All citizens of India residing in the country are eligible for registration at the Employment Exchanges for employment assistance.  The Employment Service is a free Service and no fee shall be levied for the services rendered. The candidates can be registered at Employment Exchanges in whose jurisdiction they normally reside. Any person who has attained the age of 14 and is desirous of registration has to personally appear before the Employment Officer any working day during Office hours for registration. He/She shall produce the following documents in original

Though any candidates is permitted to register his/her name on attaining the age of 14 years, his/her name will not be considered against any vacancies until he attains the age of 18 years. In normal course a candidate is permitted to have only one registration. In the case of professionally qualified persons, his/her name can be registered with the Professional and Executive Employment Office also. An identity card will be issued to applicant registered at the Employment Exchanges, will be instructed to produce it whenever he calls at the Exchange. When an applicant informs the Exchange that he is moving to another Exchange area his registration will be transferred with seniority to Exchange serving his new place of residence, after verifying the legal documents to prove the residence.

The Registration will be renewed after three years. However, a candidate can renew his/her registration during the month or in the succeeding two months. One-year grace period is allowed to the candidates belonging to SC/ST. In the case of Physically Handicapped candidates, the registration will be treated as lapsed only after serving a notice. Applicants will be allowed to renew their registration by post /by messenger or in person. For renewal by post, they will apply on reply-paid post cards. In special cases, the State Director may allow the applicants to restore their old seniority of registration, where the registration has been lapsed for want of renewal due to illness, natural calamities, etc. The registration in respect of applicants who do not respond consecutively on three occasions in response to call letters will be lapsed unless they, on their own offer an explanation to the satisfaction of the Employment Officer for failure.

A person who was relieved from a job shall produce the Discharge Certificate in proper format within 90 days, since the discharge. Lapse in the production of this certificate will forfeit the candidate’s seniority. A candidate can add his/her additional qualifications at any time without loosing the original seniority in registration.

The Employment Exchanges (Compulsory Notification of Vacancies) Act. 1959 provides all Act Establishments shall compulsorily notify all vacancies, excepting those specified in the Act, to Employment Exchanges before filling them up. By considering the seniority in registration, age, qualifications, community, etc.,Selection and submission action will be taken against notified vacancies. A Seniority List that is maintained in all the Employment Exchanges is made use of for making selection of candidates. With a view to give chances of submission to a large number of applicants, a system of rotation may be observed in Employment Exchanges. Like Kerala Public Service Commission, Employment Department also follows “Communal Rotation Roster” system for placement activities.

The objectives of the Vocational Guidance in Employment Service are to suggest measures with a view to enhancing the employability of an individual or groups of individuals. It helps candidates to choose, change and adjust the occupational life. Vocational Guidance generate awareness and appreciation of the realities of labour market situation and helps the candidates to collaborate or co-operate with other agencies in the field of guidance to stimulate and promote joint efforts. A State Vocational Guidance Unit is functioning at Directorate level to assist in matters of supervision, field training, technical guidance, implementation, inspection and co-ordination of guidance activities in State level. A Vocational Guidance Unit is functioning in District level and in other Employment Exchanges essential minimum programmes concerning collection and dissemination of Occupational Information will be operated.

University Employment Information and Guidance Bureaus have been set up at the University level, to impart Career guidance and occupational information to the candidates. Collection and dissemination of Occupational Information on job opportunities, Educational Training facilities, Job training facilities, scholarships and fellowship are major functions of U.E.I.&G.

In order to increase the employability of the SC/ST candidates and to equip them to attend competitive examinations conducted by various recruitment agencies, coaching classes are conducted in C.G.C (Coaching cum Guidance Centre) for SC/ST, functioning at Ernakulam and Kozhikode.

The employment market is used to refer to an area having the labour force is habitually drawn from persons living in the area, with an Employment Exchange serving as focal point to bring together workers and employers. The objective of the E.M.I unit is to collect information about number of persons working in Public Sector and selected Private Sector establishments. In addition to this, details such as vacancies occurred, Educational and Occupational wise data, etc. Census of Central Government Employees is to be collected are regular intervals. These information are codified and consolidated and reports are prepared and published.

The State Employment Market Information Unit (SEMI Unit) set up at Employment Directorate will be responsible for the development of the E.M.I programme in the State. In all District Employment Exchanges, E.M.I Units is also functioning to collect Employment information agreed by the Central and State Governments. This information is required in Planning Commission, Statistical Unit of the DGE&T and other organizations for curriculum and planning purposes. This valuable information is useful in the field of economic development, Vocational guidance, Vocational Training, labour welfare, etc.

As per the Employment Exchanges (Compulsory Notification of Vacancies) Act 1959, it is obligatory on the part of all Employers to notify vacancies to the local Employment Exchanges in the prescribed Performa. Failure to notify the vacancies is punishable. It is also obligatory on the part of employers to render to the local Employment Exchanges, occupational returns in prescribed from in quarterly/biennial intervals. The EMI unit is responsible for collecting information about employment from all Establishments in Public Sector and also from Private Sector establishments, which employ 25 or more persons under the provisions of the Employment Exchanges (CNV) Act 1959.

In order to strengthen E.M.I Unit and to make Employers’ Register comprehensive peripatetic Team functioning at the Employment Directorate.

Candidates with S.S.L.C registered with the Employment Exchanges and remain in the in the Live Register of Employment Exchanges for a continuous period of 3 years, after the age of 18 years having an Annual income not exceeding Rs.12, 000/- within the age limit 18 to35 are eligible for unemployment allowance. However in the case of SC/ST and PH candidates, they need to have only appeared for S.S.L.C examination. Students are not eligible for unemployment allowance. However, candidates undergoing short-term courses, as Type writing/Shorthand/KGTE/ KGCE are exempted from the definition of student. SC/ST candidates, who have undergone 2 to 3 months short-term course with stipend, are excluded from the definition of student. PH candidates having 2 years seniority are eligible for allowance. The candidates receiving an amount not exceeding Rs.100/- in the way of pension, exgratia, stipend, honorarium, remuneration, etc. in cash from the welfare scheme of the Government, are also eligible for the allowance. The application for the allowance can be submitted at any time, at the respective local bodies and disbursements of the amount to the beneficiaries are done by the concerned Local Bodies.

KESRU is a Self Employment scheme launched by the Government of Kerala in 1999. All literates and registered unemployed candidates within the age group of 21 to 40 are eligible for this scheme. However in the case of SC/ST/PH candidates the upper age limits 45 years. Annual family income is limited to Rs.24,000/- and individual income is Rs. 500/- per month. Students are not eligible under this scheme.  However, candidates studying for courses, having duration of less than six months and other part time courses are exempted from the definition of student.  The candidates above age of 25 years, beneficiaries of employment allowances, holders of National Trade Certificates and National Apprentice Certificates, SC/ST candidates, women and persons below poverty line will be given priority. The loan amount admissible is between Rs.30, 000/- to Rs.50, 000/-.  Two or more persons can join together and avail the loan facilities. 20% of the loan amount is given as government subsidy.

The objective of the scheme is to assist a Physically Handicapped person to undertake skilled work of which he is capable and to secure his satisfactory adjustment to the work. In addition to selective placement work, the functions includes vocational guidance, enlist the co-operation of the employers, identify occupations suitable for handicapped person, to establish liaison and co-ordination with other agencies engaged in assisting the handicapped., etc. Candidates with 40% disability are eligible for registration. For State Government vacancy  10 years age relaxation is given to Orthopeadically Handicapped candidates and 15 years relaxation to Blind, deaf and mute persons. For each vacancy, 1 PH candidates is additionally considered during submission.

Six Special Regional Employment Offices For Physically handicapped are functioning at Thiruvananthapuram, Neyyattinkara, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Kozhikode. In addition to this special cells for P.H candidates are also functioning in Employment Exchanges in Nedumangad, Kayamkulam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Aluva, Irijalakuda, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram and Kannur               

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