Labour tracer online platform set

The Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Labour, Shinguadja Bro-Matthews this week said that his office is working on an electronic database to track the employment of graduates and improve their chances of finding jobs.
Bro-Matthews said that efforts are underway to fully understand the skills mismatch paradox despite the demand for certain skills. As part of the Harambe Prosperity Plan, 25 thousand graduates
need to slip into the mainstream economy either as employees or job-creators.
Speaking at a panel discussion organised by the Hanns Seidel Foundation on the paradox of unemployed graduates at the Namibian University of Science and Technology this week,
Bro-Matthews said the matter of employment is a complex issue considering all the factors that
make up a working class of individuals.
“It is not so much whether jobs can be provide but whether the employer, government or private sector can provide decent jobs that afford the individual decency and create spin-offs.” Bro-Matthews mentioned that decent jobs need to meet a qualified set of criteria for multiplier effects such as allowing for the employee to possibly start their own small businesses.
The former Labour commissioner mentioned the latest drawn out wage negotiations with security guard companies on increasing the N$7.50 hourly wage of security guards., he also shared that security guards bosses find increasing the wage an expensive exercise.
Creating jobs through government, the Permanent Secretary said will also require setting up well structured contracts for Public-Private-Partnerships and avoiding scrupulous capitalist exploitation. “If they are a genuine investors why should they go to other countries with the investment.” This he said was exploitative due to the tendency of investors withdrawing once the labour market plays hard ball.
As part of new public procurement systems, the Ministry is also working on having new rules for contracted companies to have certain qualifying criteria in places such as compulsory medical aid contributions. “If you do not protect your human resources there is no future.” Bro-Matthews said.
Another panellist, Lineekela Usebiu, the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Law and lecturer at the University of Namibia, said that the university, together with other role players such as the Namibian University of Science and Technology is working on a collaborative model with other institutions and employers to form a working group that advocates for integrated learning.
“ Students that stay on as interns have an opportunity to become employees”, Usebiu said. Once implemented the integrated learning model will make it compulsory for training institutions, especially universities and those that have done so in the past to find attachment for students and grade the students performance into an online system for all to see.
“The students sign an agreement with the company and are graded, their performance depending on whether the student will stay on or not.”
Usebiu said. The Hanns Seidel Foundation is also considering a similar network where student stipends are donated by future employers and beneficiaries.