28,000 register for employment

ABOUT 28,000 people have signed up with the National Employment Centre seeking jobs, says NEC director Viliame Cagilaba.

“Of this 11,860 are youths between the ages of 15 to 25,” he said, adding that youth employment was one of the centre’s main priorities.

“We provide training, we provide avenues for them to go out for attachments and assist them in setting up their own businesses,” Mr Cagilaba said.

According to NEC, as of December last year, 16,633 clients successfully completed the professional counselling program, one of three mandatory training programs a client needs to undertake.

About 9000 clients have successfully completed a third mandatory prerequisite called the Life Skills Training program since 2010 while 563 were placed for permanent employment in the first half of 2012.

The total number of those absorbed into formal employment since December 2010 is 1579. Organisations involved in providing employment and upskill training for NEC clients totaled 226.

BY: FIJI TIMES