Employment Service in Lao PDR

Contents National Employment Policy (NEP) and acheivemnet Activities and project collabolation V. Challenges VI. Ways forward Laos is a small land-locked country located in the South-East Asia region, It shares international borders with 5 countries such as China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.

I. National employment policy and achievment 1. Established 22 recruitment agencies among them there are two agencies providing internal employment service -These agencies duly licensed under the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare -Developed Decree on establishment and management of recruitment agencies

2. National strategic on labour develpment 2011-2020 General Direction Train labour force to be good citizen, healthy, knowledge, skilful, industrial mind-set, nationalism and ambitious to develop themselves in order to significant contribution into national social economic development each time. Develop labour force to suite with potential resource of zone and harmonise with economic structure for supply the labour market demand in domestic and foreign country as well as integrated with region and international Develop the skills based upon the occupation subjects to reach the standard and harmonization with economic structure by focusing to the areas of agriculture and forestry, industrial production, handicraft, construction, electricity, mining and services to support the transition of industry and modernization step by step Manage the Lao worker in domestic and abroad including foreign workers in Lao PDR, and ensure to protect their rights and interests in accordance with the Laws.

3. Established an Employment Service Center in Vientiane capital -The ESC consists of four sections: Administration& Finance section, Information&training section, Foreign Workers registration & Domestic Employment Section, and Oversea Employment Section. -Responsibility and Function of ESC Implementing the party and government’s direction and policies Collecting and analysis labour market information dissemination Job matching labour to employers, dispatching lao labour abroad Providing pre departure Directing, managing and monitoring Job centres (JC) and Migration resource centre (MRC) Issuing work permit to lao labour traveling to abroad Issuing and proceeding work permit to foreign labour Monitoring, supporting and managing recruitment agencies Coordinating with embassy, consular or laolabour attaché

4. Established Job centers ( currently 9 centers) Function of Job centres. -Promoting job placement to laolabour -Dispatching laolabour abroad; -Facilitating and assist employers to seek and matching job seekers as appropriately labour demand, -Developing skills standard; -Coordinating and promoting public and private vocational training -Collecting and analysis labour market information

5. Revised labour law (the revised version endorsed by national Assembly 2014) Revised labour law (the revised version endorsed by national Assembly 2014). Big change in the revised labour law is the inclusion of employment policy and migration issues and migration fund 6. Law on Social security (recently endorsed by Govt in August 2013) 7. Decree 036,on TVET and Skills Development 8. National Structure of Skills Standards 9. Regional Model of Competency Standard(RMCS).

Achievement: Employment service statistic from 2011-2017 2011-2015 2015-2016 2017 Total Female 277,4939 136,773 149,733 65,251 139,053 42,933 Job placement 156,926 77,179 94,066 34,789 116,020 31,105 Dispatching Lao worker to abroad 120,513 59,594 55,667 30,462 23,033 11,628

Achievement: Skills Development statistic from 2011-2017 2011-2015 2015-2016 2017 Total Female 248,765 114,300 132,546 59,936 66,048 31,996 Agriculture 97,953 42,515 39,399 16,865 16,218 6,427 Industry 61,405 29,113 31,969 9,277 13,452 3,982 Service 89,407 42,672 61,178 33,794 36,378 21,587

Statistic of Foreign wokers   2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 Total Female Agriculture 17263 2711 15543 2290 901 170 Industry 2353 650 3343 1096 346 122 Service 2667 501 2967 569 461 106 Total: 22283 3862 21853 3,955 1708 398

II. Activities and Project cooperation ILO-MOHRSS South-South Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) on Employment Services in Cambodia and Lao PDR(ILO\China) Job centres developed experience and skills to deploy a wider range of employment outreach mechanisms including job fairs, employment forums, recruitment events, social network and use of media outlets During 2014-15, the 9 job centres consolidated performance recorded the registration of more than 13,000 vacancies and placement to more than 2,000 jobseekers. These numbers indicate a strong increase vis-a-vis baseline data. The number of registered job seekers at employment service centres receiving job placements also increased, indicating not only better record keeping but also improved ability to facilitate the matching of job seekers with employers. Improved Labour Market Information capacity via establishment of a unit in MoLSW Lao National Standard Classification of Occupations – cornerstone of LMI for use by all relevant stakeholders Performance measurement and monitoring mechanisms (i.e. PES checklist, data collection, evaluation, assessment). Better collaboration with partners, stakeholders and clients (i.e. employers and jobseekers).

II. Activities and Project cooperation TA 9115-LAO: Strengthening The Capacity To Develop The Employment Service System(ADB) Output 1: ‘Employment Management System Developed’ ລະບົບການຄຸ້ມ ຄອງການຈັດຫາງານຖືກສ້າງຂຶ້ນ Output 2: ‘Improved Labour Market Assessment, Forecast and LMIS including Institutional Support’ ການປະເມີນຕະຫລາດແຮງງານ, ການ ພະຍາກອນ ແລະ ລະບົບຂໍ້ມູນຂ່າວສານຕະຫລາດແຮງງານ ໄດ້ຮັບການປັບປຸງ ລວມ ທັງການສະໜັບສະໜູນສະຖາບັນ Output 3: ‘Operationalized PES Centre WEB Site and Online ESS ’ ເວັບໄຊຂອງສູນບໍລິການຈັດຫາງານພາກລັດ ແລະ ລະບົບການບໍລິການຈັດຫາງານ ອອນລາຍ ເປີດປະຕິບັດງານ Output 4: Capacity of Job Centre Staff and Dissemination of Information Strengthened ເພີ່ມທະວີຄວາມສາມາດຂອງພະນັກງານຈຸດບໍລິການຈັດຫາງານ ແລະ ການເຜີຍແຜ່ຂໍ້ມູນຂ່າວສານ

III. Challenges Labour law is not enforced effectively Employment service policies is not yet intensive and comprehensive and not well known by agencies concern so it leads to ineffective implementation of employment service Skills development and employment service systems are not well functioning Laos doesn’t yet have labour market information policies Financial allocated to Jobcenter is limited Jobseekers, employers and other relevant agencies are not be aware d of existing Employment Service Center and job centers. Jobcenters have Limited of staff Employment service Staff at national and provincial level and recruitment agencies have limited of understand and skills on employment service Inaccuracy in presenting LMI because we don’t have appropriate LMI system Limited of coordination and collaboration among tripartite and recruitment agencies (not strong network)

IV. Way forward to enhance employment service in Laos Improve and expand vocational training centers nationwide Enhance capacity for Employment Service Center (central part) Northern part and Southern part. Enhance capacity and expand Jobcenters to other province nationwide accordingly to the Jobcenters National expansion from now up to 2015. Enhance quantitative and qualitative skills development Develop LM policy (regulation, strategy, programs and projects) Put more investment in Jobcenter operation and staffing  Develop quality and standardization of LMI system Enhance coordination and collaboration among tripartite and recruitment agencies Conduct more training, study tour, field visits focusing on the technical and managerial knowledge: LMI collection and management, office management, resource management, skills on job matching, career counseling, employer relation. Enhance the communication in order to make people awareness of the ESJCs, The government should put more investment.

Thank you very much for your attention