The program of providing 100,000 employment opportunities aimed at eradicating poverty is scheduled commence tomorrow (September 02).

The objective of the program is to empower those who live in absolute poverty with no formal education and skills through the Multi-Purpose Development Task Force established by the government, stated President’s Media Division.

As per PMD, job recipients are selected on the basis of the following criteria:

- Unskilled workers who have no formal education or with education lower G.C.E. Ordinary Level examination.
- Must be not less than 18 years of age and not more than 40 years of age on the closing date for applications.
- Being unemployed member of a family eligible to receive Samurdhi benefits but does not receive it, or being a member of a family receiving Samurdhi benefits but unemployed.
- Being an unemployed member of a family with elderly, sick parents or disabled members.

Further, all recipients must be a permanent resident of the area of application.

Accordingly, only one member per family, who meets the aforementioned qualifications, will be considered for the opportunity.

Recipient’s vocational program will be decided based on available job opportunities in proximity to the applicant’s residence and their choice of field for training.

Further, a training program will be conducted at the Training Centers in the same area of the applicant’s residence or at the nearby Training Centers.

Following a successful training, the applicants will be employed in their area of residence or in nearby area, stated PMD.

During the 6-month continuous training program a monthly allowance of Rs 22,500 will be paid and following the successful completion of the training program, trainees will have the opportunity to be appointed to an accepted permanent government position in their own residence area with a non-primary skilled salary of Rs. 35,000 and allowances.

After a satisfactory and uninterrupted career record of 10 years they will be eligible for pension, the PMD said.

However, employment will only be awarded based on above criteria and any form of bribery will result in immediate rejection of the job opportunity, the PMD stressed.