All companies in the country that have more than 50 employees will have to take on a certain number of unemployed people as attachees from the National Employment Centre.
Under Section 44 of the National Employment Centre Decree 2009, which came into effect on the 1st of January 2010, it stated that an employer who employed more than 50 workers must engage suitably qualified unemployed persons as attachees or volunteers on a ratio of at least 5 percent of the total number of workers employed by the employer.
The Decree covers all industries in Fiji and sees the NEC becoming a "one stop shop" set-up to provide unemployed people a way to get skills training to enhance the employability of unemployed people, retirees and volunteers.
Ministry of Labour Manager Productivity and current Director of NEC, Villiame Baledrokadroka stressed that all companies will have to comply.
The Decree also sees those people 15 years and over who are unemployed register with the Centre and undergo a month of life skills training and then are put on 6 months attachment with the company they are assigned to.
Baledrokadroka said at the moment they are approaching companies and explaining how the Decree will affect them.
Baledrokadroka stressed that these people who come in for attachment will only act as attachees and once their 6 months is up then it is up to the company to take them in as full time workers, or to take them on as part-time workers, trainees or to be placed as a reserve in the company=s data base for any future employment.
At the moment, close to 5000 people have signed up with the Centre and from the 1st of August, they will start their skills training for close to a month before they go into their 6 months attachments.
Story by: Paradise Tabucala
Feature
All employers required to take on attachees for 6 months
