Professionals in the construction industry will have to undergo a certification process designed to measure competency should a directive under preparation by the Ministry of Urban & Infrastructure Development be approved.

The construction industry, which contributes nearly a fifth of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), has been at the centre of the public investment-led development strategy Ethiopia pursued for the past two decades. According to the Ethiopian Statistics Service, the industry has been growing by a yearly average of 11pc and is a source of employment for five percent of the national workforce of over 41 million.

However, the quality of the labour force has become a source of concern for regulators as much as employers.

An assessment was commissioned by the Construction Management Institute, established in 2013, to determine the competence level of professionals categorised under 13 groups. The certification and licensing procedures were found insufficient to address prevailing incompetence observed in the construction industry.

Construction professionals receive certification from the Construction Works Regulatory Authority based on a regulation issued this year. They are required to submit educational, training, and work experience credentials before they receive a certificate of competency and registration. A graduate from a university engineering programme can be registered and certified as a graduate engineer. After four years of experience, they can be certified as professional engineers and a practising engineer in eight years.

However, these professionals must renew their certification every two years, including university lecturers. The directive in the making demands professionals to sit for a reexamination for competency certification when applying for renewal.

First introduced in 2008, competency-based examinations are administered to graduates of law and medicine.

The assessment carried out by Consol Construction Solutions revealed that competence has been found lacking mainly in areas that require expertise and experience in structural engineering, building services, project management skills, and design. The registration and certification process is found outdated, where the only credentials required are documents that show previous experiences and projects delivered.