About two-thirds of the population 40% is under the age of 25 years, and about half 30% under the age of 17 years. The population 20% growth rate, 2.6 percent, is high, while the 10% population density is one of the highest in 0% Africa. With low levels of educational attainment 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 and poor health status, the country’s main Agriculture Industry Services challenge is to create good quality jobs for the Source: World Development Indicators growing youth population. to 137 percent in 2010, up from 82 percent in training require attention. In 2011, only around involved in each segment of the value chain 2005. The ratio of girls to boys in primary schools 20,000 students enrolled in all types of TVET and identify the skills needs in each sector; and is almost 100 percent. However, Burundi remains courses, representing less than 5 percent of (v) provide guidance for formulating workforce off-track regarding the Millennium Development enrolment at the secondary level. Most TVET development (WfD) strategies that need to Goal (MDG) of 100 percent completion of the institutions require upgrading as they lack the accompany selected upgrading strategies. One primary cycle. Its completion rate stands at just quality and skills appropriateness demanded by of the strengths of the sector-specific approach 56 percent. Repetition rates remain high. School the private sector. Also, the agriculture sector, is that it shows the human capital needs of hours fall short of international norms, teacher which employs 7.9 million Burundians, has just upgrading strategies, a factor that is often distribution across the country is skewed, and one professional/vocational school; the energy overlooked. overall learning levels are low. sector, which employs about 1,120 workers, has The examples of Costa Rica, Chile, Rwanda, and 19 vocational and professional programs. TVET To address these issues, the government Ethiopia show that countries have been most provision needs upgrading and alignment with launched the basic education reform in successful when they have included specific growth sector skill needs. Tertiary education also September 2012. If implemented consistently, workforce development interventions in their requires strengthening; this should focus on: this reform will have a significant impact on upgrading strategies. For instance, Rwanda’s (i) strengthening of the regulatory framework, the education levels of young people. Instead strategy to position itself as producer of specialty quality assurance mechanisms and accreditation of two cycles of primary and lower secondary, coffee included skills development in risk systems (priority could be given to the fields separated by a selection examination, young management in the financial sector, plantation of agronomy and business and management); people will now receive nine years of universal management, and implementation of traceability (ii) improving the quality of higher education basic education that could potentially equip and personnel management at washing stations. courses and adapting the methodology of them with the foundational skills for work or In fact, all these skills were transferable to the delivery to the practical requirements of each for continuation into secondary education. agribusiness sector. field; and (iii) more appropriate targeting of Other policy measures include: (i) reduction of scholarships focusing on the skills needs of Burundi’s basic education reform, if implemented repetition rate; (ii) increase in actual teaching growth sectors. successfully, will enable hundreds of thousands hours; (iii) revision of school programs and curricula; (iv) strengthening the system of initial of young people to enter the labor market with and continuing training of teachers; and (v) Skills Development for better knowledge and skills over the next decade. improvement of management and control. Priority Sectors This will provide a pool of labor which will serve as a strong foundation for any upgrading strategy, The Government of Burundi has prioritized The government also intends to increase and as the majority of jobs will continue to require upgrading of several important sectors, update the offer of technical and vocational relatively low education and skills levels, but will including coffee which employs about 1.6 education in order to provide opportunities require workers to be adaptable and be able to million (although there is a great overlap with for youth to acquire practical and trade related learn new technologies, standards and processes. agriculture), and agribusiness. An analysis of skills with the objective that at least 20 percent However, in addition, upgrading along the these two sectors was done using the Global of graduates of the traditional educational value chain will also create additional new jobs Value Chain (GVC) methodology. The GVC system will become self-employed. The especially at the middle technician and highly framework is a sector-specific approach that basic education reform is likely to have a skilled level. For example, in both the coffee and evaluates a full range of activities that need more significant impact on the working age agribusiness sectors, quality controllers will be to be carried out to bring a product from population 20, 30 and 40 years down the required at the production level, managers and conception to its end use. The GVC methodology road. The first complete cohort with a total technicians will be required at the processing proceeds through the following steps: (i) of 9 years of schooling will graduate in 2021. level, warehouse/operation managers, cold unit map all the segments of the value chain and Overall educational attainment of the stock managers, packers, and operators/technicians will corresponding production activities; (ii) locate of labor will improve gradually, beyond 2025, be required for packing and processing. Financial the country’s position in the value chain by when new entrants with higher educational and marketing personnel will also be required at examining the activities that it performs; (iii) attainment will begin to replace the existing the highest level of the chain. stock of the working age population. identify possible trajectories for upgrading along the value chain so that the actors in the A critical component of successful upgrading Alongside the implementation of basic country can capture more of the value; (iv) will require a coherent strategy and active education reform, post-basic education and analyze the human capital and job profiles involvement of key stakeholders. The Ministry of 2 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SKILLS FOR AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT Figure 2: New Job Profiles along the Agribusiness Sector Global Value Chain PACKING & R&D INPUTS CULTIVATION PROCESSING COLD STORAGE Skill Level Agronomist Irrigation Technician Erosion Control Technician Producer Cold Unit Manager Operator/Technician Business/Operator Manager Mobile Unit Operator Collector/Aggregators Warehouse Manager Quality Control Technician Mechanic/Machine Operator Line Worker Extension Agent Packer Nursery & Seed Manipulation sta Job Profiles New Jobs Majority of new job pro les identi ed required technical skills development combined with practical training. These can be carried out by formal technical institutions or as certi ed programs with private sector providers. Agriculture, the Sector Working Group, and the will increase job opportunities for Burundi’s The World Bank Ministries of Education and Labor need to lead in young population. as Partner defining a workforce strategy to ensure there is Training needs must also target the existing stock The World Bank report, Burundi: Education no skills-labor market gap. Industry associations of labor or they will continue to lack the necessary need to be strengthened and engaged to and Skills for Workforce Development, is skills required for the adopted upgrading work with education and training providers a key input in helping Burundi establish trajectories. Parallel interventions to the basic on curricula and skills. Stronger links between and implement a strategy for skills education reform are necessary to enhance the industry and education bodies, whether through development. It analyzes priority sectors skills of those leaving the school system in the active engagement on boards, or through that drive the economy and outlines a next couple of years and for those already working on-the-job training programs are central to workforce development strategy that in the sectors. a demand-driven workforce development will prepare these sectors to successfully and a sustainable and relevant skills delivery upgrade. Elements of a Workforce system. The private sector should participate in the design of courses, offer internships to Development Strategy The World Bank’s Country Economic There are three specific challenges that a Memorandum recommends that growth trainees, and eventually subsidize or finance workforce development strategy for Burundi policy should focus on closing the some courses to cover constraints preventing needs to address: (i) many Burundians infrastructure gap; gaining from regional participation such as transportation costs, fees, lack basic foundational skills that are the integration; improving the business and cost of equipment. foundations for any growth strategy (ii) the environment; promoting new growth Skills training must include generic existing institutional framework is currently sources; and strengthening the country’s employability skills (such as communication not structured for a demand led workforce fiscal position. Similarly, the joint World and work ethics). A specific issue in Burundi is development strategy and Bank Group Business Plan for the country imparting functional English language training (iii) existing training programs are fragmented, emphasizes the need for sector-specific to improve employability. Burundi is part of donor driven, lack integration and do not approaches, in addition to economy-wide the EAC, which is predominantly English- target soft generic skills or middle level or ones, such as in agribusiness (coffee/tea/ speaking; providing functional language skills specialized skills, all required for upgrading. sugar), telecom and energy. BURUNDI: BUILDING SKILLS FOR COFFEE AND OTHER PRIORITY SECTORS 3 Table 1: Elements of a workforce development upgrading strategy for Burundi ISSUE ACTION OUTCOME Implementation of basic education reform focusing on expansion with attention to quality SHORT-TERM MEDIUM-TERM Policy • Implement basic education reform, including Many Burundians lack basic regulation of promotion between grades 6 Significant skills to support broad-based and 7, reduce repetition and drop out improvement of growth and productivity • Vocational education/training in CEMs to start after the education improvement grade 9 (instead of grade 6) attainment of the labor force by 2025 • Prepare plan for managed expansion of post-basic education (see below) Intervention • Develop and implement an in-service teacher training • School construction program program for grade 7-9 teachers • Institute learning assessments in specific grades to (new system) upgrade teacher programs and curricula reforms • School construction program Upgrading in priority sectors: Improvement of skills for the coffee and agribusiness sectors Training programs for SHORT-TERM MEDIUM-TERM producers are fragmented, Policy • Policy decision to upgrade coffee sector and establish donor driven and lack institutional mechanisms for coordination of a Increased integration with value chain package of services for value chain upgrading productivity of upgrading strategy; lack of coffee producers practical generic skills, and Intervention • Training package for producers and middle-level • Upgrade selected CEMs and CFP1s in collaboration and better quality targeted middle level and technicians as part of integrated program focusing with private sector and other stakeholders to deliver employment for specialized skills required on a package of interventions (access to credit, land, training to producers and young people entering young workers for upgrading incentives for women/young people, marketing) these sectors. Revise programs of CEMs and CEFs for in coffee and • Introduce English language training programs for these sectors agribusiness sector school leavers who will enter these sectors • Introduce apprenticeship programs for young • Introduce components focusing on generic trainees so that they can take up employment after employability skills (communication, work ethics, etc.) graduating in vocational/technical programs • Upgrade tertiary education courses in the fields of • Provide information to young people about agronomy, marketing and management employment prospects and training in coffee/ agribusiness sectors The implementation of the Managed expansion of post-basic education and implementation More qualified basic education reform will of a demand-led approach for workforce development secondary and require managed expansion tertiary education and upgrading of quality SHORT-TERM MEDIUM-TERM graduates who are of post-basic education, Policy • Reform the existing scholarship program for higher • Adopt policy for occupational standards and employable and including through private education to manage uncontrolled expansion, qualifications frameworks, beginning with specific in demand by providers prioritize specific programs, and increase enrolment priority sectors growing sectors in TVET Incentives for young • Operationalize the public-private partnership through Workforce people are not aligned with clear regulations and financing mechanisms Development is priorities and emerging better coordinated labor market needs Intervention • Establish some CFPs in partnership with private sector • Create qualification framework for occupations in and focused on labor and provide funding based on results specific sectors market demand: Despite some positive • Undertake occupational analysis by sector and identify • Put in place a quality assurance framework WfD benchmark initial steps, workforce broad-band occupational profiles • Introduce competence-based approach and have upgrades from development lacks an • Develop information system for policy analysis employers participate in testing and certifying latent to emergent overall strategic framework including tracking the labor market performance of graduates of TVET programs and selected higher (as per SABER and coordination between graduates, internal efficiency and unit costs education programs framework) different stakeholders and • Introduce a competitive fund for tertiary education quality assurance mechanisms to channel resources into priority programs and to ensure responsiveness to a strengthen quality assurance mechanisms and changing labor market accreditation systems 1 CEM – Centre d’enseignement des métiers; CFP – Centre de formation professionnel MORE ON THE TOPIC • World Bank (2011). Republic of Burundi Country Economic Memorandum – The Challenge of Achieving Stable and Shared Growth. Report No. 51880-BI • Fox, L., and D. Filmer. 2014. Youth Employment in Sub-Saharan Africa. The World Bank, Washington D.C. • Gereffi,G., K.Fernandez-Stark and Phil Psilos. 2011. Skills for Upgrading: Workforce Development and Global Value Chains in Developing Countries. Center on Globalization, Governance, & Competitiveness, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. • Makoni, M. October 28 2012. Rebuilding Higher Education after 12 Years of Civil War. Retrieved February 14, 2014, from University World News: http://www.universityworldnews.com/article. php?story=20121027150633780