K.P. Muhammed Kutty (center) speaks in a “Meet the Press” program organized by the Jeddah Chapter of Indian Media Forum at Seasons Restaurant, Sunday. — Courtesy Photo Hassan Cheruppa Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – K.P. Muhammed Kutty, chairman of the Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Consultants (ODEPC), unveiled plans to conduct job orientation courses for minorities and scheduled communities in Kerala. “The state government has made budgeted allocations for this purpose (job orientation courses) as well as for carrying out awareness campaigns about job opportunities abroad,” Kutty said while speaking in a “Meet the Press” program organized by the Jeddah Chapter of Indian Media Forum at Seasons Restaurant, Sunday. The forum congratulated Kutty, one of the most prominent expatriate Keralite leaders in the Gulf countries, on his appointment as the head of the state-owned organization concerned with overseas jobs. Media Forum president Jaleel Kannamangalam welcomed the gathering while secretary Ibrahim Shamnad gave the vote of thanks. Referring to the current scenario in the Saudi labor market where plenty of opportunities exist for professionals and highly skilled workers, Kutty said that ODEPC is playing a major role in acting as a link with various countries which seek suitable professionals to fill up their vacancies. “Our role is on a government to government basis to ensure jobs with high salaries and other allowances. “Among the countries with which we have reached agreements to hire professionals, the Saudi government is in the forefront with regard to provision of more vacancies in jobs. “ODEPC facilitates overseas job interviews outside the southern Indian state as well,” Kutty said while quoting Kashmir as an example. Kutty urged all Indians to come forward to register with ODEPC as only registered members will be considered for recruitment. For the said purpose, ODEPC launched its job portal (odepc.kerala.gov.in) in August last year, a one-stop portal for jobseekers to register for being considered for recruitment with reputed clients from overseas and the domestic sector. So far, the portal has been proved to be boon for those registered with the employment exchanges in the state. Founded in 1977, ODEPC is the official state government undertaking responsibility for carrying out recruitment for positions abroad. “It ensures quality and reliability of the recruitment process which matches the right candidates to right employers,” he said, adding that now the agency is paving way to new global opportunities to both candidates and employers. Kutty, who took over as head of the prestigious agency on October 3, has been in Saudi Arabia since 1980. He has held various positions in the medical field. He serves as president of the Saudi National Committee of the Kerala Muslim Cultural Center (KMCC), which is the largest Keralite organization in the Kingdom for about three decades. Previously, Kutty had worked as a member of the executive committee of the state-owned Non Resident Keralites Affairs Department (NORKA), which is a forum for addressing non-resident Keralites' problems, safeguarding their rights and rehabilitating the returnees. He is also member of the working committee of the ruling Muslim League party in Kerala and former vice chairman of the Kerala Haj Committee.
