Former entrepreneurs, sacked workers get re-trained as cashiers
27 former sole entrepreneurs and 115 fired workers have registered with the municipal employment service in Minsk since July 1, 2007, the European Radio for Belarus has learned. Out of them, only 22 people have found new jobs. Ala Puchko from the employment center says that the overall number of those seeking employment through her center is low. Most of the sacked market vendors have found new employment on their own.
“14 people who didn’t manage to find jobs have been directed to get trained for a new profession”, Puchko told the European Radio for Belarus.
She does not know exactly what the rest are waiting for.
“Some people hope that since vacancies are changes, they could find something what they like. Sometimes, people need time to think their life situation over. There are also those who have high ambitions for the vacancies offered by the employment center”, Puchko adds.
There are currently 593 sales attendant vacancies in Minsk, mostly cashiers for department stores with a monthly salary of Br 300,000 – 600,000. However, not all of the former entrepreneurs are happy with this amount.
In Salihorsk, the local employment center told the European Radio for Belarus that only 2 former entrepreneurs approached the center last year. One of them was later employed as a computer specialist. Valiantsina Ilyushits says there is a general problem with former workers. They don’t wish to work in the countryside for Br300,000 per month. At the same time, there are no vacancies in the city.
The Central district employment center said that 16 former workers were looking for jobs, but only one of them eventually got employed. Officials are confident that if the jobless had any formal training, there would be less unemployed people. In Slutsk, out of 54 jobless people, a half is attending training course in order to get employed at state-owned stores afterwards.
