Kerala to Provide 1 Lakh Job Opportunities for ITI Graduates and Job Seekers

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has announced a comprehensive employment initiative to provide jobs for all students completing their studies in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) this year, as well as for those who completed ITI courses in previous years and remain unemployed. The initiative is being jointly implemented by the Department of Labour and the Knowledge Kerala Mission (K-DISC). According to Labour Minister V. Sivankutty, around one lakh job opportunities are being prepared for candidates with ITI qualifications.
The project will be carried out in two ways. The first involves identifying suitable job openings, offering necessary skill training, and conducting job fairs to facilitate recruitment. The second method follows the “Recruit, Train & Deploy” (RTD) model, where companies will initially recruit candidates, provide them with training at ITIs or other vocational training centres for up to six months, and then confirm their employment.
Under the Knowledge Kerala Mission, K-DISC has already gathered about 75,000 job opportunities specifically for those holding trade certificates. All these positions offer a monthly salary of more than 15,000 rupees. When combined with long-term recruitment partnerships between ITIs and various companies, the total number of employment opportunities is expected to exceed one lakh.
Students can select jobs according to their preferences and interests. K-DISC will design specific skill training programmes for each job category, taking into account inputs from ITI instructors. Institutions that already have strong placement systems can continue their existing processes without any interruption.
Special training will also be arranged for former students who are currently seeking employment. Registration for these job seekers will be open from November 1 to 7, 2025, at the respective ITIs where they studied. Dedicated kiosks will be set up in all ITIs to assist with this registration.
From November 7 to 15, career counselling and skill assessments will be conducted for registered candidates. Based on these assessments, district-level mapping and cluster formation will take place. Skill training for selected candidates will begin in batches of 20 to 30 at designated nodal centres starting from November 20. Special job fairs for former students will be held by mid-December.
The project will also include students from private Industrial Training Centres (ITCs) and women who have completed their studies but are currently not employed. Homemakers interested in taking up jobs near their homes will be offered opportunities through multi-task skill teams being formed under the Kudumbashree Mission’s Community Development Societies (CDS).
Experts willing to volunteer as mentors for skill training programmes are also being invited. Retired instructors from ITIs, engineering colleges, and polytechnics can apply to serve as mentors. Those interested can register either at the nearest ITI or through the Knowledge Kerala website.
For the smooth implementation of the project, a special committee has been formed with Industrial Training Department Director Sufiyan Ahmed as Chairman, Joint Director Shammy Baker as Convenor, and Sumesh Divakaran, Academic Coordinator (Technical) of Knowledge Kerala, as Joint Convenor.