Juba — The Deputy and acting Minister of Labour, Public Service and Human Resource Development Kwong Danhier Gatluak has encouraged the Youth to join the existing vocational training centers so that they can acquire skills in order to compete favorably in the labour market.

He said this statement while briefing the journalists at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in Juba.

Kwong said the Government has set up four vocational training centers across the country for the youths to get skills but they are not willing to join the institutions and they complained that foreigners have taken up the jobs.

The Minister challenged the youths who are seeking to be employed by the Government instead of creating for themselves work or join jobs like security guard.

The Government for the last six years has managed to train about four thousand youth in various vocational skills as a result many are now employed in construction, hotels, and many private institutions in the country.

Unemployed youths were complaining bitterly to the government over employment of foreigners in government institutions, the private sector and Non-Governmental organizations.

Meanwhile Kwong assured the public that "no foreigners are grabbing jobs from the South Sudanese but they are here to share experiences with civil servants in the government institutions".

Last year IGAD and the Government of South Sudan agreed to deploy one hundred and thirty eight foreign experts from Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda to work with civil servants in South Sudan in all government institutions for a period of two years in order to train the local staffs.

"These people are not here to take your jobs but they are here to help us, they are catered by their respective countries," he said.

On the other hand the Minister said all directors should take note of civil servants who report late to work place and take measures to punish them.

The civil service act is now in pipeline and soon it will be presented to parliament for further deliberation before it is passed out as a law.

Despite many challenges, the ministry is working very hard to ensure that issues like pension, promotion and appointment are address.

He called on all government institutions to work closely with the ministry of public service in promoting service delivery to the public.