Dili, 10 February 2026 — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) handed over the SIMU-Web Job Portal to the Secretariat of State for Vocational Training and Employment (SEFOPE) at the SEFOPE Overseas Employment Center in Becora, Díli. The handover event brought together representatives from SEFOPE, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), UNDP, and relevant stakeholders, showcasing joint efforts in advancing digital and economic transformation in Timor-Leste.

The SIMU-Web Job Portal, developed under the UNDP Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Skills (YEES) project, aims to strengthen digital employment services, improving effective job matching, information transparency, and data-driven decision-making. This new digital tool will be integrated into SEFOPE’s employment programme nationwide, expanding opportunities for both jobseekers and employers at national and subnational levels. 

“The SIMU-Web Job Portal is essential to SEFOPE’s mission, especially as Timor-Leste joins ASEAN and adapts to new technologies. SIMU-Web will help young Timorese, including those in rural areas, access job opportunities and training without traveling to Dili” stated Mr. Paulo Soares, the Executive Director of the National Employment Strategy Secretariat, representing the SEFOPE.

“Today’s official handover to SEFOPE marks a new chapter for SIMU-Web. Under SEFOPE’s leadership, we are confident that the platform will continue to grow and be sustainably managed, supporting job seekers and employers as part of Timor-Leste's broader efforts to strengthen youth employment and skills development” said Mr. Taegeun Kim, Deputy Country Director of KOICA.

“The SIMU-Web Job Portal is an important milestone in Timor-Leste's ongoing journey toward inclusive growth, digital transformation, and decent employment for all. Today’s event is not about the transfer of digital platforms, it is about partnership, national ownership and opportunity. UNDP has full confidence in the capacity of the Government and its institutions to manage, maintain and further enhance this platform to meet the evolving needs of the national labor market” emphasized Ms. Katyna Argueta, UNDP Resident Representative in Timor-Leste.

This initiative is co-funded by KOICA, the Government of Timor-Leste (MCI), and UNDP, in cooperation with SEFOPE. Activities aligned with national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth.

Explore SIMU-Web Job Portal here: https://newsimuweb.sefope.gov.tl/