THE UTILISATION OF THE JOBSEEKERS DATABASE IS PROGRESSING WELL

Partnerships and collaborations are integral to delivery of some national and organisational level deliverables. Working as a collective is essential for realisation of initiatives hence the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC), the Ministry of Employment, Labour Productivity and Skills Development (MELSD) and the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) jointly launched the Job Seekers Database in November 2020. The Unemployed Graduate Teacher Database from the Ministry of Basic Education (MoBE) has also been incorporated into the Job Seekers Database.

The Job Seekers Database is developed to enhance the online registration and management of the job seekers data and employers at a centralised platform for efficiency and convenience of customers (job seekers). Furthermore, it is intended to support Government’s long term commitment of providing online (automated) services such as the 1Gov initiative. The Job Seekers Database complements existing private sector efforts and provides another avenue for citizens to explore and apply for job opportunities. This further allows employers to access a larger pool of local candidates as well as increase access to employment opportunities, hence its primary users not only being jobseekers but also employers and the labour market intermediaries such as career guidance counsellors and private employment agencies.

However, it should be noted that HRDC is only responsible for hosting the Job Seekers Module database which enables registration. Worth noting, is the fact that DPSM has reinstated the delegation of the full recruitment function for the graduate entry level (C-band) vacancies to the Ministries and independent Departments. As such MELSD - Employment Bureau continues to administer the job seeking function for the entire economy (Government, independent departments and the private sector) while the Ministry of Basic Education (MoBE) continues to place unemployed teachers in government institutions.

In an effort to enhance the utilisation of the Job Seekers Database, HRDC and its partners vigorously publicised the database in the local media across digital marketing platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn. The efforts have yielded commendable strides being that as at 6th December 2021, a total number of 101 094 Jobseekers and 186 Employers had registered on the database; one hundred and seventy five (175) job adverts had been posted through the database; the access report from the 29th November - 6th December 2021 indicate that people who visited the LMO website are mainly from Botswana and other countries such as South Africa, China, United States of America (USA), Canada, Germany and India; devices used to access LMO website includes smart phones, desktop and tablets. Although there is an increased number of registered employers in the database, the number is still considered low, therefore, HRDC will continue to engage and persuade employers to utilise the database effectively.