Program 7: National Employment Services

 “Promoting Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth through Employment”

The National Employment Services Programme consists of 3 functional units – Employment Promotion, Employment Agents Licencing, and Labour Market Information System and Information Technology. Its primary role is to promote and facilitate employment services for Papua New Guineans as well as refugees in-country. These services are delivered through job search assistance, labour market information statistics and employment agents licensing. The division collate and analyses labour market trend and make avail statistics to key stakeholders such as students, job seekers, employers, government, and training institutions to make informed decisions on career path, skills development and employability.

Functional Responsibilities

• Manage and operate effective Labour Market Information System (LMIS);
• Continuous development/improvement of systems and processes of LMIS to cater production of up-to-date Labour Market Information (LMI);
• Ensure a collective partnership and networking between those agencies responsible for production of LMI;
• Data analysis of the LMIS to produce reports and statistics of labour market and job forecasts and trends of the country;
• Production and dissemination of LMI to key stakeholders for evidence-based decision-making for education, skills training and employment promotion;
• Coordinate labour market research and assessment activities;
• Job seeker registration and referrals to prospective employers in the labour market;
• Provide career guidance information especially on training opportunities to job seekers;
• Ensure training and up-skilling of PNG nationals in the workplace;
• Regulation and collection of employment agent fees;
• Improve responsiveness of the Division to job seekers and the employers with different needs;
• Promote appropriate Acts and Regulations and bolster cooperation between NED and private employment agencies;
• Conduct timely reviews of the Employment Placement Service Act.

Major Activities of the National Employment Division

1. Employment Promotion Unit

The National Employment Programme promotes and creates employment opportunities for Papua New Guineans and administers foreign employment and labour market information system. The Programme analyzes, promotes, facilitates and creates employment opportunities and empowers self-employment for young people and the unemployed.

⦁ Job Search Assistance Program

It is an employment assistance platform for job seekers. NED receives job seeker applications for registration – screening and processing, pre-selection and referral of suitable applicants to prospective employers upon requests. PNG Vision 2050 pillars No. 1 and 2, as cited allows empowering people and creating wealth, rides on such programs that are instituted within the government framework and the private sectors. Ideally, this program aimed at promoting productive and decent employment in the labour market, and assists to both job seekers for job searching and prospective employers for labour requirements.

NED clientele days are Monday to Friday 9:00am to 3:00pm. Interested job seekers are encouraged to visit our office for assistance in job searching or the nearest Provincial Labour Office. Those previously registered job seekers are also encouraged to come forward and update your contact details.

Job Seeker Registration Requirements:

⦁ Updated Curriculum Vitae or Resume;
⦁ Copies of Educational Qualification Certificate(s);
⦁ Recent ID size photos (2x);
⦁ Copy of NID, Driver License or Passport
⦁ Employment Reference(s) [if previously employed]; and
⦁ Character Reference(s).

⦁ Career Guidance and Counseling Program

Services and activities under this program is intended to assist individuals from Grade 10 and above, and at any point throughout their lives, to make education, training and occupational choices and to manage their careers. Through this program, Department of Labour & Industrial Relations intends to achieve three main goals:

⦁ Lifelong learning goals: Combating early school leaving and ensuring an adequate knowledge and skills base to meet the challenges in creating knowledge-based societies in the context of economic globalization, and promoting adequate linkages between education, training and the world of work.

⦁ Labour market outcomes: Reducing mismatches between supply and demand for labour, dealing with unemployment and underemployment, re-training for skills requirement and improving labour mobility regimes.

⦁ Social equity and social inclusion goals: Promoting reintegration of marginalized and risk groups into education, training and employment and mainstreaming of excluded groups into general training programs and labour market services.

⦁ Skills Survey

A Skills Survey or Enterprise & Establishment Survey is primed to be undertaken in two pilot provinces in the Third Quarter of this year 2022 to identify skills gaps and recommend for re-training/skilling in the labour market for skills development and planning. This Enterprise & Establishment Survey will focus on number of entities/industries, their requirements in terms of manpower, skills sets needed for a particular industry, etc.

2. Employment Agents Licensing And Monitoring Unit

The Employment Agents Licensing and Monitoring Unit issues Employment Agent Licenses, regulate and ensures all forms of commercial employment agents in the country are legally operating, and adhering to the labour and employment guidelines, and regulations as well as providing quality and affordable services to their clients. The Unit also monitors the Employment Agents for compliance tenacity as well as submission of monthly returns for statistical purposes.

• New Employment Agents Licensing Fees

The Department of Labour & Industrial Relations hereby advises all EMPLOYMENT AGENTS that the Employment Agents Licensing Fees have been amended in line with Section 209 and 210 of the Constitution, and Section 5 and 7 of the Public Finance Management Act 1995, following the publication by the Department of Finance on 4 th June 2020. These new fees are effective as of 1 st January 2021 in line with Section 106 – 118 of the Employment Act 1978. Copies of the Gazettal Notice can be obtained from the National Employment Division Office, Department of Labour & Industrial Relations.

The fees are scheduled as follows:

All Employment Agents are to pay the prescribed fees upon the approval of application(s). Payments must be made in the form of Bank Cheque payable to:

RPM – NATIONAL DEPARTMENT BANK ACCOUNT (DLIR) or via online banking

BSP Port Moresby Account# 7004709643) or by EPTFOS. (NOTE: Company/personal cheque or cash are not acceptable.)

Employment Agent License Application Requirements:
▪ IPA Business Registration Certificate/Extract;
▪ Agency Profile;
▪ Agency Owner’s Profile (updated to current);
▪ Agency Owner’s recent clear ID size photos (4x)
▪ Nominated Agent’s Profile (updated to current);
▪ Nominated Agents recent clear ID size photos (4x); and
▪ Letter of confirmation from employer.

Important:
▪ EAL is for provisions of recruitment of non-citizen workers, in-country placements, labour hire, recruitment and conducting of placements and labour exports/migration of professional & skilled persons overseas.

▪ Note – Any Organization or Association, District Development Authority (DDA) who currently conducting overseas labour hire or recruitment services work placement through Department of Treasury to send PNG workers for labour mobility or seasonal worker programs in Australia, and/or New Zealand must immediately apply for employment agent license through the Department of Labour & Industrial Relations under Category No. 2, where a fee of K5700.00 is applicable.
▪ A courtesy reminder. By virtue of NEC Decision NG 146/2019, the former PNG Seasonal Workers Program now Labour Mobility Program in its current form has been transferred to the Department of Treasury. For further information, contact Labour Mobility Unit (LMU) on email: swp@treasury.gov.pg or pls@treasury.gov.pg or phone: 313 3506 or 313 5307

• Vacancy Information

All employers, organizations and employment agents are required by law to submit their vacancies information to the DLIR at the beginning of every month or when a vacancy occurs – please request for Form 12 or download at https://www.labour.gov.pg

• Monthly Returns

It is a requirement by law under the Employment Act 1978, Section 117, prescribing that an Employment Agent shall:
▪ Keep detailed records of individual employees;
▪ Submit Monthly Returns records with details of individual employees to the Secretary on a monthly basis; and
▪ Where agencies fail to submit their Monthly Returns at each month ending, a monthly penalty fee of K300 is imposed on the agency, which is cumulative.

Note: Interested individuals, employers and business entities/groups should enquire at the National Employment Services Division of the Department of Labour & Industrial Relations Headquarters for:
▪ Job Seeker Application Forms for Job Search Assistance Program;
▪ Information Materials for Career Guidance and Counselling services;
▪ Vacancy Information;
▪ Employment Agent License Application Forms and Information Kit;
▪ For Item No.6 in the Fee Schedule, requires all Corporate Human Resource Agents and Trans & Multi-National to apply for employment agent License (EAL) – The NED will be shortly contacting all major Trans & Multi-National HR personnel to comply with this requirement or please contact the EALM Team,
▪ and
▪ All Foreign Employment Agencies are required to pay for their EAL under Item No. 2 to No. 6 of the Fee Schedule.

For further information on this press release, please contact National Employment Services Division (NED) on the address below or visit the nearest Provincial Labour Office.

The Manager
National Employment Services Division
Department of Labour & Industrial Relations
Ground Floor, Gaukara Rumana, Wardstrip Road, Gordons
P. O. Box 5644 Boroko, NCD 1111
Telephone: (+675) 313 5000
Email: employment_services@labour.gov.pg