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CENTRAL SCHEME TO
TRAIN SKILLED WORKFORCE
New Delhi, 20 December 2006
NEW DELHI, December 21 (INFA): The Union
Labour Ministry has formulated a new scheme to impart skills to the country’s
workforce, at least half of the force to start with.
According to the Minister for Labour and Employment, Oscar
Fernandes, the skill development initiative would be undertaken through
public-private partnership. Under the scheme, to be implemented soon,
short-term training courses on modular pattern would be conducted.
The objective is to provide vocational training to one
million persons in five years and subsequently to one million people each
year. A provision of Rs.555 crore has
been made to meet the expenses. The details of implementing the scheme are
being worked out in close collaboration with State Government, industry, trade
associations and other training
providers.
At present, only five per cent of the 459 million strong
labour force in the 20-24 age- group have obtained skills through formal
training system. Out of 175 million
students who enrol in class I each
year, 122 million students drop out by class
10th and majority of them enter labour market without skills. Fernandes said that so far not much effort
has been made to divert the school leavers to vocational stream, keeping in
view the size of the problem.
The Minister has disclosed that various initiatives have
been taken by the Directorate General of Employment and Training (DGE&T)
under the aegis of the Labour Ministry to help the youth in availing emerging
employment opportunities. He said that during the last three years, 47 new
employable trades have been introduced in the ITIs under Craftsmen Training
Scheme. 13 new trades in the informal sector have been introduced under
Apprenticeship Training Scheme. The DGE&T is training over one million
persons every year.
Training under the Craftsmen Training Scheme is being
imparted in 107 trades through a network of 5114 Industrial Training
Institutes/Centres spread all over the country with a seating capacity of 7.73
lakh. Training is also being imparted in 153 trades under the Apprenticeship
Training Scheme with 2.53 lakh training seats by utilizing existing
infrastructures in more than 20,700 establishments.
Under the Scheme to upgrade 500 ITIs into ‘Centres of
Excellence’, one hundred ITIs have been upgraded in various States through
internal resources. Course curricula on modular pattern for 20 industrial
sectors have been developed and are being implemented in these ITIs.
Another 100 ITIs have also been taken up for upgradation
during the current year. The Minister
said that 22 new ITIs are being established in north-eastern States, while 35
existing ITIs in the region are being upgraded at a total cost of Rs.100
crore. This will result in an increase
in 8900 seats capacity.
Similarly, in Jammu & Kashmir 37 existing ITIs are being
upgraded and one ITI exclusively for women is being set up at Jammu at a total cost of Rs.37 crore. The
training seat capacity will increase by 1836 seats.
The Labour Ministry has moved one step further and started a
scheme for testing and certification of skills attained informally at work
place. He said that 8400 workers so far
have been tested and certified under the scheme. It was stated that 17 States have given their
assent to the scheme. ---INFA
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