Educated but jobless, graduates end up in corporation shelters
On Christmas afternoon, 45-year-old Subramania Kumar was having an animated conversation with his friend Ezhumalai and that too in impeccable English.
Published: 26th December 2019 06:31 AM
On Christmas afternoon, 45-year-old Subramania Kumar was having an animated conversation with his friend Ezhumalai and that too in impeccable English.
Published: 26th December 2019 06:31 AM
By KV Navya
Express News Service
CHENNAI: On Christmas afternoon, 45-year-old Subramania Kumar was having an animated conversation with his friend Ezhumalai and that too in impeccable English.This could very easily be a scene from an eatery, cafe or maybe a park. But this chat was taking place at the Corporation shelter for the homeless in Koyambedu.
Out of 45 inmates in the home, 12 are graduates and postgraduates, but nobody has a job. Subramania Kumar has completed MCom and Ezhumalai, MA. Both were rescued from Koyambedu bus terminus, where they were living after failing to land a job. The story does not end here. According to Chennai Corporation data, of the 38 government shelter homes in the city that houses 1,000 odd adults, 87 hold bachelor degrees, 16 are postgraduates, two even finished MPhil and 16 completed diploma. Apart from this, 210 inmates have basic educational qualification (completed 10th or 12th). Around 95% of them are unemployed or involved in unskilled labour.
Officials in-charge of shelter homes say most end up in the homes after having failed to find a job. They were picked up during rescue drives from beaches and bus termini.A large number of people in their 20s and early 30s finish graduation and come to Chennai with dreams of making it big, but when they fail to find a job they usually end on the road. Each home has people who are either with a job or involved in construction work, said senior Corporation official from Wing for Homeless Shelters Department. When Express visited several homes, the educated inmates either doing construction work or employed as unskilled labour.
“I came to Chennai in 2010 despite opposition from home. I completed MA in Tamil and could not find any job for years and could not ask for money from home anymore. So, I started sleeping at Marina, from where officials picked me up. Though I have a shelter now, I still do not have a job. So, I am working as a construction labourer,” said an inmate at Egmore, not wanting to be named.
He said 10 of his friends who came in search of jobs too are in different shelter homes and are working as drivers and construction workers. “The inmates mostly claim two reason for being homeless – lack of jobs and no family to fall back on. More number of qualified people at shelter homes are turning towards unskilled jobs and an initiative must be taken to stop this. If the emphasis is on education, equal emphasis must be on jobs too,” said R Gopalakrishnan, in-charge of Koyambedu shelter home.Officials in the Wing for Homeless Department said they are drafting measures to help these people find jobs.
CHENNAI: On Christmas afternoon, 45-year-old Subramania Kumar was having an animated conversation with his friend Ezhumalai and that too in impeccable English.This could very easily be a scene from an eatery, cafe or maybe a park. But this chat was taking place at the Corporation shelter for the homeless in Koyambedu.
Out of 45 inmates in the home, 12 are graduates and postgraduates, but nobody has a job. Subramania Kumar has completed MCom and Ezhumalai, MA. Both were rescued from Koyambedu bus terminus, where they were living after failing to land a job. The story does not end here. According to Chennai Corporation data, of the 38 government shelter homes in the city that houses 1,000 odd adults, 87 hold bachelor degrees, 16 are postgraduates, two even finished MPhil and 16 completed diploma. Apart from this, 210 inmates have basic educational qualification (completed 10th or 12th). Around 95% of them are unemployed or involved in unskilled labour.
Officials in-charge of shelter homes say most end up in the homes after having failed to find a job. They were picked up during rescue drives from beaches and bus termini.A large number of people in their 20s and early 30s finish graduation and come to Chennai with dreams of making it big, but when they fail to find a job they usually end on the road. Each home has people who are either with a job or involved in construction work, said senior Corporation official from Wing for Homeless Shelters Department. When Express visited several homes, the educated inmates either doing construction work or employed as unskilled labour.
“I came to Chennai in 2010 despite opposition from home. I completed MA in Tamil and could not find any job for years and could not ask for money from home anymore. So, I started sleeping at Marina, from where officials picked me up. Though I have a shelter now, I still do not have a job. So, I am working as a construction labourer,” said an inmate at Egmore, not wanting to be named.
He said 10 of his friends who came in search of jobs too are in different shelter homes and are working as drivers and construction workers. “The inmates mostly claim two reason for being homeless – lack of jobs and no family to fall back on. More number of qualified people at shelter homes are turning towards unskilled jobs and an initiative must be taken to stop this. If the emphasis is on education, equal emphasis must be on jobs too,” said R Gopalakrishnan, in-charge of Koyambedu shelter home.Officials in the Wing for Homeless Department said they are drafting measures to help these people find jobs.
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