Madurai
K. Muthumalai*, an MBA graduate who has been on a job hunt since 2014, recently attended an interview at the Collectorate held for the post of an office assistant.
“Though I am overqualified for the post, I hope that I get this job so as to meet the financial needs of my family,” he says.
Mr. Muthumalai is among 199 graduates who attended the interview for the post of an office assistant, which requires a minimum qualification of Class 8 pass. Out of the 657 candidates, who were called for the interview, nearly 50% of them were graduates. A total of 487 candidates attended the interview, and around 43% of them were graduates.
Similarly, 338 candidates were called for the interview for three posts of night watchman, which does not require any educational qualification. Among those candidates, more than 30% were graduates. A total of 278 candidates attended the interview, and around 19% of them were graduates.
In these interviews, which were conducted by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, a large number of graduates, including those who had completed M.Sc., M. Com., and M.A. had participated, indicating the level of unemployment among graduates in the district.
Mr. Muthumalai says that there are fewer jobs available in the market which pays them a good salary in accordance with their educational qualification.
“Many private companies offer roles which pay a monthly sum of only around ₹ 8,000. With the increasing competition, it is very difficult to get a job that offers a position in relation to the education qualification,” he says.
V. Mahesh*, an M. Sc. graduate, who attended the interview for the post of a night watchman, says that there is no job security available in the private sector.
“Many private organisations hire us only on a temporary basis for a lower salary. There is always this constant fear that we might be asked to resign from our jobs at any time,” he says.
Another candidate, N. Vignesh*, a B.E. graduate, says that the pressure of repayment of education loan is building. “This forced me to attend the interview,” he says. The main problem is that there is a major mismatch between the number of jobs available in the market and the number of students who graduate every year, says G. Kalyanasundaram, Chair of Madurai Chapter of Young Indians, a wing of the Confederation of Indian Industries.
Adding to these problems, the employability skills of the graduates are also poor, he adds.
One of the ways to tackle this issue would be to promote vocational education among graduates and focus on developing their skill sets, says Madurai District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association President B. Muruganantham.
“The skill development agency of the government and its policies must be promoted. Developing the skill sets of graduates will help to create more entrepreneurs, which, in turn, will create more job opportunities,” he says.
(Names of candidates have been changed on request)
