Centre to scale up skill programme: Officials
The national skill development corporation launched a new programme TEJAS to train, certify and place 10,000 Indian workers in the United Arab Emirates in one year in partnership with some of the leading employers in the region.
The Centre is scaling up its existing skill development training programmes to allow workers from India to tap work opportunities abroad. In line with the government’s intent, the national skill development corporation under the ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship has launched a new programme TEJAS to train, certify and place 10,000 Indian workers in the United Arab Emirates in one year in partnership with some of the leading employers in the region, officials said on Monday.
According to an official of the Union ministry for skill development and entrepreneurship, which is the nodal ministry for overseeing skilling programmes, the international workforce mobility market opportunity for India is estimated to be 3.6 million in the next five years, of which 2.6 million Indians can be potentially placed in the GCC (Gulf cooperation council) countries, Europe, Australia, Canada, Russia and Malaysia.
Through skilling, up-skilling and re-skilling initiatives under TEJAS, the government is aiming to prepare a trained workforce in both the blue-collar and the white-collar job sectors.
“The programme will converge with the existing skill development programmes and leverage training infrastructure of ITIs, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra and Skill training institutes operating under the Central and state governments to ensure sourcing and supply of potential candidates,” said the official.
Minister of state for skill development and entrepreneurship, Rajeev Chandrasekhar has held discussions with officials as well as top employers in the UAE for finalising the terms of the program, said the official quoted above.
On the work being done to revamp the skilling programmes, Chandrasekhar said, “PM [Narendra] Modi has emphasised the need for upskilling digital skills in a very altered post-Covid world.”
Work opportunities have been identified in sectors such as construction and facility management which includes electricians, plumbers and welders; in the logistics and transport sector; food and beverages; retail; IT; finance and healthcare sectors.
Mobilisation of candidates will be done with the help of .skill development missions and the network of ITIs, PMKK, and colleges.