The main goal of Youth Engagement and Livelihood Programme (YELP), launched by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Employment (MoICE), is to revive the private sector by providing government incentives to support employees’ salaries, along with providing job seekers with opportunities to enhance their skills and work experience.
Phuntsho Wangdi, the assistant employment officer under the department of employment and entrepreneurship at MoICE, said that the YELP is aiming to engage job seekers in the private and other sectors for them to gain on-the-job skills and experience required to enhance their employability.
Under this program, the department is providing two programs, one for private sector employees and another for government, non-government organizations, and corporation sectors. Of the three programs, one is currently under approval.
Phuntsho Wangdi said that the engagement support under the program is for private employees. “Under this, we are supporting private companies’ employees by providing monthly salary for one year.”
Under the internship support, the support is given to those employees in the government, corporations, and non-government organizations.
The duration for the engagement program will be from one month to 12 months, and for the internship it will be 3 months, but with the condition, it can be extended with an assessment.
“We are unable to provide support across all sectors; instead, we are focusing our efforts on priority sectors,” he stated. The key sectors identified for engagement include agriculture, mining, construction, information and communication services, finance and insurance, education, as well as human health and social work, among others.
The department has also revised the YELP guidelines to align with the national minimum wage rate. Under the revised guidelines, the government will now provide the following monthly stipends: Nu 9,000 for university graduates, with employers contributing at least Nu 6,000; Nu 8,000 for diploma holders and National Certificate levels 2 and 3, with employers contributing a minimum of Nu 5,500; Nu 7,000 for Class XII graduates and certificate holders, with employers required to pay at least Nu 5,000; and Nu 6,000 for Class X graduates and below, with employers providing a minimum of Nu 4,500.
To qualify for the YELP program, applicants must be registered job seekers aged between 18 and 29 and should hold at least a Class X qualification. Candidates are required to register as job seekers online, after which the department will conduct assessments to determine eligibility. Successful candidates will be announced, followed by a recruitment and selection process. Those selected will be offered placements contingent upon the signing of an undertaking.
The employees under YELP are also entitled to provident funds, gratuities, and other contributions.
The internship program, which lasts between one and three months and can be extended to six months, offers interns in government sectors a monthly stipend of Nu 6,000.
Special support is designated for government-initiated projects and is fully funded by the government salary based on the qualifications of youths.
The YELP program, launched in August 2019, is a valuable program that is helping Bhutanese youths gain the skills and experience they need to succeed in the workforce. With the program, the ministry aims to create an avenue for jobseekers to gain on-the-job skills and work experience required to enhance their employability while also supporting their livelihood.
Similarly, the ministry, in order to keep the mandate of providing gainful employment, developed many strategies and programs to engage youth meaningfully. In the course of implementing the programs, emphasis has been on engaging youth to encourage them to be productive instead of doling out unemployment benefits that tend to promote idleness and discourage working.
Meanwhile, the ministry has successfully achieved its initial target of engaging and supporting the livelihoods of more than 6,000 youth in the country. Most of the youth are engaged in the service sectors and have been given opportunities to enhance their skills and develop work experience.
YELP started since 2019, “but this year we are restarting with some revisions. Most youths are facing difficulty in getting jobs, mainly due to required job skills, new in the market. The monthly allowance will also be given as per the permission from the government,” Phuntsho said.
Nidup Lhamo from Thimphu
