The Youth Employment Programme

The Youth Employment Programme 2015

The Government has put in place three training programmes to ensure that the needs and aspirations of jobseekers and employers are met.
A Skills Working Group, co-chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations, Employment and Training, and the Director of the Joint Economic Council, has been set up to that effect to ensure that these programmes are monitored effectively.
The Youth Employment Programme (YEP), which is open to persons aged between 16 and 30, with the objective to enabling them to obtain a training/placement for an initial period of one year, with the possibility of permanent employment upon satisfactory performance.
It also ensures that appropriate training is provided to promote the development of necessary skills in various fields. Since the programme was initated in 2013, some 10400 persons have been trained and placed in different sectors.
Another such programme is the Back-to-Work Programme set up so as to facilitate women above the age of 30 to find employment in private enterprises or with individual employers.
The objective is to help women integrate or re-integrate the labour market by undergoing a training programme designed to build or re-build self-awareness, self-esteem, social responsibility and entrepreneurial skills, and strengthen interpersonal and communication skills.
The Dual Training Programme has been set up with a view to address the issue of skills mismatch and ensure the availability of skilled labour .
It comprises a mix of practical on-the-job experience, and classroom studies covering both diploma and degree courses.