LDF follows UDF on job centres

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The LDF Government has evaluated as “effective” the former UDF government’s move to transform employment exchanges into employability centres. Employability centres, instead of merely registering the names of job aspirants, identify aptitudes and offer suitable training. The Labour Department has found that these centres were able to place many job aspirants in private companies. Aspirants who register in employability centres will be put through various aptitude and psychometric tests to assess the skill gap. 

“Once the real aptitude of the aspirant and the skill gap are evaluated, the candidate would be offered adequate training to enhance their skill sets,” labour minister T.P. Ramakrishnan said. “The manner in which the centre’s functions are designed is ideal for the growth of job aspirants,” the minister added. Employability centres were started in 2012-13 during the UDF tenure. At the moment, there are five such centres in the state: Kollam, Ernakulam, Kozhikode, Kannur and Palakkad. While employment exchanges place candidates only in government jobs, employability centres make an effort to find jobs for those who have registered in private companies.

In order to secure employment for aspirants in the private sector, these centres get into direct contact with private employers. “Further, they also hold small and large job ‘melas’ to bring the youth and private companies together,” the minister said.  The other radical change effected, especially to facilitate employment in the private sector, was the move to implement the employability centre project through National Employment Service Department. Official figures show the state has been able to place 35,000 aspirants in various private sector jobs through such centres. These centres, according to the minister, is an effective means to tackle the unemployment in the state.