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November 14, 2017

Internships become mandatory in Somaliland

Somaliland’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education has requested SPARK’s support in implementing an internship programme as a mandatory part of Somaliland’s education system. And we are delighted!

This move is a result of a joint effort between SPARK and the Local Employment in Africa for Development programme implementing partner Shaqodoon. We’ll be initiating and implementing internship programmes for students in universities across Somaliland.

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education is seeking to launch an Internship and Apprenticeship national policy under the guidance of an inter-ministerial steering committee, supported by SPARK and Shaqodoon. This policy will ensure that Somaliland’s university students will have the chance to gain real work experience in their field of study. Such experience is vital in preparing young people for the labour market after graduating.

Since its inception, the LEAD-initiated Internship Programme (supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs) has been a great success in Somaliland. Numerous universities have joined the project to provide their students with a stepping stone into the private sector by helping them gain real-world work experience. In fact, since the programme’s inception in early 2017, over 840 young men and 786 young women have participated in the internship programme. Some of these students have since been offered full-time employment with the institutions they completed their internship with.