The government has initiated efforts to expand and strengthen the country’s job market, the Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development, Dr Ali Haidar Ahmed has said.
Speaking after inaugurating the National Career Service Regional Haa Dhaalu Atoll Branch, Minister Dr Haidar stressed on the importance of connecting job seekers with prospective employers in all parts of the country, adding that the government is putting in every effort to expand the job market.
The National Career Service Regional Center will play an important role in such efforts, he said, adding that the center will provide employment opportunities to Maldivians and help people of working age to choose suitable jobs.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu had renamed the National Job Centre to National Careers Service in July last year.
Minister Dr Haidar noted that the change was made tasked with key responsibilities including the facilitation of employment for people with special needs and the impoverished.
The new center’s mandate also includes providing working-age people with income-generating skills and helping them utilise technical training and skills-learning for the job market, he explained.
"This effort began in 2024 and is now being expanded to four Atolls. So far, we have traveled to seven Atolls to share information and conduct training," he added.
Minister Dr Haidar said the government is working to facilitate employment opportunities for every local job seeker and to ensure that young people of working age are fully informed in choosing the most suitable career path.
According to the Minister, the government is also working to develop the higher education sector in the Maldives and increase available resources to provide quality education.
These efforts, he said, are in line with President Dr Muizzu’s presidential pledge to build a young, capable and skilled workforce as part of the policy to establish a Maldivian oriented labour market.