Only 49 youth are engaged since the launch of the programme in August

Yangchen C Rinzin 

Two months after the launch of the Youth Engagement and Livelihood Programme (YELP), only 49 youth are engaged in the programme as of October. YELP was initiated to engage unemployed job seekers who completed Class X and above.

The programme, which is designed to support the livelihood of about 6,000 youth in 12th Plan was launched in August this year. The programme targets supporting 1,500 jobseekers annually especially in the construction and agriculture sector, which are considered priority sectors.

However, the ministry of labour and human resources is confident that many would be engaged by November. A selection process is still being carried out.

The programme has engaged youth through four different sub-programmes – Youth Engagement Programme (YEP), Employment Support Programme (ESP), Project Specific Support (PSS), and Skills Training Programme (SP).

Youth engaged through YELP are supported through allowances.

Senior employment officer Chimmi Rinzin said that most of the youth have preferred for YEP, as of now.

“It’s barely three months since its launch and we’re expecting more youth to come forward,” he said. “We’ll soon know which of the sub-programmes they preferred the most.”

He said currently most of the job seekers have either appeared RCSC and waiting for results or looking for a job opportunity overseas.

Youth will be engaged for a maximum of six months each for YEP and ESP, 12 months for SP, and 24 months for PSS as per the programme.

Chimmi Rinzin said that majority of the 49 youth are currently engaged in the agriculture and construction sectors where they receive an allowance of Nu 10,000 a month supported by the ministry and 30 percent of the 10,000 by the private sector.

In the non-priority sector, youth engaged through YELP receive Nu 5,000 supported by the ministry and 50 percent by the private sector.

However, like the jobseekers should be registered with the ministry’s job portal, the employers should be also registered with the job portal to avail the YELP.

Despite the ministry’s invitation to recruit staff under YELP, to submit vacancies to the respective regional offices and YELP unit in the ministry, only 139 agencies have registered as of now.

During the launch, the ministry also signed a memorandum of understanding with Construction Development Corporation (CDCL) to engage 500 youth annually, Pyelbar Lokchey Nyamchoe Laydey to engage about 10 youth, and The Youth Group of Panbang to recruit nine through this programme. Bhutan Development Livestock Cooperation was supposed to take in about 134 youth.

Chimmi Rinzin said as of October, only 38 youth are engaged with CDCL and 10 with Pyelbar Lockhey Nyamchoe Laydey.

The YELP programme was developed based on the findings on impact of Direct Employment Scheme (DES), which was carried out jointly by GNHC and the Ministry.

The ministry discontinued DES and gave a new name with a new programme as YELP.

Meanwhile, there are 8,192 unemployed jobseekers registered as per Bhutan labour market information system as of October.

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