German Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Hubertus Heil has visited Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to explore possibilities of expanding employment prospects for skilled workforce in the state.?Heil called on the Chief Minister at his chamber here on Wednesday, a CMO statement said. Vijayan later tweeted that the meeting was "fruitful".

"Had a fruitful meeting with the German Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, @hubertus_heil. We explored avenues to enhance the Kerala-Germany relationship, particularly by expanding employment prospects for our skilled workforce. Thank you for your love towards Kerala," he said.

Later, in a Facebook post, the Chief Minister said the diverse ways to utilise the state's workforce, known for its knowledge and skills, were pointed out during the meeting. It was also pointed out in the meeting the possibilities of signing an employment contract with Germany as part of the "Triple Win" programme under the state-run agency NORKA Roots, the Chief Minister said.

If this is implemented, Kerala would become the first state to sign an agreement with Germany for cooperation in the employment sector, he said. As the nurses from the southern state have great demand globally, such a contract would pave the way for their mass recruitment, Vijayan explained.

It is also expected that the proposed contract can create more opportunities for engineering graduates including in the IT sector, he said. The meeting with the German minister has given a renewed energy to chase the state's dream of becoming a knowledge economy, the Chief Minister added.
?? ?Labour Minister V Sivankutty was also present during the meeting.