Apart from the healthcare sector, ODEPC has hired skilled labourers like plumbers, electricians, drivers and security guards
Published: Tue 5 Sep 2023, 3:18 PM
Last updated: Wed 6 Sep 2023, 7:14 AM
Hundreds of skilled Indians will be recruited for jobs in the UAE as part of a ‘hiring spree’, an Indian minister has said.
V. Sivankutty, Minister for General Education and Labour of the southern Indian state of Kerala, said his team met over representatives from 32 UAE-based companies, who wanted to hire over 1,000 people.
“The required roles include doctors, engineers, IT sector employees and those in the healthcare industry. We are looking to fulfil these requirements in the next six months,” said Sivankutty, during a Press conference held in Dubai on Tuesday.
The hiring will be done as part of the Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Consultants (ODEPC) programme, which is a Kerala government initiative. A delegation of the recruitment body is currently visiting the UAE, rolling out multiple programmes and new plans for non-resident Keralites.
Established in 1977, ODEPC has placed over 10,200 employees in various parts of the world.
According to Sivankutty, the programmes run by ODEPC help prevent Indians from falling prey to bogus visa schemes and dubious private agents.
Fully trained
Sivankutty elaborated that hiring patterns have changed now. “Earlier, people would go to countries and learn the ropes of the job there,” he said. “However, now companies want fully trained people. They want someone who knows the language, the culture and the skills and can hit the ground running from the very first day.”
To facilitate this, ODEPC is supporting its trainees with additional language classes. “We have conducted German and Dutch language lessons for those recruited to Europe,” he said. “In the UAE, employers were only asking for English. However, now some employers have begun asking for Arabic-speaking employees, so now we will be supporting them with lessons.”
He added that the field with most demand for recruitment was the healthcare sector. “We have recruited healthcare sector professionals for various government agencies in the UAE.”
Apart from the healthcare sector, the body has hired skilled labourers like plumbers, electricians, drivers and security guards.
Meetings
The team has met with several company representatives and conducted site visits to hospitals and schools to check on the welfare of some of their recruits. “All the employers have very high regard for our recruits,” he said. “Some of the CEOs told me that our recruits were hardworking and trustworthy. That is the reason why they continue hiring from Kerala.”
The delegation also visited WeOne headquarters at Jebal Ali Freezone (JAFZA) on Monday and held discussions with representatives about the progress of recruiting 400 security guards from Kerala. They also visited the workplaces and accommodations of the first batch of employees, who recently arrived in Dubai.
In addition to the UAE, ODEPC will also recruit Keralites for jobs in other Gulf countries as well as European countries.
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