The Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Consultants (ODEPC) Ltd is planning to expand the recruitment of workforce from Kerala to various foreign countries in the new year, according to K A Anoop, Managing Director of ODEPEC, a Government of Kerala initiative operating under the State Labour Department. In an interview with Manorama Thozhilveedhi, he also shared that plans are underway to extend recruitment to more countries and positions.

What are the new plans for job seekers in the new year?

The admission for new batches for the recruitment of nurses to countries like Germany, Australia, and Belgium will begin for free in the months of January, February, and March. A key feature of this programme is the free training in German and Dutch languages, as well as free visa and air tickets.

Will ODEPEC expand its placement process to more countries?

Currently, ODEPEC is conducting recruitment to countries such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Germany, United Kingdom, Belgium, Uzbekistan, and Turkey, among others. Steps have been initiated to carry out recruitment for Austria, Singapore, and Australia as well. ODEPEC will be conducting recruitment to these countries too.

How many people received recruitment through ODEPEC in 2024? Which positions and countries were involved?

In 2024, ODEPEC facilitated recruitment for 636 individuals. The highest number of recruitments was conducted for the UAE, with 200 placements, while the lowest was for Botswana, with 2 placements. Other recruitments took place in Turkey (195), Saudi Arabia (115), Belgium (59), Germany (45), the UK (16), and Oman (4). The positions included nurse, security guard, teacher, engineer, and Chief Executive Officer, among others.

Majority of your recruitment is focused on nurse and technician vacancies. Are there any practical difficulties in recruiting for other positions?

In addition to nurse and technician vacancies, ODEPEC is also recruiting for other positions such as security guard, engineer, CEO, and teachers. We are also considering expanding the scope of recruitment to more positions based on availability.