The demand for young security guards is on the rise as corporate and industries seek young, energetic, agile and able bodied educated youth to guard their premises. The demand over the last four to five years has reset the trend that only retired persons come for security jobs.
Gregory S. Nayagam, who runs a security firm in the city with close to 2,000 guards, said about 50 per cent of their force was in the age group of 25 to 45 years.
“Young security guards are mostly from rural backgrounds who come to the city to find a job that would suit them. Till they find a suitable job they stick to us for a year or two as we provide them jobs with food and shelter,” he said and adds that they are paid Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 14,000 a month.
On the other hand not many ex-servicemen join private security firms. They start a small security firms or join forums for ex-servicemen that offer them security jobs for a good pay.
Private firms say that persons aged above 50 years and retired persons go for duty in residential areas, independent houses and apartments.
It is because they cannot afford to pay very high for a security guard of young age.
Persons in this age category are those who had opted for voluntary retirement scheme as they needed money to meet expenses such as marriage of their children. They work till they are about 70 years old.
Retired people who are now said to be occupying a very less share of the total security guard force are those who have been abandoned by their children and are desperately in want of food and shelter.
(Reporting by
M.K. Ananth)
