Employment Fund to train 16‚000 youths

The Employment Fund in association with Helvetas Swiss Inter-cooperation Nepal is planning to train 16,000 Nepalis in 2014.

The training is expected to fulfill the growing demand for skilled youth labour force in country to some extent, said the Fund, adding that every year around 450,000 youths enter the labour market but are incapable of addressing the market needs because around 90 per cent of them are unskilled. "The Fund will train and employ 12,000 marginalised youth, who are in dire need and develop 4,000 youth as entrepreneurs, who can create employment later."

The Fund – after a survey on market demand for skill – determined the required skills to be provided to labour. It has selected 39 organisations across the country to provide training for the current year. They are also responsible for the job placement of trainees. The Fund also spends around Rs 50,000 per person in providing training, it added.

In the first phase of the programme, youths are provided with skills of their interest. "They will work as a paid employee during the training period and later establish their own business and generate employment for at least one another," according to the Fund that aims at generating 4,000 employers this year under the programme.

Likewise, the second phase focuses on marginalised youths – who are in extreme condition – including youths living with HIV, gender violence survivors, handicapped, street children and orphans, prisoners and former prisoners, bonded labourers and squatters. It plans to benefit 12,000 youth.

The Fund – since its operation in 2008 – has been benefiting around 70,000 youths of the country, out of which around 50,000 are in training related jobs, it claimed but the unemployment is rising.

It has provided 121 types of training till date, it said, reporting that on an average they are earning around Rs 5,500 per month. "Labours who have been employed for the past three years are earning Rs 10,000 on average."

Most of those who have quit their jobs despite the training are women due to pregnancy, low wage and family pressure, added the Fund that has categorised people earning less than Rs 4,600 per month even after the training as underemployed.

"People who earn around Rs 10,000 per month are not interested in foreign employment," according to team leader at the Employment Fund/Helvetas Swiss Inter-cooperation Nepal Bal Ram Paudel.

Last year around 35 per cent – of the 17,000 trainees – were self-employed, he claimed.

Swiss grants Rs 1.39 billion for safer labour migration, local governance

Switzerland is providing a grant assistance of CHF 14 million (approximately Rs 1.39 billion) to support two projects; safer labour migration and good governance.
According to a press release issued by Embassy of Switzerland here today, over CHF 8.95 million will be spent for safer labour migration and CHF 4.9 million will be spent on the implementation of Strengthening the Accountability of Local Governments (SALG) project.

Swiss ambassador to Nepal Thomas Gass and joint secretary and head of International Economic Cooperation Coordination Division under Ministry of Finance Madhu Marasini signed the agreement today on behalf of their respective governments.

“The second phase of Safer Migration Project will support the efforts to address the needs of Nepali migrant labour leaving for Middle East and Southeast Asian,” the statement noted, adding that the project will continue to provide relevant information to the aspiring migrant workers and their family, vocational skills trainings, legal support, psychosocial counseling as well as shelter for returning migrants in distress.
“The project will also strengthen the capacity of the government authorities and civil society organisations to ensure a more effective implementation of Nepal´s Foreign Employment Act-2007 and related policies,” it added.
The project will be implemented jointly by Helvetas Swiss Inter cooperation under the leadership of the Steering Committee chaired by the secretary of Ministry of Labour and Employment in 19 districts.
Likewise, Strengthening the Accountability of Local Governments (SALG) is designed to strengthen the capacity of the right holders, especially, disadvantaged groups to engage in local governance processes and to access the services in a more efficient and effective manner. The project will enhance the capacity of people and the community based civic society groups like Ward Citizen Forum to hold the local governance actors accountable in their respective constituents with the use of social accountability tools, according to the press release.
The project will be implemented in nine districts in close coordination with and steering of Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development in complementarily with Local Governance and Community Development Programme (LGCDP).

Employment Fund claims it helped 50,000 job seekers

The Employment Fund — a multi-donor employment initiative — has claimed that it has created job opportunities to 50,000 youths by providing different skill-based trainings to them.

The fund is executed by Helvetas Nepal and supported by Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), UKAids and the World Bank (WB).

It trained about 60,000 youths between 2008 and 2012, and 50,000 of them have got jobs in the domestic and international market.
"We have kept track of all the youths we trained. Therefore, we are celebrating the occasion of 50,000 graduates getting employment," said country director of Helvetas Nepal Shiva Prasad Aryal here today.

The fund provides training to those who are in actual need. It has adopted an outcome-based training system, and trainings are organised by private sector partners.
"Because of its result, DfID has decided to continue its support to the fund," said chief of the agency Dominic O' Neil. Other donors, the World Bank and SDC have also decided to support the fund after evaluating its result.

Industrial Enterprises Development Institute honoured the three most promising graduates on the occasion. Richa Sah from Birgunj bagged the first prize worth Rs 25,000 for her entrepreneurship in mobile repairing. "The training improved my family status from below the poverty line to a substantive family," she said. "Today, I earn about Rs 9,000 a month and it has been helping my family fulfill basic needs," she said.

Similarly, the second prize (Rs 15,000) winner, a motorcycle mechanic, from Jhapa set up a motorcycle repairing centre immediately after the training. "I am looking at the bigger picture now and I want to open a motorcycle showroom," said Parshuram Poudel, "I will have my showroom in the near future," he expressed the confidence gained from the training.

The fund has planned to add 17,000 more skillful youths in the Nepali job market in 2013. It offers about 121 types of job trainings which are easily saleable in the domestic market and abroad.

Mega Bank and Helvetas join hands

Mega Bank Nepal and Helvetas — Swiss Intercooperation Nepal — have decided to implement an employment generation programme in eight districts.

Chief executive of Mega Bank Anil Keshary Shah and country director of Helvetas Shiva Prashad Aryal signed a Memorandum of Understanding today to aid residents of different districts in the Tarai with micro-financing for farmers who have been trained by Helvetas.

The joint programmes on entrepreneurship development and employment generation in the agriculture sector will be implemented in Rautahat, Sarlahi, Bara, Parsa, Banke, Bardiya, Kailali and Kanchanpur.

Under this joint initiative, the bank will deliver micro credit and other access to finance, whereas Helvetas will provide technical services and vocational training to the target group. The bank will provide micro loans of up to Rs 60,000 even without collateral, and interest rates will vary according to the loan.

"This will ensure sustainable growth of agro-based enterprises creating self-employment opportunities," Shah said, adding that the bank has plans to deliver branchless banking services in prospective rural locations where the project is being implemented.

The programme has been working on the development of small farmers and micro entrepreneurs on commercial banana farming, herb production and processing, season and off-season vegetables, and riverbed farming by providing the required training and technology transfer, informed Aryal.

Head of Micro Banking at Mega Bank Yub Raj Guragain informed that the bank will also organise training programmes for target groups on entrepreneurship development and micro credit services.