The National Bureau of Employment was established in 2009 by the Government of Liberia.  It is an amalgamation of the Bureau of Employment Services and the Liberia Emergency Employment Programme and the Liberia Employment Action Programme (LEEP/LEAP), a foremost employment strategy designed by the Government of Liberia, International Labour Organization, UNDP and other international organizations at the end of the civil conflict to boost employment activities for youth, women and vulnerable groups. The basic aims of this formation were to avoid duplications, centralize and coordinate employment activities within the Ministry of Labour. 

According to the organogram of the Bureau designed by the International Labour Organization, the Bureau consists of three sections:  a) Employment services; b) Labour Market Information and c) Policy Implementation Unit. However, the Labour Market Information function has been taken over by the Bureau of Statistics of the Ministry of Labour to avoid duplication overlapping functions.  The Employment Services session deals with the registration of job seekers and canvassing for vacant positions in the private sector, while Policy Implementation Unit is responsible to monitor the implementation of the National Employment Policy Action Plan.

The Bureau serves as a public employment agency which primary responsibilities are to register job seekers, counsel and find employment opportunities in the private sector through canvassing and referral services. It is also responsible to train job seekers and carry out employment related functions for students in high schools, colleges/universities, vocational /technical institutions.

The National Bureau of Employment (NBE) consists of two (2) sections (a) Policy Implementation Unit, and (b) Employment Services. The primary responsibilities are to ensure the full implementation of the National Employment Policy and the creation of short term employment and carry out employment services training for prospective college/university graduates as well as vocational/technical institution students.

FUNCTIONS
Programmatic Activities of the National Bureau of EmploymentThe National Bureau of Employment (NBE) focuses on seven (7) programmatic areas:

1. Coordination and resource mobilization
2. Data collection
3. Employment creation
4. Publicity sensitization
5. Monitoring/evaluation
6. Policy implementation Unit
7. Employment services

Coordination and resource mobilization

This activity involved interactions with donor institutions, ministries, and agencies on issue relating to resource mobilization for employment creation, and capacity building, and human resources development.
 
Policy Implementation Unit
This Unit translates policy priorities and strategies articulated in the National Employment Policy (NEP) into actionable interventions and set-out targets to be achieved in a specific period of time. The revalidation of the Policy Unit by reviewing the National Employment Policy is essential.
 
Data Collection
This activity focuses on collection of data for short term employment from community based organizations implementing projects sponsored by Ministry of Labour as well as stakeholders such as LACE, NIC, and USAID etc.

Publicity and Sensitization
This activity focuses on public awareness and sensitization on employment programs being sponsored by government and partners to enlighten the public about government employment creation.

Monitoring / Evaluation
Ensure that projects approved under the employment creation programmatic activity are implemented in line with desired goal and objective, and target beneficiaries are covered.
 
Employment Creation
Maintain community based employment strategy, internship program, apprenticeship, vacation job scheme and other forms of employment programs to provide short term employment to youths and vulnerable group across the country.

Employment Services

• Registering and referring job seekers into data bank,
• Recording and posting of job vacancies from local and international NGOs,
• Facilitate implementation of annual vacation scheme
• Provide training and counseling for job seekers
• Referred job seekers to potential employers
• Seek for present and future job vacancies from business institutions

EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS
Career Awareness and Sensitization Program is an employment program that sensitize senior high school students in making sound career choices as been demanded on the job market rather than selecting careers that are densely populated with minimum employment possibilities. This program is conducted in various counties by providing analysis of recent university graduates and determining the career gap between courses that are most relevantly demand driven in the Labour market and that of courses that are vastly enrolled by most recent graduates such as: business related disciplines and the social Sciences.

Internship and Apprenticeship Programs are a short term employment programs that provide an opportunity for a job seeker to be train on the job. Recent university graduates are mentored on the job to acquire basic employment skills, work ethics, communication skills, and other experiences for the period of three (3) months. The Ministry of Labour through donors provides transportation allowances at the end of the period. This at times leads to sustainable employment based on the performance of the intern after being appraised by both MOL and the Employer.

Vacation Job Program is a short term employment program sponsored by government to assist in-school students with financial aid during vacation period by assigning them to institutions to gain employable skills. This program provides an enabling environment to learn on the job and earn funds to purchase school materials for next academic year.

Community service Job Creation Project is a project in which youths are empowered to conduct community services such as drainages cleaning, road side brushing, painting public structures and other relevant services that are deemed necessary by community members. This project also includes the group of 77, NCD, and other less privilege youth (ZOGOS) of Liberia. It is intended to provide minimum funding for the disadvantaged youthful population as a means of short term employment.