Balbina Soares, 31, is an executive assistant at the Ministry of Planning and Finance. Every day, she organizes meetings, attends to guests, and takes notes during meetings. She learned all these skills from the Timor-Leste Development Agency (ETDA), a privately owned business development center supported in part by USAID funding.

This institution provides training for new high school graduates and unemployed people while maintaining a database of the unemployed, which it matches with available job opportunities. ETDA serves as a job search center and gives practical trainings on subjects such as banking, construction, retail, administration and finance to potential jobseekers.

“Many of our graduates are now working at Government institutions, banks, and private companies. Our graduates make us proud because employers are happy with them,” said Jose Barreto Gonçalves, the Vice Director of ETDA. This private sector enterprise, has registered 3,895 unemployed and 1,470 students since it’s establishment in 2001. Over 300 jobseekers have been assisted in getting jobs by linking registered jobseekers with employment opportunities.

To help this private sector firm improve its services to the business community, students, and the unemployed sector, USAID’s Small Grants Program has supported ETDA in establishing a Business and Internet Center that provides an Information and Technology facility for its clients. Through the center, businesspeople have ready access to relevant information, students can do research efficiently, and jobseekers learn of about resources available online. Most importantly, the facilities enable ETDA to link up employers to jobseekers.

Balbina considers herself very lucky to find a job in Timor-Leste where high unemployment rate remains a serious problem. With the job she now has, Balbina can cover her family’s necessities and send her two children to school.