Sherab Lhamo

The 13th Plan aims to tackle problems in the job market to address issues related to the unemployment.

Yesterday, the World Bank and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Employment organised a joint launch of the report to share the report’s findings and suggestions.

The report was developed from 2019 by the World Bank in close consultation with the erstwhile Department of National Human Resource Development (DNHRD) and the Department of Employment and Entrepreneurship (DoEE).

The World Bank suggests helping low-skilled women in cities by improving job centres, offering better childcare, giving travel allowances, and teaching them about job opportunities.

To solve the problem of not having the right skills for jobs, there’s a need for more hands-on training where companies can hire people who might not have all the skills but show promise.

The World Bank report also suggests bringing in immigrant workers for low-skilled jobs and helping connect people with jobs through government programs and microloans.

There’s a plan to help farmers in rural areas by training them in new farming techniques and offering support for starting new businesses.

Supporting entrepreneurs and improving job training are also important for boosting the economy and creating more jobs.

The report shows that many challenges exist, like not enough women working, especially in cities, and many people stuck in low-paying farming jobs because of low productivity.

A big problem is that many jobs in construction, wholesale, transportation, and accommodation require long hours and don’t pay well.

The private sector mostly consists of small companies that struggle with hiring, location, money, and getting materials. Also, job centers don’t have enough resources.

The report provides strong evidence on the effectiveness and gaps of the existing employment support programmes and the labour market challenges and issues that need to be addressed.

The findings of the assessment are in sync with the policy direction of the 13th Plan which aims to enhance active labour market interventions through bringing about a stronger link between TVET and the private sector, strengthening entrepreneurship development and the Employment Service Centres, activation of low-skilled women in the urban areas and enhancing the labour market information system to support evidence-based policy making.

The director general of the Department of Employment and Entrepreneurship, Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Employment, said that the 13th Plan is in sync with the recommendations from the 2024 Bhutan Labour Market Assessment Report.