(KPL) ADB- supported Technical assistance (TA) project has helped to develop employment service system for the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MLSW) expand opportunities for local job seekers’ access to employment information.

“The technical assistance project is significant and necessary for the Lao PDR in the current situation because it will provide a modern employment service system and strengthen the technical management capacity of civil servants working at job centres in the future,” said Mr Thay Sengaloun, Deputy Director, Department of Skills Development and Employment, Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare at the workshop on AT impact assessment validation workshop strengthening capacity to develop the employment in Vientiane on May 22.

“The Technical assistance (TA) project has been implemented for two years - 2017-2019,” said Mr Thay Sengaloun.

“The TA seeks to help the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MLSW) expand opportunities for Lao urban and rural job seekers’ access to employment information through its public employment service website and 9 job centres as well as its employment service centre,” said Mr Januar Hakim, Principal Portfolio Management Specialist, ADB Laos.

“Since April 2019, the Department of Skills Development and Employment and the consultation team have worked very hard to conduct employment services promotion and advocacy events, job fairs and launch a website campaigns in 8 provinces and Vientiane Capital. Through these efforts, we now can see the results showing that more than 5,000 job vacancies whereby about 500 job seekers have already registered on the website,” said Hakim.

“More efforts should focus on the public relations and campaigns to inform job seekers about 5,000 job vacancies and encourage more applicants to register on the website. We hope that the achievements of this TA will contribute to the increase of overall formal employment in the Lao PDR and at the same time directly contribute to poverty reduction,” said Hakim.

The project activities included, among others, employment service planning, employment service assessment, website development, piloting small-scale labour market assessment, strengthening the capacity of job centre staff on delivering employment services outreach to communities and organising job fairs.

These interventions create forums and platforms for both job seekers and private employers to meet and discuss needed employment opportunities and therefore better match labour need with skills supply.

The government of Japan under the Japan Fund supported the US$ 1.5 million technical assistance for Poverty Reduction, which was approved in May 2016

KPL