Hargeisa, Somaliland – Somaliland President, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi (Cirro), has announced that vocational training will be included in the national education curriculum to reduce the widespread youth unemployment and meet the demand for skilled labor in the country.

The President made this announcement during the opening of the 4th Somaliland Employer and Job Creation Summit held yesterday in Hargeisa.

President Cirro stated that unemployment is one of Somaliland’s biggest challenges and requires a united effort to address. He highlighted that 70% of Somaliland’s population is under 30 years old, with the youth unemployment rate reaching 75%, which demonstrates the severity of the issue.

“One of the main reasons for unemployment is the education system, which does not fully prepare students with the skills needed in the job market,” President Cirro said.

He added that this gap forces Somaliland to rely on foreign workers for skilled labor jobs that could otherwise be filled locally.

The President also announced that the government will soon approve a new education policy focused on developing vocational skills. This plan will integrate essential vocational training into the curriculum and will include the opening of high schools, technical institutes, and vocational colleges across Somaliland. He promised that every region will have at least one vocational training center.

“The government will soon approve Somaliland’s education policy, focusing on adding vocational education to the curriculum and building technical schools and institutes to meet the demands of the labor market,” he added.

Additionally, the President mentioned that the government will soon introduce a retirement system for older employees, which will create new job opportunities for young people. This initiative is part of the government’s broader efforts to reduce unemployment and strengthen the local workforce.