ILO backs new sector skills body to power Ethiopia’s tourism and hospitality workforce transformation

Addis Ababa, (ILO News) - Ethiopia has taken a strategic step toward strengthening its tourism and hospitality sector with a national consultation to advance the establishment of a Sector Skills Body (SSB), a move designed to address persistent human resource gaps and better align training systems with the real needs of the industry.

The proposed SSB will serve as an industry led platform that enables employers to shape workforce development, anticipate future skills demand and upgrade the competencies of existing workers, reinforcing the sector's contribution to economic diversification, export growth and decent job creation.

Convened under the ILO Global Skills Programme in collaboration with national partners, the consultation brought together key stakeholders to discuss governance structures, institutional roles and lessons learned from similar initiatives in other sectors, particularly agro-processing, where a Sector Skills Body has already been established.

Stakeholders at the consultation emphasized that a Tourism and Hospitality SSB would institutionalize public-private dialogue on skills

Tourism and hospitality remain one of Ethiopia's most promising and priority sectors, with significant potential to create employment for women and young people, strengthen local value chains and promote sustainable growth; however, stakeholders acknowledge that without a coordinated and market responsive skills system, this potential cannot be fully realized.

Sector Skills Bodies are recognized as independent, employer driven mechanisms that strengthen skills governance by linking industry demand with education and training supply, ensuring that Technical and Vocational Training systems respond to evolving labor market needs and productivity requirements.

Dr. Feteh Weldesenbet Zeberga, President of the Ethiopian Hotel and Tourism Employers Federation, described the initiative as both timely and strategic.

"The Sector Skills Body (SSB) for Ethiopian Tourism and Hospitality is a timely and strategic initiative for Ethiopia. It will address one of the major human resource challenges facing the sector by strengthening skills development, standardization, and industry alignment.

Strong partner engagement in its establishment and capacity building is essential and represents an invaluable foundation for its long-term success."

Dr. Feteh Weldesenbet Zeberga, President of the Ethiopian Hotel and Tourism Employers Federation

His remarks reflect a growing consensus within the industry that service quality, competitiveness and international positioning depend on systematic workforce development rather than ad hoc training interventions.

Experience from the agribusiness sector was presented as a practical reference point. Dr. Dawit Moges, Vice President of Confederation of the Ethiopian Employers Federation (CEEF) and Vice Chairman of the Agribusiness Sector Skills Body, highlighted the tangible outcomes achieved through structured collaboration between employers, training institutions and government entities.

"As vice chairman of a Sector Skills Body (SSB) for Agribusiness, we have already gained valuable experience in aligning industry needs with skills development systems, strengthening collaboration between employers, training institutions, and government bodies. Through this structure, we have been able to identify sector-specific skills gaps, support competency-based training standards, discussed on promoting industry-led curricula, and improve the relevance of Technical and Vocational Training (TVT) to the real needs of enterprises.

Establishing a Sector Skills Body for the Hospitality and Tourism sector would bring similar advantages by creating a formal platform where employers can actively shape workforce development, ensure service-quality standards, address skill shortages, and improve productivity and competitiveness in the industry. It would also facilitate stronger public-private partnership, support certification and professionalization of hospitality occupations, and ultimately enhance Ethiopia's capacity to deliver high-quality tourism services aligned with international standards."

Dr. Dawit Moges, Vice President of CEEF and Vice Chairman of the Agribusiness Sector Skills Body

Stakeholders at the consultation emphasized that a Tourism and Hospitality SSB would institutionalize public-private dialogue on skills, support competency-based standards, promote industry informed curricula and create a coordinated framework for anticipating future workforce needs in areas such as digitalization, sustainability and service excellence.

By embedding employer leadership within the skills governance architecture, the proposed body aims to strengthen accountability, improve training relevance and contribute to higher productivity across the value chain, ultimately positioning Ethiopia to deliver tourism services that meet regional and international benchmarks.

As discussions move toward concrete next steps, stakeholders underscored that sustained partner engagement and institutional capacity building will be critical to ensuring that the Sector Skills Body becomes not merely a policy commitment, but a functional and enduring mechanism for sector transformation.