Selection of candidates

New entrants in the IT-BPO sector usually use the three channels described below to recruit their employees.

• Advertise the job offer

The ads for job offer can be published on daily newspapers or on specialised/recognised internet job sites.

• Work with recruitment companies

Employers may work together with recruitment agencies where the later can shortlist a number of candidates depending on the employer’s requirements profile. Employers may afterwards choose to carry the interview with the selected candidates either locally or remotely. There are a number of reputed recruitment agencies that operates in the country which are licensed to recruit employees from the local and global market. International recruitment agencies such as Adecco are also present in the country.

• Recruitment of fresh graduates

In cases where employers with specific qualifications and skills are requirement, employers may liaise directly with the university and tertiary institutions so as to recruit fresh graduates.

Training Incentives Schemes

Several innovative training schemes are available to encourage employers to train local talents and stimulate a culture of training and life long learning

• a. The HRDC Training grant scheme

In order to encourage employers to provide training to a maximum number of employees, the Human Resource Development Council offers grants as incentive. Employers contributing to the HRDC levy of 1.5 % can recover up to 60% of training costs. Grants awarded by the HRDC are based on a cost-sharing principle, i.e., grants will meet only part of the costs incurred for training by employers. This scheme has been recently reviewed in view of rendering it more attractive. The ceiling for Overseas Training incentive has been increased to Rs 30,000/- per trainee.

Eligibility for grants

• Only employers contributing monthly to the levy will be eligible
• Only training courses and programmes which have received prior approval of MQA/TEC will qualify. The training has to be job related and must lead to acquisition of new skills
• As the objective of the council is to upgrade the local workforce, grants are restricted to trainees who are Mauritians or Permanent Residents of Mauritius.

b. Pre-Operational Training Incentive (POTI) Scheme

The Pre Operational Training Incentive (POTI) is a scheme under the HRDC Training Grant Scheme aimed at encouraging investment in emerging sectors which require a relatively high level of initial skills. Under this scheme the HRDC provides an advance equivalent to 50% of the estimated qualifying training costs during the first year of operation of firms which are in the process of being set up. This scheme is specifically useful to companies wishing to have access to a pool of trained manpower prior to starting operations.

c. ICT Empowerment training programme

In order to train SC and HSC school leavers for the ICT sector, a Rs 21m fund has been announced in the National Budget in June 2009. The National Empowerment Foundation (NEF) has been entrusted with the implementation of this project and is working closely with the Outsourcing & Telecommunications Association of Mauritius (OTAM), the CCIFM (Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie France Maurice) and the IVTB.

The objective is to train 2,000 people for the ICT sector in areas such as Call Centres, BPO, Software Development, IT Networking and Infrastructure. This professional training programme is intended to not only increase the number of employable persons for the ICT sector but also to equip the participants with the skills and knowledge that will enable them to find a job in this sector which offers real career opportunities.

The training programmes have been designed and will be delivered by industry professionals. The aim of the training is to enable participants who successfully complete the course to become immediately employable in the particular stream chosen. Around 40 people have been successfully trained on the pilot programme last year and a second batch is due in February 2010.

d. Placement for Training Programme

The Placement for Training Programme, falling under the National Empowerment Programme (EP), addresses skills mismatch through funding of company placements and work-related training to unemployed resources. The scheme pays 50 % of the monthly stipend of each trainee and contributes to a part-payment of up to 60% of the training expenses incurred by the employer.