KOCHI: Engineering graduates and technically skilled people are in the forefront of seeking jobs in Kuwait and other countries in West Asia from the state compared to housemaids and unskilled workers a few years ago.
That the profile of people seeking employment in West Asia has undergone a change is evident from those approaching for medical clearance, said Mathew George, Kochi regional head of Khadamat Integrated Solutions, the official agency issuing medical clearance certificates for job seekers to Kuwait.
“On an average the Kochi office issues medical clearance certificate to 150 persons a month and most of them belong to the category of engineers or persons endowed with other technical skills”, he said.
The change in qualification profile of migrants is in tune with the observations made in Kerala Migration Survey 2014 by Dr K. C. Zachariah and S. Irudaya Rajan of centre for development studies.
The two authors have pointed out that the “the changing educational profile of Kerala labour force and of the Kerala emigrants has led to a higher outflow of migrants”.
Khadamat won’t cut charges
Senior officials connected with Khadamat integrated solutions have ruled out possibility of any cut in the Rs 12,000 collected for medical screening of job aspirants from the country.
“The amount is fixed by the Kuwait government and we cannot do anything to change it”, Adel Nasser Al-Jumhour, foreign projects coordinator of public services company, said here on Friday.
Khadamat is a subsidiary of public services company. He said in most cases Kuwait employees paid for the medical screening expenses.
He also said that if a person cleared by the Khadamat office in India was found medically unfit in Kuwait Khadamat would refund the fee and also fly the person back and pay costs of relocation.
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