From training to trade: Refugees gain decent work pathways in Ethiopia’s Somali region

In Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State, where refugees have long faced structural barriers to formal employment, targeted skills development is beginning to shift the narrative. Through market-driven training initiatives supported by the International Labour Organization, refugees and host communities are accessing practical skills that translate into real income and greater economic stability.

In Kebribeyah, a refugee settlement with limited access to formal training institutions, the ILO is implementing skills programmes under the PROSPECTS Partnership, funded by the Netherlands. The initiative focuses on aligning training with local labour market demand, a shift away from generic certification towards employability.

One beneficiary is Abdi Hussien Tahir, a 32-year-old refugee who grew up in the Kebribeyah settlement. Despite holding a diploma in General Metal Fabrication from Jigjiga Polytechnic College, stable work remained elusive. He volunteered intermittently within the community, earning little and struggling to support his household.

Recognising this gap between training and employment, the ILO supported a three-month Building Electrical Installation course at the Jigjiga Polytechnic College Kebribeyah Satellite Centre. The programme combined classroom learning, hands-on practice, and workplace exposure with a local enterprise. For Abdi, the difference was immediate. The trade was in demand, the training was practical, and the pathway to income was clear.

Abdi emerged as one of the top-performing trainees. Upon graduation, he received a starter kit of professional tools, including a multimeter, pliers, a voltage tester and other essentials. The tool support, backed by the ILO, enabled him to begin work without delay.

The establishment of the Kebribeyah Satellite Centre itself was a strategic intervention. By locating training facilities within a refugee-hosting area, the programme reduced cost, distance and accommodation barriers that often force learners to abandon training. Gizeshwork Tadesse, National Skill Development Officer, said the centre was designed to equip youth with market-relevant skills while fostering economic inclusion in areas with limited opportunities.

For Abdi, proximity mattered. Training closer to home allowed him to focus fully on learning, without the financial and social pressures he had faced when studying in Jigjiga town.

Today, Abdi provides electrical installation and household repair services across both refugee and host communities. He earns an average monthly income of 8,000 Birr, around 55 US dollars, which has significantly improved his family’s security. His wife, from the host community, works in a government office, and together they are raising two children.

Abdi’s ambitions extend beyond small contracts. He hopes to continue learning, expand his business, and take on larger construction projects as demand grows.

The ILO’s PROSPECTS programme aims to improve access to decent work for forcibly displaced people and host communities by linking skills development directly to labour market needs. According to Stephen Opio, Chief Technical Advisor for ILO PROSPECTS in Ethiopia and Sudan, Abdi’s experience demonstrates how inclusive, well-designed training can unlock individual potential while strengthening local economies.

Across Africa, where displacement, youth unemployment and informal work intersect, such models matter. They show that when refugees are treated as economic actors rather than passive recipients of aid, skills become tools of resilience. For young African regions navigating conflict, mobility and recovery, investing in practical livelihoods is not only a humanitarian response. It is a long-term development choice that keeps communities working, learning and building forward together.

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