New Kigali job centre to reduce unemployment

Employers and job seekers have welcomed the Kigali Employment Service Centre (KESC) saying it will play a linkage role between jobseekers and potential employers.With online registration of around 100 job seekers the first day, KESC, which was on Thursday launched by City of Kigali, will help reduce underemployment and supply the labour market with a competitive workforce. It’s a brainchild of the ministries of Labour and that of Youth and ICT and the Private Sector Federation.The Germany government through GIZ, offered both technical and financial support.While launching the facility located at Kimisagara Youth Centre in Nyarugenge District, the Minister for Public Service and Labour, Anastase Murekezi said KESC will increase competitiveness of the youth on the labour market.“To achieve competitiveness of our youth, we have to prepare them for both national and regional labour market and this is the ideal way to fight unemployment in the whole country, especially in the capital city,” he said, adding that KESC will help reduce unemployment which currently stands at 10 per cent in Kigali The City Mayor, Fidele Ndayisaba said the linkage between employers and job seekers in the city will make a great contribution towards the city’s development while ensuring that every citizen’s livelihood improves through a decent job.“Our city master plan has, as main objective, to improve city residents’ livelihood through employment promotion and KESC is one of the ways that will help us reach this goal,” Ndayisaba said. The German ambassador to Rwanda, Peter Fahrenholtz said the centre - the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa - is an indication of the country’s great innovation towards development.He promised more support from his country to Rwanda where he wishes many compatriots would come to invest.On behalf of employers, Hanington Namara, the CEO of PSF said the centre is key to the growth of the economy.“For many years, it has been up to us to go up and find employees, but we now have a service which will facilitate the recruitment of quality employees”.Samuel Sivuba, who graduated in November 2012, had applied in five companies without getting a job. He expects the centre to cut expenses in the application process.“In itself, access to a computer for information and skills development is a problem, while also printing application documents is another,” he said.KESC will receive and post on its website www.kesc.kigalicity.rw profiles of jobseekers from different fields of study as well as available vacancies from public and private institutions.The centre will also provide important employment tips to fresh graduates, including guidance on how to conduct themselves during a job interview and will also facilitate jobseekers with a secretariat for application purposes.

National

New Kigali job centre to reduce unemployment