By Loretta B Manele
Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration (MCILI) conducted a two-day “Solomon Islands National Employment Policy” validation workshop from March 4-5 at the Heritage Park Hotel.
Harry Kuma, minister for MCILI officially opened the workshop saying the meeting is not just a consultation process but a crucial step towards ensuring that our employment strategies reflect the needs and aspirations of our people.
Kuma said the policy recognises employment not just as means of economic survival but a foundation for social stability, poverty reduction and inclusive growth.
“With this policy draft, we are reaffirming our government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive and for our people to access decent and productive employment.”
He said the labour market faces multiple challenges for instance youth unemployment and skills measurements.
Kuma added that currently, youth unemployment in Solomon Islands stands at approximately 46 percent with many young people struggling to find jobs that match their skills.
Henceforth, he said the policy draft emphasises vocational training and capacity building programmes to bridge this gap.
Kuma also stated that over 80 percent of our workforce engaged in the informal employment lack social protection and job stability, thus they aim to strengthen policies that transition workers into more secure and sustainable jobs.
In regards to inclusivity, he stressed that gender inclusivity and opportunities for marginalised groups and women’s participation in the formal labour force remains low at 38% while persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups face additional barriers to employment.
“This policy draft promotes equal opportunities and supports inclusive workforce participation.”
He said the Solomon Islands government is committed to representing targeted initiatives that will; foster an entrepreneurial culture and support micro-small and medium enterprises as key drivers of employment, enhance collaboration between the public and private sectors to create more job opportunities, strengthen labour policies and enforcement mechanisms to ensure fair wages, safe working conditions and the protection of workers’ rights and to invest in skills development programmes to align workforce and capabilities with labour market demands.
The minister highlighted that the success of this policy draft depends on everyone because the government cannot achieve these goals alone.
Kuma said they need strong partnerships with businesses, educational institutions, development agencies and civil society organizations.
“I extend my sincere gratitude to all those who have contributed to the development of the Solomon Islands National Employment Policy (SINEP) Draft, to our government officials, SICCI (Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry), development partners private sector representatives’, civil society organisations and all stakeholders. Thank you for your unwavering commitment and collaboration.”
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