• Ethiopia signs deal with Canada’s FFI for worker training, placement

• Program trains candidates to Canadian standards via official ELMIS platform

• Agreement aims to ease youth unemployment and expand overseas jobs

The Ethiopian government has signed a strategic agreement with Canadian company Future Fit International (FFI) to train and place Ethiopian workers in Canada.

The deal, reported by the Ethiopia News Agency (ENA) on April 9, was signed by Labor and Skills Minister Muferihat Kamil and FFI Chief Executive Abiy Raymond. It forms part of a broader strategy to expand overseas employment opportunities.

The program follows a phased approach. Candidates first undergo training aligned with Canadian standards before being placed in positions authorized by Canadian authorities. Applications are processed through the national ELMIS platform. Raymond said the partnership would link local skills to global demand. The minister described it as a sustainable pathway for young Ethiopians and a boost to bilateral ties. Authorities warned against illegal recruitment routes and urged candidates to use only official channels.

The agreement comes against a backdrop of mounting employment pressure. According to the International Labour Organization, around two million young people enter the Ethiopian labor market each year. Data from the Ethiopian Statistical Service for 2024 show an unemployment rate of 27.2% among those aged 15 to 29 in urban areas, well above the national average. Women remain the most exposed. A study published in July 2025 on the Wiley Online Library platform found that 38.7% of graduates are unemployed or inactive, citing a persistent mismatch between education and labor market needs. The outlook remains challenging, with the number of graduates expected to rise while demand slows.

Faced with these constraints, Addis Ababa has stepped up its efforts. In July 2024, more than 26,000 trained workers secured employment abroad, according to official data. Labor flows remain concentrated in the Middle East, but the strategy is evolving. Ethiopia signed an agreement with Italy in October 2025 and is currently in talks with Oman, Iraq and the United Kingdom. Canada now emerges as a new gateway to Western labor markets.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou