CII launches strategic manufacturing skills council

NEW DELHI: The Confederation of Indian Industry ( CII), in association with the Ministry of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship and the National Skill Development Corporation ( NSDC), has launched the Strategic Manufacturing Skills Council ( SMSC), which will help develop a trained workforce for defence equipment manufacturing, shipbuilding and repair, homeland security equipment, and safety and fire-fighting equipment.

The council, which has representatives from the ministries of defence and shipping, will be headed by Udayant Malhotra, managing director of Dynamatic Technologies, in the role of chairman.

India requires approximately 18 lakh technologically highly-skilled, skilled and semi-skilled workers in this sector going forward. The council will train and certify 1.5 lakh people over the next 10 years covering 50 job roles from level 1 to 5, and will also certify 200 training institutes and 3320 trainers.

The council is expected to create a dynamic Labour Market Information System to keep track of the labour market, identify skill gaps, frame occupational standards, ensure adequate availability of faculty through Train The Trainer initiatives, build accreditation and certification mechanisms and encourage capacity building through private sector participation.