Bhutan

Opening Ceremony of the First Batch Tailoring Program

Opening Ceremony of the First Batch Tailoring Program
Remarks by Ms. Claire Van der Vaeren
UNDP Resident Representative
2 February 2011

I would like to thank the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources for organizing this event.

At the onset, allow me to congratulate you, the first batch of trainees in this Tailoring Programme, for taking on the ambitious goal of becoming master tailors.  You have chosen a noble profession that has existed for centuries and remains essential; indeed, even in today's modern world no one can live without a tailor, especially in Bhutan.  Tailoring is a profession that is highly portable, it is well adapted to rural as well as urban areas, and it can play a role in expanding sectors of the economy such as tourism. Tailoring skills are highly versatile and suited both to mass production and unique creativity.

In preparing this statement, I was reminded of the celebration for World Poverty Day last year, where we reflected particularly on the links between decent work and poverty reduction, and on the challenges of unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, which today is a problem of global magnitude and is also a key development issue for Bhutan.

To recall the words of the UN Secretary-General on that occasion:

(quote) "Decent and productive work is one of the most effective ways to fight poverty and build self-sufficiency. (unquote)

The statement went on to say that (quote):  "Young people are three times more likely to be unemployed than adults. [...]  One of the best ways for youth to see a future of hope is through the prism of a decent job." (unquote)

Elaborating on a similar point, the UNDP Administrator, Miss Helen Clark had stated: (quote) "Decent work is essential to advancing human development and meeting the Millennium Development Goals. [...] Young people, who can be huge drivers of innovation and economic development, must not be overlooked. Decent work for youth, who currently have the highest unemployment rate ever recorded, is critical not only to sustained growth but also to social stability." (unquote)

In Bhutan, unemployment overall has increased from 3.7% in 2006 to 4% in 2009, though there has been some improvement in 2010. The youth unemployment rate has shot up from 9.9% in 2007 to 12.9% in 2009.  Unemployment is nearly twice as high for young women than for young men, at 14.7%, compared to 8% in 2009. Thus, to meet the national goal of reducing poverty from 23 to 15% by the end of the 10^th Five-Year Plan and indeed achieve Gross National Happiness, addressing the employment issues is a critical element.  Although young people have a tremendous potential to participate effectively in the advancement of the country, the lack of adequate skills has hampered their effective participation in the labour market. Social stigma associated with the so-called blue collar professions also has and unfortunately continues to play a negative role in this regard.

In such an environment, giving [young] people access to employable skills is critical, whether through the formal education system, vocational training, or through opportunities created by the private sector. Underpinning these efforts, there must be a constant concern for better aligning supply and demand in the job market, and enabling [young] people to participate in the growing service industries where human capital is key.

The Royal Government of Bhutan under the leadership of the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources, and with the contribution of other actors like YDF, has undertaken a number of initiatives to better connect job seekers to the employment market and ensure that core sectors of the economy find the human resources they need. 

The recently released Human Resource Development Policy aims among other things to address the gap between labour demand and supply in an increasingly complex market environment and to increase the ability of young people to enter the labour market equipped with employable skills.  Specifically, to tackle youth unemployment, the Government has already carried out a number of interventions, among which, improving the labour market information system to help job seekers get regular and up-to-date information; and supporting occupational skills development in tourism, tailoring and dress making, for example, through more flexible vocational skills' modules. Bridges are being planned between vocational and formal educational streams to maximize the opportunities for acquiring skills over time. Other initiatives include providing training in entrepreneurship skills and business support finance, in order to promote self-employment and the creation of businesses, which will in turn be able to create new jobs.

I am pleased to report that the UN system in Bhutan led in this case by UNDP has been working closely with the Government particularly the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources and NGOs like YDF and the Tarayana Foundation, both on policy development; the Human Resource Development Policy is a clear example, but also through support to vocational training programmes like the one we are launching here today. This collaboration has grown over the years from providing capacity building support to the Ministry to more comprehensive skills development programmes targeting young job-seekers and women entrepreneurs in order to increase opportunities for self-employment and establishment of small businesses. A total of 74 out-of-school youths (29 male and 45 female) were trained in tourism and hospitality services in 2010. The support for tailoring programme in 2010 included the establishment of a training facility, including the necessary equipment for training in tailoring and dress making.

I am pleased to inform you that this activity will continue this year in collaboration with the MoLHR, alongside support to 200 men and women in construction-related training. These programmes accomplish an important goal of not only creating self-employment opportunities for the jobless, but also open up additional employment and income generation avenues for others, particularly in rural communities.

I am pleased to note that there are 31 women selected to participate in this training programme, out of 36 participants. I would also like to recognize the men; tailoring is a profession well suited for both sexes.  I would like to encourage all of you to take advantage of this training opportunity, as there are so many [young] people who are not so lucky, and to make the most of it.  Strive for excellence in all that you do, and take pride in your new profession. 

In conclusion, I take this opportunity to wish all those gathered today a very Happy Losar and a successful Iron Female Rabbit Year!

Thank you for your attention.

Tashi Delek!