Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The homesickness is haunting the ITI trained youths who areáshying away from joining jobs in distant places of state and even outside the home state. Only a handful of youths have taken up jobs offered outside the state. The officials of Directorate of Technical Education are nowáconsidering counseling of youths as well as their parents to encourage them to take up job opportunities away from their hometown.

There are numerous job opportunities for the ITI trained youths but only a few are willing to join them. People with knowledge of the affairs said that there are around 285 government-run ITIs in the state and around 40,000 youths have undergone training in myriad skills every year. After completing the course, half of the youths decide to pursue higher studies, whileánot all of the remaining 50% opt for jobs away from their hometown or outside the state.

According to a rough estimate, only 25% to 30 % of youths went ahead and took up jobs. A large number of trained youths do not join the jobs offered outside the states. More importantly, parents of girl students are not keen on sending them outside the hometown or other states even as there is a huge demand for skilled girls in the industrial sector and industries provide hostels and other basic facilities for them.

Moreover, there have been cases in Bhopal-based youths unwilling to take up jobs in Mandideep, said an officer of Directorate of Technical Education. Although there are no specific figures about the number of ITI-trained youths unwilling to work outside their hometowns, the directorate is considering providing counseling to both students and their parents to encourage them to take jobs away from the hometown.