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Lack of industry driving youth unemployment up in TL

Source
Dili Weekly - October 1, 2018

Estevao Nuno – The Head of the Vocational Training Providers Department (DFFP), Leonor Bernado said the rates of unemployment in the country continue to rise due to the lack of industry that can provide employment to the youth of Timor-Leste.

The President of the Youth Council from Dili municipality (KJMD), Manecas Lobo dos Santos asked the Secretariat of State for Professional Training and Employment (SEFOPE) to fix some of the challenges Timorese youth face including related to employment opportunities in the country over the next five years.

"Every year the vocational training centres graduate many skilled youth in several areas, but there are limited job opportunities in our country," she said in Dili.

She added based on data from the DFPP, some 8,597 young people received vocational and professional training at the 25 accredited training centres operating in Timor-Leste, from 2013-2017.

"From this number, only 806 have found employment while all the others are still unemployed because there aren't industries to create jobs to absorb them," she said.

He added there are in total 96 vocational and professional training centres across the country but only 25 centres have been accredited by the government, while the others have not received their accreditation.

"All of our youth have skills, but there are limited jobs. Now our country is also full of foreigners and the government has a duty to address this issue," she said.

Meanwhile, the President of the Youth Council from Dili municipality (KJMD), Manecas Lobo dos Santos asked the Secretariat of State for Professional Training and Employment (SEFOPE) to fix some of the challenges Timorese youth face including related to employment opportunities in the country over the next five years.

"I ask the VIII government to fix the living conditions of young people because they are the future of the nation and we need to create job opportunities in the tourism, agriculture, sports and other sectors," he urged.

On the other hand, the Director for the National Centre for Professional Training of Becora, Lourenco Gusmao said SenaiNT Centre has managed to graduate 3,939 skilled young people.

"Our centre was established in 2001 and provides training in various areas such as electrical, plumbing, welding, bricklaying, sewing, AC maintenance, mechanics for cars and motorcycles and Information Technology (IT)," he said.

He added 25% of SenaiNT graduates are currently employed working for NGOs and other State institutions.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/16234-lack-of-industry-driving-youth-unemployment-up-in-tl

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