By: Nghiinomenwa Erastus
The economy could not assimilate the 15 582 job seekers who registered themselves with the labour ministry for the past 12 months, ending 31 March 2022.
During the previous financial year, 17 002 jobseekers registered themselves under the Namibia Integrated Employment Information System to be matched with job opportunities. However, only 1 420 were placed.
The labour, industrial relations and employment creation ministry revealed the statistics in parliament last week as part of their significant achievement for the 2021/22 financial year that ended 31 March 2022.
The task to enable employment creation falls under the Promotion and Ensurance of Optimum Development and Utilisation of Human Resources in the country, which got N$22,7 million last year. According to the ministry feedback in parliament, the actual expenditure was N$22,5 million (99 per cent).
The Namibia Integrated Employment Information System (NIEIS) is an online platform under the labour ministry which matches jobseekers and employer vacancies.
According to the labour minister, Utoni Nujoma, in terms of their provision of employment services mandate, last year, the ministry registered a total number of 17 002 jobseekers and 224 Designated Employers (NIEIS).
However, despite the pool of job seekers, they could only place 1 420 job seekers in different industries.
In their journey to find job opportunities for the job seekers in the economy, Nujoma said they have 398 establishments to solicit employment for jobseekers.
Furthermore, he updated his fellow parliamentarian that 3,174 individuals received vocational counselling services, which include counselling only, psychometric testing for career counselling and guidance.
As well as testing for education selection, the ministry conducted 65 career-themed events/motivational talks and 18 employee wellness activities. At the same time, it conducted 266 school orientation talks at different schools country-wide.
Nujoma said beyond the 1 420 placement of the job seekers, the ministry, in collaboration with the National Youth Service (NYS), placed 55 interns both in the Private and Public Sectors for six months. An allowance was paid to individual interns.
He explained that the internship project aims to ensure that interns acquire workplace professional skills required by employers and improve their employability.
Nujoma added that an integral part of the coordination process by the ministry is to ensure that every Namibian youth is guaranteed education, training and/or apprenticeships that will lead to employment in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
For the current financial year, the programme, which is responsible for employment creation and facilitation in the economy; Promotion and Ensurance of Optimum Development and Utilisation of Human Resources, is budgeted to get around N$27,5 million
Email: erastus@thevillager.com.na