The Bhutanese Leading the way.
To address both youth unemployment and the growing number of Bhutanese seeking jobs abroad, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Employment (MoICE) has introduced two complementary initiatives: the National Reintegration Program and the ongoing Overseas Employment Program.
The National Reintegration Program aims to encourage Bhutanese citizens who have worked overseas to return and reintegrate into the national workforce.
The Minister of MoICE, Namgyal Dorji said, “The program facilitates re-employment opportunities, particularly by supporting returnees in seeking re-employment within organizations they were previously working with or in another organization.”
However, the program does not guarantee automatic re-entry into prior positions. Lyonpo said, “Returning individuals are required to meet the eligibility criteria of the respective organizations and participate in an open, merit-based recruitment process.”
The MoICE Minister clarified that while it cannot directly place individuals back into their former jobs, the program facilitates referral of interested candidates to relevant opportunities whenever available.
Meanwhile, the Overseas Employment Program remains a key strategy to tackle youth unemployment by offering Bhutanese youth the chance to gain valuable international experience. “It aims to equip Bhutanese youth with international work experience, skills, and exposure, thereby fostering knowledge transfer that contributes meaningfully to the socio-economic development of the nation,” Lyonpo said.
Under this program, individuals are typically placed on fixed-term contracts, usually lasting two to three years, after which they return home upon fulfilling their contractual obligations. Besides professional development, overseas employees also contribute economically. “In addition to acquiring valuable professional competencies, overseas employees also contribute to the national economy through remittances,” Lyonpo added.
While MoICE has maintained the scale of the Overseas Employment Program to avoid excessive outflow of Bhutanese youth, it has observed a growing number of young people seeking overseas jobs independently. “There has been a noticeable increase in the number of Bhutanese youths seeking overseas employment on their own, often through unregistered agents or informal recruiters,” the MoICE Minister said.
This has led to troubling situations where some youth face exploitation or unfavorable work environments. Though the ministry cannot entirely stop individuals from seeking employment overseas, however, MoICE reaffirmed its commitment to youth safety through the official program.
The two programs together reflect MoICE’s mission to protect Bhutanese job seekers while promoting sustainable national development, whether through global exposure or local reintegration.
