Thiruvananthapuram: Applications have been invited for the ‘Chief Minister’s Connect to Work’ scheme, which provides financial assistance of Rs 1,000 per month to young men and women in Kerala who are participating in skill training and preparing for competitive exams. Applications are being accepted online only through the eemployment.kerala.gov.in portal. Applicants must be permanent residents of Kerala, who have completed 18 years of age and not more than 30 years of age. The annual family income should not exceed Rs. 1 lakh. Applicants should be those who are undergoing skill training in Central and State Government Departments, Central and State Public Sector Undertakings/ Affiliated Institutions of Central and State Public Sector Undertakings/ Recognized Universities/ ‘Deemed’ Universities in the country, and currently functioning recognized private institutions, or those who have applied for competitive examinations conducted by UPSC, State PSC, Service Selection Board, Army, Navy, Air Force, Bank, Railways and other Central and State Public Sector Recruitment Agencies and are preparing for competitive examinations. Financial assistance will be provided in the order of priority of the date of receipt of application. This scholarship can be availed only once for a maximum total of 12 (twelve) months for any category such as skill training and competitive examination training. Those who are receiving any social welfare pensions like widow pension, disability pension, various types of service pensions, family pension, family pension from welfare fund boards, EPF pension, etc. will not get the benefit of the scheme. Those who are receiving any other scholarship distributed by central and state government departments/institutions will not get the benefit of this scheme.