By Samsideen Ceesay
The Department of Labour under the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment on Tuesday, 5th July 2022 inaugurated the second established job centre at a ceremony held at Basse Youth Centre in the Upper River Region.
The building was renovated by IOM under the project, “Bridging together youth, diaspora and local authorities for an integrated approach to promote employment and address irregular migration in The Gambia”. It is funded through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Industry, Investment and Employment Mr Hassan Gaye, said the inauguration and opening of the job centre in Basse Upper River Region couldn’t come at a better time. The facility, he said, will enhance and facilitate the linkage of job seekers to potential employers.
“The enormous benefits that come with it cannot be underemphasised. It will also help inform decisions for policymakers to be able to track the number of employment created at a given time, level of turnover in the labour market and also a real-time data of the labour market,”Mr Gaye opined.
Sisay Mulatu, Reintegration Officer at the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), affirmed that the main purpose of the job centre is to help people, particularly youth, find work through services such as local and external job searches; to remove the structural employment barriers, and promote an open inclusive society.
“It is IOM’s hope that the job centre will empower the jobseekers, especially potential migrants, labour migrants and returnees, with practical skills and the right tools to get into the job market or employment service and contribute to local and international development,” Mr. Sisay stated.
Nyallow Barrow, Commissioner at the Department of Labour said the opening of the job centre in Basse marks the beginning of their decentralisation plan to cover all other regions across the country.
“I wish to inform the youths of the region that the availability of the job centre in the region opens an opportunity for you to have access to facilities in search of a job and therefore we should take good care of it,” he advised.
Samba Bah, Governor of Upper River Region noted that the job centre will empower young people to realise their full potential. “Youth in rural Gambia should be empowered to have equal opportunities with those in the urban area,” he posited.
Ismaila Badjie, Programme Manager at the National Youth Council pointed out that youth remain the highest chunk of the population; hence opportunities like this will help generate revenue as well as create employment for them.