Timor-Leste enhances public employment services to support youth into work

COMORO DILI, Timor-Leste (ILO News) - Under the Agroforestry Skills Programme, implemented by the ILO and funded by the EU, 30 counsellors from all 14 municipal offices of the State Secretariat for Vocational Training and Employment (SEFOPE) in Timor-Leste completed comprehensive training on Public Employment Services (PES), aimed at enhancing the quality of counselling and employment support for jobseekers, aspiring entrepreneurs and individuals pursuing further skills development.

Held from 10–15 November 2025 at STVJ Comoro Dili, the hands-on, practice-oriented training was conducted in partnership with Secretariat of State for Vocational Training and Employment (SEFOPE) training. The training was facilitated by ILO consultant. Fasrul, together with Inda Kurnia Lestari, Senior Public Service Employment Officer at the Ministry of Manpower of Republic Indonesia.

© Nuncio Da Costa/ILO

© Nuncio Da Costa/ILO

SEFOPE remains committed to working closely with the ILO and development partners to strengthen Timor-Leste’s labour system for the benefit of all.

Carlito Cabral, Director General of SEFOPE

The Director General of SEFOPE, Carlito Cabral, underscored the importance of the training in boosting the quality of frontline employment services to provide better support to the jobseekers.

“SEFOPE remains committed to working closely with the ILO and development partners to strengthen Timor-Leste’s labour system for the benefit of all. This includes our ongoing efforts to build stronger employment services in line with Timor-Leste’s recent accession to ASEAN,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Inda emphasized the need for ongoing capacity building to help Timorese youth transition from school to work. “Trained counsellors can offer tailored guidance, career coaching, and competency-based assessments that show young people pathways to employment, training, and entrepreneurship,” she said. “SEFOPE counsellors must also engage employers, understand industry needs and promote local hiring to build trust between SEFOPE, employers and training institutions.”

© Nuncio Da Costa/ILO

© Nuncio Da Costa/ILO

The participating counsellors explored essential topics that underpin effective employment counselling through a combination of theory and practical sessions and plenary discussions. These include the key logistical elements necessary for quality service delivery, the interpretation and use of labour market information, counselling techniques and entrepreneurship guidance, service-needs determination and analytical and diagnostic interviewing. They also practiced real-life scenarios to refine their communication and assessment skills through role plays and simulations and explored job-search techniques and tools.

This training has helped us elevate the quality of our services to jobseekers, guide young people in seeking employment and further skills training and strengthen the public’s trust in SEFOPE as the government institution responsible for employment.

Elisita dos Santos, Head of the Vocational Employment Department at SEFOPE and also a counsellor

“This training has strengthened my skills, especially in delivering counselling services that help people, particularly students, find employment opportunities or improve their skills through further training,” shared Rosa Colo, a counsellor from SEFOPE.

Meanwhile, Elisita dos Santos, Head of the Vocational Employment Department at SEFOPE and also a counsellor, added: “This training has helped us elevate the quality of our services to jobseekers, guide young people in seeking employment and further skills training and strengthen the public’s trust in SEFOPE as the government institution responsible for employment.”

Following the PES training, the ILO conducted monitoring and coaching visits to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centers that had previously participated in Career Guidance training under the Agroforestry Skills Programme. The mission involved newly trained SEFOPE counsellors, who were paired with their TVET center counterparts to facilitate a comprehensive, wraparound employment guidance service during training and beyond.