Munna Khan, 40, proprietor of Shalimar Tailor at Ombahal, Kathmandu said that his customers have to wait at least a week to get the order ready because he has does not have enough tailor masters working at his shop. Khan needs at least 10 employees but has only five. Most of the time, he is unable to deliver the orders even after a week and gets scolded by the customers. "I tell them before taking the order that delivery might take longer than a week," he said. 

According to Khan, most tailors and garment factories in the capital are reeling under severe manpower crunch. "Customers have no choice. None of the tailors in the capital are in a position to deliver orders quickly," he claimed. He said that people come to work as apprentice and then go abroad as soon as they acquire some skill. But such people do not get a decent job abroad and end up doing menial labor. 

"Skilled people can earn twice as much as they would in a Gulf country," he said, adding, "I don´t understand why everybody wants to flee the country?" He said that someone with good tailoring skills can easily earn Rs 30,000 to 40,000 a month even in Nepal.

"Just as in the Gulf, tailoring and garment factories here provide free rooms to employees to lure and keep them in the job. Still, everybody wants to go abroad," said Khan. "They think they would achieve nothing in life unless they go abroad." 

Likewise, Ganesh Neupane of Dhusheni, Rasuwa, who works as a mason in the capital, is thinking to fly to a Gulf country following in the footsteps of others from his village. 

Neupane earns Rs 1,500 a day but saves little. "It is hard to save money in the capital so I am planning to go abroad," he said. He said it was the soaring cost of living that has forced him to change his mind despite the fact that there is a very high demand for mason and labors in the capital. 

Binod Adhikari, 28, who hails from Gulmi, learned carpentry in the capital but has been working as a security guard in Dubai since the past three years. He gave up his profession for a foreign job. 

"I could earn more from carpentry and live with my family in the country, but still opted to work abroad," he said. Adhikari was lured by the lifestyles of his friends who have been working in foreign countries. He said he sometimes regrets the decision to quit carpentry. 

Binod KC, director-general of the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE), said that because of the growing trend of people going abroad for employment, almost all sectors in the country are facing a crunch of skilled manpower. 
Even banks and hotels have been complaining of a shortage of manpower. 

Cultivation of all types of crops has decreased as young people have left villages in drove. The country has been obliged to import everything, including agricultural products, from abroad. 

"We have not been producing anything and the country will only grow poorer if we continue to consume foreign goods," he said. According to the data provided by the department, over 500,000 people go to the Gulf countries for employment every year, which has hit the country´s industries and development hard. 

Out of the total people who go abroad for employment, over 80 percent are unskilled. Such people neither get better jobs nor good salaries. They have been wasting their energy on the development of other nations. 

"Despite having enough employable population, we are living in a poor country and becoming poorer every day," DG KC said, adding, "Country does not prosper by exporting manpower." 

Neither the government agencies nor the private sector seems to be serious about the consequences of unabated migration of skilled workforce. 

He stressed the need for job-oriented education for unemployed people. 

DG KC said that time has come to study the impact of too much reliance on remittance. The government agencies should study multiple aspects of remittance. 

"We are not just bringing in remittances but also creating a situation where workers from foreign countries are taking away our money," he added. "Due to manpower crunch, employers are compelled to recruit Indians and people from other countries for many types of jobs. KC urged government agencies, local government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to impart vocational skills to the unemployed youths. 

"There is an urgent need to bring about a change in the mindset that one can achieve nothing if one does not go abroad," he added.

Binod KC 
Director-General, Department of Foreign Employment 

How dire is the skilled manpower shortage in the country?
The problem is very serious. The rate of unemployment is very high in our country. The country has failed to retain skilled manpower. We have been providing impractical education, which leads to frustration in youths. Most of our youths lack practical knowledge. Almost all the youths have been looking for job opportunities abroad. Over 500,000 people go to Gulf countries for employment and out of them over 80 percent are unskilled. Neither can they get decent jobs nor good salaries.

We should not feel happy about energetic youths immigrating to foreign countries. That does not help to develop our country. It is already too late to review our existing policies to ensure a better future for our nation. Technical manpower plays a great role in the overall development of the nation. Such manpower can earn better salaries abroad as well. So we should think in that regard. 

It is said skilled manpower is equally eager to go abroad despite getting better salaries in the country? How can they be retained?
We should make people aware of their needs and roles in the country. The government alone cannot prevent them from migrating. Social organizations, local clubs, media have to play a greater role to persuade them. A lot of people have been lured by the lifestyles of others who have migrated to foreign countries. We should make people aware that such a lifestyle is temporary and their future is in the country itself. We should encourage them to start innovative businesses in the country. Skilled people can earn better in the country than abroad. The government must include job-oriented education right from the schools.

Published on: 8 August 2013 | Republica