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Bridging Employment Gaps through Digital Innovation in Koshi Province

Nepal
Labour market insertion
Sabina Sitaula02.09.2024
In Eastern Nepal, Koshi Province is witnessing a remarkable transformation in its labour market-insertion services. This change is spearheaded by Shramsansar, a Labour Market Information System (LMIS) developed with support from the Step Up Project. Launched initially in Biratnagar Metropolitan City, Duhabi Municipality, and Itahari Municipality, Shramsansar aims to tackle high youth unemployment rates in the province by bridging critical information gaps in the labour market.

Recognizing the platform's potential, the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD) in Koshi Province took ownership of Shramsansar during its official launch event held on December 27, 2023. Within just six months, Shramsansar expanded from three to 90 out of 137 municipalities. This rapid growth underscores the platform’s ability to connect job seekers, employment providers, municipalities, employers, business networks, and training service providers.

Transforming the Labour Market in Koshi Province: The Rise of Shramsansar

In June 2024, recognizing the importance of bridging labour market gaps, the MoSD, Koshi Province, allocated NPR 2,000,000 (CHF 13,250) to scale up and upgrade Shramsansar across the province. After expanding its reach to the local and provincial level’s government, Shramsansar is slowly finding its way to work with the federal government as well. On August 28, 2024, the Prime Minister Employment Programme (PMEP), a national flagship initiative of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (MoLESS), partnered with Swisscontact to organize a provincial-level orientation on Shramsansar. This event was a significant step towards digitalizing employment services in Koshi Province, driven by high demand from local governments.

The orientation featured participation of employment coordinators of all 137 municipalities’ Employment Service Centers (ESCs). It was chaired by Hon. Sharat Singh Bhandari, Minister for Labour, Employment & Social Security, and included key figures such as Mr. Mukunda Prasad Niroula, Secretary, MoLESS, Mr. Danduraj Ghimire, National Program Director of PMEP, along with other government representatives.

In his opening remarks, Hon. Bhandari emphasized the role of the ministry in facilitating connections between employers and job seekers. He highlighted Shramsansar's potential as a comprehensive digital platform for labour market services, aligning with PMEP’s vision for a national LMIS. He also mentioned that the ministry envisions one funnel approach for LMIS in the country and the ESCs play the key role to make this happen as they are directly connected with the people.

"The Ministry is committed to supporting the integration of additional features to enhance the platform's efficacy, stated Hon. Sharat Singh Bhandari, Minister for Labour, Employment & Social Security. "

Mr. Kapil Thapa and Mr. Pawan Pradhan, employment coordinators of Biratnagar Metropolitan and Duhabi Municipality respectively, took the initiative in organizing and delivering the orientation sessions. They also gave a practical demonstration on how to use the portal and its features.

Step Up team with the government officials after the completion of the event

Why Shramsansar?

  •  Empowering Job Seekers: Finding meaningful employment can be daunting, especially for those out of the workforce or seeking new opportunities. Shramsansar, the first all-in-one platform of its kind in Koshi Province, offers comprehensive information on jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities. The platform provides information on available vacancies and training programs that the individuals seeking employment can take advantage of.
  • Promoting Self-employment and Entrepreneurship: Beyond job listings, Shramsansar supports self-employment and entrepreneurship by connecting users with Business Development Support (BDS) Services.  The platform also publishes important reading and knowledge materials, such as the Business discounts and facilities, formats of application for registering a new business, and for private company having a single shareholder, etc. that aspiring entrepreneurs can read and learn from. The platform is also being used to showcase the success of the individuals who were able to bring positive changes in their lives with the help of Shramsansar’s support.
  • Continuous Growth: Shramsansar’s impact is evident in its growing user base. Over 10,000 job seekers, 90+ training providers, and 100+ employers have joined the platform. With more than 1,300 vacancies and 100+ training programs published to date, Shramsansar has already facilitated employment for over 200 individuals.
  • User-Friendly and Replicable: Shramsansar is easy to use and has high potential for replication. It can adapt to the changing needs of the labour market by integrating new features as required.
  • Rooted in Localization: Working with local level governments, Shramsansar facilitates the labour market needs of the local population and is flexible to modify to meet local demands.
  • Meeting Diverse Needs: As an all-inclusive platform, Shramsansar caters to individuals with varied skill sets, successfully facilitating employment for low-skilled to semi-skilled individuals.

User Testimonials: Real Stories of Impact

Rita Bhattarai, a help staff at Neuro Hospital who secured her job through Shramsansar
"I was staying home as a housewife, taking care of my family for almost eight years. I was looking for a job but couldn’t find one. I had lost all hope, but after registering with Shramsansar, I was able to find this job, and I am grateful to Shramsansar for this, says Rita Bhattarai. "
Jiban Mishra, Academic Coordinator at a college in Itahari, who secured his job with help from Shramsansar
"Shramsansar has been facilitating as a bridge between job seekers and employers. I used to use social media platforms and Google search to look for jobs before this, but ever since I have known about Shramsansar, I have been using this and have already recommended it to my friends and family, too. I am happy with the platform as it helped me secure this job, mentions Jiban Mishra. "

A New Era for Labour Market: Scaling Up for Greater Impact

Despite the challenges associated with unemployment in the province, Shramsansar has been pivotal in bridging the gap between job seekers and employers. By embracing digitalization, Shramsansar is poised to become a one-stop solution for all labour market-related services in Nepal. The scale-up of the LMIS across Koshi Province demonstrates its capability to integrate effectively with all three tiers of government in Nepal, heralding a new era of employment services in the region.

The StepUp project is financed by the Happel Foundation, among other donors. It is part of the Swisscontact Development Programme, which is co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA. 

2021 - 2024
Nepal
Labour market insertion, Migration
Step Up – Improving labour market access for unemployed
Nepal faces enormous employment challenges that were exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Difficulties to find gainful employment for the unemployed include lack of information on jobs and business opportunities, appropriate skills and access to networks and support services such as career guidance or counselling. In addition, business support services that provide entrepreneurs with services to start, sustain and improve their businesses are weak or even missing. The project aims to address these deficiencies in the current employment ecosystem and contribute to the Government of Nepal’s efforts to increase job creation and the employability of its labour force.
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