Niël Terblanché
The Namibia Integrated Employment Information System (NIEIS), a cornerstone of the Namibian job market, is currently experiencing intermittent interruptions and the unexpected downtime has raised concerns about its impact on both employers and job seekers.
NIEIS, launched by the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations, and Employment Creation in Namibia, is designed to connect employers with potential employees. It requires designated employers to report job vacancies, creating a comprehensive database of employment opportunities in accordance with the Employment Service Act (Act No. 8 of 2011).
Kyllikki Sihlahla, the Acting Executive Director of the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations, and Employment Creation, expressed regret in a statement, acknowledging the temporary interruption in NIEIS services.
She assured the public that proactive measures are underway to swiftly address the issue and ensure seamless functionality.
“In response to the current technical challenges faced by NIEIS, the Ministry is diligently enhancing the system’s operational capabilities, fortifying its storage capacity to guarantee uninterrupted functioning,” Sihlahla stated.
During this period of system unavailability, the Ministry recognizes the difficulties faced by job seekers and Designated Employers in accessing the system.
To alleviate these challenges, no punitive measures will be taken against Designated Employers for non-reporting until NIEIS is fully restored.
The Ministry is committed to restoring the NIEIS services to its full capacity and creating an uninterrupted operation of the NIEIS Portal, dedicated to serving its intended purpose.
Sihlahla said that comprehensive measures are being implemented to prevent future system downtimes.
Since its launch in 2013, NIEIS has been instrumental in facilitating job placements throughout Namibia.
Over the years, it has successfully connected more than 5,000 individuals with various organizations across the country, demonstrating its effectiveness as a job-matching platform.
Recent statistics show that the Ministry received notifications for 1,446 vacancies and referred 2,936 job seekers for potential placements, with 33 individuals successfully employed. The current interruption in NIEIS services has raised concerns about its impact on the Namibian job market.
Any outages of this critical system could potentially hinder the efficient matching of job opportunities with suitable candidates, affecting both employers and job seekers alike.
The Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations, and Employment Creation appreciates the understanding and cooperation of the public and stakeholders as they work to resolve this matter and enhance the efficiency of NIEIS.
