SARBHANG

Written by M.B. Subba, Gelephu 

Feb 13, 2009: The Gelephu Regional Employment and Labour Office have received a lukewarm response from the youth, with just 20 job seekers having registered for employment in the last two months.

According to the head of the regional office, Chimi Wangmo, none of them have been employed by any organization.

The tepid response from the youth may be because they are unaware of the facility. “May be they do not read news papers or do not watch television,” she said.

The office was established on 20 December 2008 by the ministry of labour and human resources as part of the commitment of the Royal Government to enhance service delivery to general public by taking services closer to the people.  

The office provides various facilities like facilitation and job placement assistance, employment counseling and labour market information to the unemployed youth. The office has a separate board where jobseekers can read vacancies available across the country. Other facilities include on-the-job training schemes like pre-employment engagement and apprenticeship training programmes. 

Employers can send vacancies to be listed by fax to the office so that they can look for potential candidate.

In order to create awareness among the youth, the regional office will be conducting campaign in the six dzongkhags that fall under its region including Sarpang and Tsirang very soon.

Most of the Gelephu youth are unaware that such an office exists there. “I didn’t know of  such a facility; I would have loved to make use of it,” said Nim Tshering. 

The location of the office may be a problem, some students say. The office is located at Sethikharey, which is outside the town. This may be the reason why youth don’t visit it.

A young girl, who has just passed her class XII, said that as a resident of Gelephu, the facilities that the office provides are very useful and she doesn’t have to spend money to go to Thimphu seeking employment.

However, students have started thronging in the office after the school results were declared recently.

“Now they have started pouring in,” said the labour officer, Chimi Rinzin.

Most of the youth who come seeking jobs are either class X or XII pass-outs.  He added that even graduates are coming to seek help now.