With many Bhutanese working overseas returning home amid the pandemic, the Labour Ministry is trying to generate employment for the returnees through various training. One such is a two-week course on Basic Entrepreneurship in Thimphu that ended today.
34-year-old Ashok Kr. Biswa returned from Dubai in May. He worked there for more than four years. But with the pandemic, he had no choices but to return home. With no job and source of income after reaching here, he applied for the Druk Gyalpo’s Relief Kidu for sustenance.
Whatsoever, he did not pause his interest in business and that’s what brought him here today.
“I couldn’t find anything as to what I should do as there were already lots of unemployed people. So I went back to my hometown. That time I did market research as to what I should be doing. Then I found out that poultry farm will be relevant in future,” said Ashok Kr. Biswa, a participant.
With the training, he also received a cash prize of Nu 70,000 today along with five other participants. Top six business ideas from the participants were selected today for the cash prize to help start their business.
Another such is Tashi Wangdi who returned from India due to the pandemic. Tashi also found it difficult to find a job and so he decided to stay back at the village and help his parents until he got the opportunity to attend the training.
“Due to the pandemic, people have lost their jobs. So finding a new job is difficult. I have always wished to start a business related to agriculture. But it was difficult as we need to have entrepreneur skills. Now after attending this workshop, it has encouraged me and gave me the confidence to turn my dream into reality,” he said.
According to labour officials, the training is to establish a positive attitude in the participants towards entrepreneurship. The participants were taught to write business plans and fundamentals of entrepreneurship.
The training, this time, focussed more on realistic business ideas than innovate ideas, so that the participants could start businesses sooner and easily.
“This time, we have a focused group. We have lots of overseas returnees and laid-off. Firstly, they have the skills, they have come back with lots of skills and knowledge. Secondly, they have resources to start the business also and I think it is timely to give them such courses,” said Dawa Zangmo, the Programme Officer at the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources.
She said two other similar pieces of training are also underway in different centres.
The Labour Minister, who graced the closing ceremony of the training today, said the pandemic is the right time for Bhutanese workers outside to return home with skills and start working here with their new knowledge.
“I always had a glamour of hope and that hope is from your exposure to the outside world, your exposure to how the businesses are run, organised and how profits are made abroad. I have always thought you would learn something, learn skills and get more confidence. And ultimately come back home to contribute in whatever small ways you could,” said Ugyen Dorji, the Labour Minister.
Organised by the Department of Employment and Human Resources under the Labour Ministry in collaboration with Thimphu Tech Park, 30 participants took part in the training.
Kinley Dem
