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  3. Creating Opportunities: Second Job Fair and Shramsansar Transform Koshi Province’s Labour Market

Creating Opportunities for Youth in Koshi Province through Employment Fair and Shramsansar

Nepal
Labour market insertion
Sabina Sitaula29.12.2024
The Biratnagar-Itahari industrial corridor in Koshi Province, Eastern Nepal, has great potential for economic growth and youth employment. While province industries promise jobs and prosperity, a staggering 18.8 percent of young people aged 15-24 in Koshi Province are trapped in a cycle of unemployment. The province’s need for more awareness about existing job opportunities and their prerequisites among the youth has hindered it from fully realising this potential.

To address this gap, Swisscontact’s Step Up Project supported the organisation of Koshi Province’s first-ever employment fair in March 2024. Following its success, Biratnagar Metropolitan City hosted the second edition of the employment fair at Eco Fun Park from 16–17 December 2024.
Youth exploring exciting job opportunities at the stalls

Connecting Opportunities with Talent

The two-day job fair featured 30 stalls representing diverse sectors such as hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing, IT, and more. Building on lessons learned from the first job fair, the Metropolitan City implemented tailored strategies to ensure maximum participation and success.

A press meet held before the event helped amplify awareness, with both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor personally urging media outlets to promote the fair. In a new approach, only employers with verified job vacancies were invited to set up stalls after being carefully selected at an employer meet. This ensured a higher alignment between job seekers’ aspirations and employers’ needs.

One of the highlights was the stall by the Employment Information Center (EIC), which introduced visitors to Shramsansar, a first-of-its-kind digital labour-market information platform in Koshi Province. Developed under the Step Up Project, Shramsansar provides job seekers with real-time access to employment and entrepreneurial opportunities while fostering collaboration among training providers, employers, and labour market service providers.

"Many individuals looking for jobs don’t know where to start. This fair was designed and organised to connect them directly with employers"
Kapil Thapa, Employment Information Centre Coordinator, Biratnagar Metropolitan City
A job seeker learning to use Shramsansar

Transforming the Labour Market

 Launched by the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD), in 2023, Shramsansar has already made remarkable progress:

  • Over 12,000 job seekers registered
  • 250 individuals placed into employment
  • 1,450+ job vacancies posted
  • 110+ training providers and 200+ employers joined

Initially implemented in Biratnagar Metropolitan City, Duhabi Municipality, and Itahari Municipality, the platform has now expanded to all 137 municipalities in Koshi Province, revolutionising access to labour market information.

Results and Impact

The two-day job fair saw over 3,500 attendees. Among them, more than 160 submitted job applications, and 12 candidates received on-the-spot job offers. Key employment sectors included IT, hospitality, security, and sales. The fair not only bridged the gap between employers and job seekers but also raised awareness about the importance of skills development and career readiness.

Mayor of Biratnagar Metropolitan acknowledging the importance of the fair 
"The job fair has been instrumental in creating employment awareness among our youth. The local government is committed to supporting similar initiatives in the future, and we are grateful to Swisscontact for their collaboration."
Mentioned Nagesh Koirala, Mayor of Biratnagar Metropolitan
"This kind of initiative is exemplary as it bridges the gap between job seekers and service providers. We also believe that such efforts contribute to overall economic growth. We thank Biratnagar Metropolitan for organising this initiative and hope it continues in an even more effective manner in the future."
Sanjay Karki, Country Director at Swisscontact Nepal, echoed the Mayor's sentiment

The Way Forward

As the demand for skilled workers in the Biratnagar-Itahari corridor continues to grow, initiatives like job fairs play a critical role in addressing unemployment and information gaps. By carefully curating employer participation, the second job fair set a new benchmark for aligning job seekers with genuine opportunities.

Shramsansar remains a transformative force in Koshi Province’s labour market. Its growing adoption among youths is increasing labour force participation and helping to reduce unemployment in the region. With continued efforts and collaboration, Koshi Province is well on its way to realising its economic potential.

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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