KOCHI: The government is planning to compile a detailed report on the actual number of unemployed people in the state, said Minister for Labour and Excise T P Ramakrishnan. Though around 35 lakh job aspirants have registered their names with the employment exchanges in the state, we cannot assume all of them are unemployed. Many of them have secured jobs in the private sector.
The government cannot provide jobs to all the 35 lakh unemployed people. So, we are trying to explore job opportunities in the private sector to ensure employment for all, he said while inaugurating the overseas career ordination ceremony at Espoir Academy in Angamaly on Saturday.
“Is it the absence of job opportunities or the lack of enthusiasm that creates unemployment? There are tremendous opportunities for people who are willing to work. Keralites are known to be enterprising. Our youngsters are semi-skilled and if we can develop their skills we can explore new opportunities. Keralites are known to be hard working if they get jobs outside the state.
But the same people are work-shy in the state,” the minister said. He said it is imperative to improve our job skills according to the changes in the science and technology sector. Business establishments prefer skilled people who have knowledge about the job. The Kerala Academy for Skill Excellence (KACE) has been entrusted with the job of developing the skills of job aspirants and equip them for jobs abroad. People who have completed technical education courses can hone their skills under the programme to meet the job requirements of recruiters abroad, he said.
The visas and travel documents of 77 students who completed training at Espoir and recruited by Saudi Aramco, the national petroleum and natural gas company of Saudi Arabia, were distributed on the occasion. Espoir Academy is an initiative of KASE developed and operated in collaboration with Eram Group, a diversified conglomerate mainly operating in oil and gas, power and utilities, travel, food, healthcare and automotive sectors.
As many as 300 people who underwent training at Espoir have got placements in Gulf countries, including Kuwait, UAE and Saudi Arabia. Espoir has helped 14 people belonging to backward classes to get jobs in the Gulf countries with the cooperation of the Angamaly block panchayat.
Angamaly MLA Roji M John, Eram group CMD Siddeek Ahmed, Saudi Aramco lead engineer Saud Abdulaziz Al Aloi, KMRL MD Hohammed Hanish, CII skill development senior director Sougatha Roy Choudhary and others spoke on the occasion. KASE MD Sreeram Venkitaraman welcomed the gathering and Espoir director Poulose Theppala proposed a vote of thanks.
Keralites are very loyal to their job and are hardworking, said Saudi Aramco lead engineer Saud Abdulaziz Al Ali. “From 1998, I have been visiting Kochi regularly to recruit workers. We have six projects, including gas and oil refinery and pipelines. We need well-trained people like pipe fabricators, fitters, engineers and instrumentation technicians,” he said while speaking at the overseas career ordination ceremony of Espoir in Angamaly on Saturday.