Connecting employers with job seekers
In its fifth successful year Vaellai Illa Pattadhari (jobless graduate), a job expo conducted by the Rotary Club of Madurai Next Gen, D 3000, has changed the lives of 5,000 jobless youth.
The average membership age of this club is under 45 years and its members believe in addressing “the pressing issues and unemployment faced by our youth. Youngsters today graduate with multiple degrees and still cannot find work that pays enough to sustain a decent lifestyle. Jobs offered to fresh graduates with no experience pay little,” says Amar Vora, the club’s IPP.
While online recruitment is the in thing these days, “most of those who are seeking employment in Madurai are first-generation graduates. We celebrate individuals from low-income families who graduate despite all odds. But what next?” asks Vora, adding that “it is difficult to get them to apply online because the concept is new and most of them need to be guided.” In the last five years the club has collected enough data and plans to start an online portal next year.
Along with the Rotaractors of Pandian Saraswathi Yadav Engineering College, Madurai, a team of 12 Rotarians began working on the job fair to identify employers. College recruitment cells were contacted and posters sent out through social and print media about the career fair.
HCL, Honeywell and Solamalai were among the 35 companies that participated in the fair. In less than four hours 1,200 job seekers walked in for registration. A guidance session was organised and the employers were happy to connect with their potential employees without shelling out mega bucks for advertisements, adds Vora.
About 100 graduates received their appointment letter on the spot. The project has gained popularity in D 3000 and will be hosted in different cities within the Rotary district.
