Ashok Thapa

The government is all set to initiate employment arrangement process for unemployed youths that have registered themselves at Employment Information Centers (EICs) in Kathmandu and Biratnagar under the Skills for Employment program.

The Department of Labor (DoL), which has been overseeing the program, has already converted EICs in Kathmandu and Biratnagar into Employment Exchange Centers (EECs) from this year to arrange jobs for the unemployed youths.

“We are preparing to recommend the names of the applicants to different business organizations from this year,” said Dr Man Bahadur BK, director general of DoL.

The government has been collecting information details of unemployed youths through the EICs at Labor Offices in all 14 zones across the country.

According to the department, more than 35,000 youths have already registered their applications with personal details. Through the budget for the fiscal year 2011/12, the government has announced to develop National Skill Record to ensure effective information flow between employers and aspiring youths.

“As announced in the budget, we are making final preparation to help the youths find job on the basis of job mapping process,” said BK.

The government has allocated Rs 1 million to initiate the process of recommending jobs to unemployed youths through necessary negotiations with the employers concerned.

DoL recently submitted its proposed annual programs, including the job arrangement program, to the National Planning Commission (NPC) -- the apex policy making body of the government -- for approval.

“We will start implementation of the program once the NPC approves our programs. However, we have already initiated the process of mediating between applicants and the prospective employers,” added BK.

The department is also developing information centers in Biratnagar and Kathmandu as Model Employment Information Centers (MEICs. The government selected these centers in Kathmandu and Biratnagar in the first phases because of high concentration of unemployed youths and industrial enterprises there. According to the department, 2,332 youths from Kathmandu and 2,000 from Biratnagar have applied for the employment scheme.

Meanwhile, the DoL officials are holding talks with individual employers and business associations, including the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), among others to arrange jobs for the applicants.

“Apart from just recommending applicants for jobs, we are also planning to help them get skill-oriented trainings,” said Barun Kumar Jha, director of DoL.

Published on: 16 August 2011 | Republica