Kerala’s labour minister, Vasudevan (V) Sivankutty, said the state government will implement major projects over the next three months to strengthen employment in the state and ensure better skill training for youth.
Sivankutty shared with reporters that the focus areas of these projects will be providing financial assistance and employment for youth, ensuring excellent opportunities abroad, modernisation and infrastructure development, worker welfare & safety insurance, high-tech education and skill development centres. Most of the planned initiatives are set to launch next month.
The minister added that a Karmachari project to foster a culture of work alongside studies will also be launched in collaboration with employers in the first week of February.
To train students for employment opportunities abroad, students will be sent for dual vocational training in Germany with a stipend of ₹1,30,000.
“The First Indo-German Training Fair will be organised in the fourth week of February, providing opportunities for around 500 students. Additionally, a memorandum of understanding for cooperation with the State of Hessen in Germany will be signed in the second week of March,” Sivankutty explained.
Further initiatives include establishing an Innovation and Research Park in Kottarakkara to provide training in drone technology. As per the minister, a transit campus will begin operations at Government Polytechnic College, Ezhukone, in the second week of February. A ₹45 crore skill complex at Chalai will also be inaugurated in the third week of March.
“A project to renovate ITIs with the support of the industrial sector, costing Rs 482 crore, will commence in March,” revealed Sivankutty. “New buildings for ITIs in Varkala, Peringome (Kannur), Kuttikol (Kasaragod) and Maniyoor (Kozhikode) will be inauguratedin February.”
The minister also announced that model career centres for job seekers were ready in Kannur and Thrissur Thalapilly. Similarly, career development centres will open in Karamana and Chelakkara in February. Model Employment Exchange in Kozhikode will also begin operations at the end of January.
The Kerala government will also start an accidental death insurance scheme of ₹5 lakh in the second week of February for workers registered under the Wages Protection System. The workers will only contribute ₹150 to the same. A loan scheme for autorickshaw/taxi drivers will also be launched.
“A mobile app for filing complaints in 12 languages for approximately 6,00,000 factory workers will be launched in the third week of February,” Sivankutty shared. ” The government is committed to completing these transformative projects for the state’s employment sector on time.”
