By Yero S. Bah
The trauma of lack of employment opportunities can be very severe, but not having recognized and well organized public job seeking and recruiting centers can become even more challenging for both job-seekers and employers in a third world nation like the Gambia where the total unemployment rate have the following appalling statistics- (35.2%), female unemployment rate (57.1%), male unemployment rate (42.9%), youth unemployment rate (15-35) (41.5%) and underemployed persons at 75,174, as per the draft report of the 2018 Labour Force Survey conducted by Gambia Bureau of Statistic.
Some concerned job recruiters and job seekers say the above-grimed picture emphasized the much-needed collective efforts to proffer long-lasting solutions to the Gambia’s severe unemployment and underemployment problems.
Jobs Consulting Gambia is a new job consulting agency founded by Madam Ndey Jobarteh, a Gambian based in Oslo, Norway. The agency came to revolutionize the seeking of job opportunities and the provision of employment chances to job-seekers and employers in the Gambia, as the Oslo-based Managing Director of Jobs Consulting Group, Ms. Neneh Bojang revealed to this medium on May 17, 2020 during an interview conducted via WhatsApp.
She explained that Jobs Consulting Gambia was contracted by the United Nations Peace Building Fund (UNPBF) and International Trade Center (ITC) to train the Gambian Department of Labour (GLD), specifically targeting the Public Employment Services Unit (PESU) on the running of jobs and career centers in building the Gambia Government’s referral portal, whilst mapping the needs for both the private and public sector institutions to have a reference to their needs regarding the employment market.
MD Bojang noted that Jobs Consulting Gambia is a premier destination for innovative workforce solutions, where people and businesses are inspired,motivated, trained and developed to embrace the future of work. She continued: “With technological advancements, the world of work is rapidly transforming, altering traditional perceptions as well as the reality of how work is done and by whom.”
The international job Consultant and Media Personality believes that, job hunts should be simple, fun, educational, and refreshing, which she argues, will help job-seekers focus, get more accomplished while building long lasting relationships in making smarter career decisions.
“For this reason, we were called in to address the human resource challenges and the opportunities facing hiring managers and job seekers,” she disclosed.
Bojang recollects it was during this training contract that they were able to inspire and convince the Gambia’s Ministry of Trade and Employment, the Labour Department and the Public Employment Unit on the need for Gambia to build its first-ever public Job Center to serve as the pilot project to be replicated across the country.
The former Manager of Fast Link Global Communications in Upton Park, London, United Kingdom, further disclosed that the training of the Department of Labour and the Public Employment Services was sponsored by the United Nations Peace Building Fund and The International Trade Center, and that the Job Center was built by the IOM.
The Ministry of Trade and Employment also sponsored the Unit with a million dollars’ worth of equipment; and the furniture donations and equipment were made by Real Tech and Sheroes which are both NGOs, she added.
“A Job Center is a priority because the Gambia has severe unemployment and underemployment problems,” Bojang stated. The strong advocate against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM/C) disclosed that their target groups are mostly the youths and women who make up the largest number of the unemployed in the country, saying unemployment is estimated at 1,069,343 persons; 515,856 males and 553,487 females whilst discouraged job seekers rates skyrocketed to (15-64)47.6% males and 52.4% females.
She also highlighted that external migration is estimated at 61,515 persons, of which 62.6% used irregular means, adding the International Organization for Migration IOM-EU Project on Sustainable Integration reported that over 3000 Gambian migrants were returned from Libya to The Gambia where employment is one of the most pressing problems the people face.
Bojang and Jobarteh pointed out that, their aim is to create functional jobs and career centers across the Gambia that is based on the Norwegian model with trained and professional staff that cater for the needs of the Gambian population. They argued, “our long term vision is for the Gambia to be a country that will be envied for innovative workforce solutions”.
The international job consultants also want the Public Employment Services Unit (PESU) and those running job and career centers across the country to be inspired, motivated, and trained and their human resources developed to embrace the future of work and talented enough to support its citizens to find work. That they will cater for the needs of both employers and employees.
The Oslo-based Gambian iconic woman is glad to be given the opportunity to serve her nation, saying it has been an honor for her and the team, which comprised Mr. Momodou Lamin Dibba , Ms. Fatou Jobarteh, Ms. Saffie Touray, Mr. Amadou Jeng Jallow and the CEO and founder of Jobs Consulting Gambia, Ms. Ndey Jobarteh, to be inspiring the construction of Gambia’s first-ever public Job Center through their training, proving that diasporia Gambians can deliver durable results once given the opportunity to contribute to national development of their country.
