Nepalmountainnews Report | 1 Jul 2008
Though the number of countries receiving Nepali workers has doubled over the year to 64 from only 38 last year, they are still concentrated in only four countries as attempts to diversify into other destinations have not born fruit.
Diversification is a challenging task for Nepal's government and manpower agents because of lack of trained jobseekers fit for overseas employment. 
Consequently, the country is only able to supply blue-collar workers to the international market despite mounting opportunities for white-collar jobs.
Apparently, Nepali workers faced a weakened bargaining position with employers as they lacked skill and training.
According to the data of the government run Skill Training Center, a total of 14,002 persons received training in various subjects like masonry, automobile repair, plumbing, house wiring and others from 13 training centers under the Skill Training Directorate across the country during the last fiscal year. The number of trainees is expected to reach 15,000 this year.
AS per the data of the Department of Labor and Employment Promotion (DoLEP), workers leaving for Qatar, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia made up more than 93 percent of the total departures during the first 11 months of the current fiscal year 2007/08.
Of the total 215,639 workers - most of them unskilled - who left for different labor destinations, 201,507 headed to these four countries which offer lots of openings for blue-collar workers in the construction, manufacturing and service sectors.
Malaysia, the second largest destination for Nepali workers, has become less attractive of late due to meager salaries, government levies and stricter labor policies adopted by the Malaysian government.
In the last 11 months of the current fiscal year, the number of workers leaving for Malaysia dwindled by 30 percent to 45,680 persons compared to the same period last year.
Nepal permits its citizens to work in 107 countries around the world except Iraq where 12 Nepali workers were brutally killed by a local terrorist outfit in 2004.
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