Minister for Labour and Rehabilitation Shibu Baby John on Saturday said that the employment exchanges in the state would be converted into Employability Centres with the introduction of the Additional Skill Enhancement Programme (ASEP).
The project is aimed at converting Employment Exchanges into employment generation centres. These employability centres are being established to change the face of the employment exchanges, which are institutions for registering the names of the unemployed youth, to skill development centres.The youth will be equipped to get employment from these centres. Those registering at the employment exchanges will have to undergo psychometric test to find out their abilities and restrictions.The Minister said that they would be given expert training and equipped for employment. Training will also be given in communication skills and language.Employment exchanges will conduct job fairs to open up employment opportunities in public and private sectors for the youth. In a phased manner, employability centres will be started in all the 14 employment exchanges in the state.In the first phase, Ernakulam, Kollam and Kozhikode employment exchanges had been converted into employability centres.
“This dream project is being implemented with the support of Kerala Academy for Skills Excellence, functioning under the Labour Department,” the Minister said.
The possible job opportunities in private sectors will be explored and the youth will be trained for it through the employability centres. “These centres are being started as part of the modernisation programme according to the changes in the society,” the Minister said.