Survey finds number of jobseekers in the State at 53 lakh, with 58% of them being women
Survey finds number of jobseekers in the State at 53 lakh, with 58% of them being women
Thozhil Sabhas, the Local Self-Government department’s initiative aimed at connecting job creators and jobseekers at the local level, are to be convened at all local bodies from October onwards. As part of the aim under the 14th Five-Year Plan to have sustainable local economic development, local bodies in the State will for the first time be playing the role of facilitators to connect jobseekers to opportunities suitable for them. The Thozhil Sabhas, which will be modelled on the grama sabha format, will be convened at regular intervals.
A recent survey conducted by the K-DISC (Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council) with Kudumbashree had pegged the number of jobseekers in the State at 53 lakh, with 58% of them being women. From this list, steps are being taken to include those aged between 23 and 40 years into a digital workforce management system. As the next step, through Thozhil Sabhas, the government is starting from the grassroots, to tap job opportunities at the local, national and international level by bringing together various stakeholders including job creators, skill trainers, entrepreneurs and jobseekers.
“Currently, those from the working class or lower middle class sections do not often have easy access to the various opportunities. The Thozhil Sabha would be a mechanism which would bring together such information from different sources and connect the jobseekers to suitable opportunities. It will turn into a collective effort at the local level. Job creation would now become an aspect in the planning process of local bodies too. This kind of network building for jobseekers is something local bodies have not done till now,” said an LSGD official.
With the formation of Thozhil Sabhas, the local bodies will have accurate information on the number of jobseekers as well as job creators within their area. This would include people from the area who are running businesses outside Kerala or abroad, or are in key positions in various companies, based on whose requirements jobseekers with the necessary skills can be connected. Various mechanisms including an Entrepreneurship and Employment Development Council and Employment Information Centre would be formed at the local body level.
Officials of various government departments, K-DISC community ambassadors, the interns appointed by the Industries department to facilitate entrepreneurship, SC/ST promoters, councillors, youth representatives, representatives of trade organisations and others will be part of the thozhil sabha in each local body. The group will work not just as a facilitative mechanism for job seekers, but will also aid aspiring entrepreneurs.
The development standing committee of the local body will be the organiser of the thozhil sabha. Each such sabha will consist of an estimated 200-250 people, and would be formed for one or two wards. The initiative is expected to be launched soon, and thozhil sabhas formed in all local bodies by October 15.
