Indian fertiliser co-op IFFCO is launching a jobs portal where young people in rural areas can find work without facing online fees.
The IFFCO Yuva portal is designed as an alternative to the hundreds of job websites which are often too expensive or urban-centric for rural youth.
The co-op is financially supporting the website in a move which director R P Singh described as “treasuring youth as the real asset of India”.
Tweeting about the venture, IFFCO managing director Dr U S Awasthi said: “Happy to share that for the benefit of farmers and youth living in rural #India we are bringing a new platform.
“It will educate, empower and provide a platform for skill development and jobs to youth in rural areas. A free service for rural youth.”
Most recruitment sites in India require registration fees, and also charge extra to forward biodata, testimonials and other information when a vacancy comes up, said Mr Singh.
IFFCO’s portal is entirely free, and includes a skills test and skill upgrades. The co-op’s partners will advertise their posts and vacancies on the site, and the co-op has also invited all other businesses to advertise on the portal, free of charge.
“There are no charges either for job seeker or for job-givers,” said Mr Singh.
Technical fine-tuning is now being carried out on the portal, and campuses – especially in rural and agricultural universities – are being contacted to help make the venture a success.
