Job Fair Held in Dili

Dili, Timor-Leste–Job Fair 2007 was held at Gedung Matahari Terbit in Dili today, attracting a large crowd of students and jobseekers. The event, which is the first of its kind in Timor-Leste, was organized by the Dili Institute of Technology (DIT), with support from USAID’s Small Grants Program.

“Job fairs like this are a good way of matching the right people with the right jobs, as well as matching skills training to the needs of the employers. The United States is very proud to partner with the Dili Institute of Technology and be a part of this event,” US Ambassador Hans Klemm said in his opening remarks.

Major businesses like ConocoPhillips, Timor Telecom, construction companies, financial institutions ANZ and BNU, as well as organizations like the ETDA Business Employment Center and the Tourism Association of East Timor participated in the Job Fair. They set up individual booths with audio-visual presentations, product exhibits, brochures and leaflets, and, most importantly, staff members who could answer questions and explain their job openings and requirements.

“We have many unemployed young people on the one hand; and companies that have job openings but don’t have the channels to find the right people. It is important to have interaction between these stakeholders, as well as the training providers. That so many young people came is a good sign that activities like this are needed. They are actively asking questions to find out about the job openings, the skills required, the trainings available to them, and even the Government’s policy on scholarships,” said DIT Rector Estanislau Saldanha.

DIT also set up a booth offering practical workshops such as application letter writing and mock interviews. As an additional incentive for the participants, a raffle was held with scholarships for short courses at local training institutions as prizes.

Jobseeker Francisca da Silva da Cruz had this to say about the Job Fair: “I came here because I am looking for a job. I’m excited because, through this event, I learned about all these companies that I had previously not even heard of. There are also some local businesses present which can inspire people to start their own business. The workshop on writing an application letter was very helpful. I hope that this event will be a regular activity in Timor-Leste.”

Jobseekers made the most of Job Fair 2007, the first event of its kind in
post-independence Timor-Leste [Photo by M. Borges]