The Department of Labour (DoL) is preparing to initiate the process of matching jobs to unemployed youths, whose information it has been collecting since 2009 through its Employment Information Centres (EICs).

Under this process, the department will recommend the jobless individuals’ names to business houses as per their requirements. In order to give a legal basis to the process, the labour department has finalised a draft directive, whose endorsement would enable EICs to arrange employment to out-of-work youths through the job matching process. In hopes of finding work, some 40,000 youths have so far registered their names at EICs that have been set up at 14 Labour Offices across the county.

Until now, EICs are only authorised to create a database of unemployed individuals and identify vacancies in the job market for them. “But once the directive is enforced, they (EICs) will also be able to recommended the names to business houses for possible recruitment,” said DoL official Bhim Prasad Bhattarai.

Bhattarai added that the data of unemployed youth will also be made available on the department’s website so that employers will be able to find candidates who meet their criteria.

The proposed directive states that EICs will also help the jobless youth in self-employment. “If any individual seeks to run own business, EICs will help them arrange loans, provide training and even search for donors, if possible,” said Bhattarai. DoL Director General Man Bahadur BK said they are currently focusing on helping the registered youths find employment. “After getting positive response from the private sector and local industrialists, we began to draft the directive some two months ago.”

DoL officials expressed confidence about the success of the latest initiative, as a majority of unemployed people don’t have information about vacancies, especially in the areas of their interest.

In order to ensure effectiveness of the job placement programme, the department is also planning to launch a separate programme from Kathmandu and Biratnagar with in the current fiscal year.

According to the officials, as these places have larger number of applicants and are highly industrialised, the job matching task will be begin from here. “Necessary preparations have almost been completed for the purpose, including holding talks with employers,” said BK.

Published on: 8 January 2012 | The Kathmandu Post