First batch leaves next week

Employment: Seventy-eight graduates will be turning a new chapter in their lives, if not in Bhutan but in Dubai, UAE and Kuwait starting next month.

Recruited under the overseas employment programme with the labour ministry, these graduates will be signing a minimum of one-year contract before they leave the country.

They will be working as a sales associate with renowned apparel retail companies such as H&M, American Apparel and Coast among others.

They are the second batch of graduates the ministry is sending this year. The first batch, which was trained earlier this year also comprises of 78 graduates.

Department of Employment (DoE) officials said more females are selected under the programme.

“From the youth unemployed rate that stands at 9.6 percent today, females are high and even from the jobseekers registered females stand as the highest number,” an official said. “So we wanted to give them an equal opportunity to gain meaningful employment.”

From the 78 graduates selected in the second batch, 48 are female and from the first batch 67 are female.

“The first batch of graduates will be leaving next week and the second batch will leave as soon as formalities are completed,” labour officials said.

One of the graduates leaving for Dubai is Ngawang Tenzin, 23, who was on the job hunt for a year. He is a graduate from Tamil Nadu in India.

“Working overseas will help build my self-esteem,” he said. “I can’t wait for the new journey to begin.”

Another graduate from Sherubtse, Tshering Choki, 23, said the salary is attractive.

“The job market is very competitive here, so it’s better for us to work overseas if we get an opportunity,” she said. “What more better way to learn and gain new experiences.”

Labour minister Ngeema Sangay Tshempo awarded the new batch of graduates with certificates yesterday.

After awarding the certificates, the minister advised the graduates not to forget their work ethics while working there.

“You shouldn’t forget that you are representing Bhutan and take care of yourself,” the minister said.

A total of about 729 jobseekers were send through overseas employment programme from July 1, 2013 to till date. Out of which 235 are female and 485 are male.

The ministry had sent 429 jobseekers while 300 were sent through private recruiting agencies.

Thinley Zangmo