Emigrants can now get skills polished
The government has launched a programme to enable overseas Indian workers move up the wage chain.
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: With India emerging as a source for workers across the globe, the government has launched a National Programme of Pre-Departure Orientation Training and a Skill Upgradation Programme for potential emigrant workers. The objective is to help overseas Indian workers benefit from the emerging employment opportunities across the world. It will enable them to move up the wage chain.
Minister for overseas Indian affairs Vayalar Ravi unveiled the programme at a national consultation attended by principal secretaries and labour secretaries of eight states — Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Haryana. The programme is expected to be launched in October. This initiative will be undertaken by state governments, with the support of the ministry of overseas Indian affairs in partnership with apex industry bodies.
The ministry has a budget of Rs 5 crore for the current fiscal. The programme will be launched in these eight states, major sourcing states for overseas employment. Each of these states is expected to train 5,000-10,000 workers in the current year.
These states will be expected to train at least 50,000 workers annually for overseas employment in diverse sectors. The funding for this initiative will be on a 75:25 basis, with the ministry of overseas Indian affairs providing 75% of the funding. States have been given the flexibility to utilise existing training infrastructure including the extensive network of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), Vocational Training Institutes and the Small Industry Service Institute as well as credible technical training institutions run by the private sector. The duration of the training will range from one-to-weeks, depending on the need, at a training cost of about Rs 20,000 per batch of 15 trainees.
The minister said that states like Orissa, Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, which have an enormous potential for providing skilled workers for overseas employment, could be covered under phase II of the National Skill Upgradation Programme. A key element of this programme will be the standardised testing and certification of emigrant workers to meet global standards.
The programme also gives the states sufficient flexibility to be able to effectively respond to the overseas employment market. The states can identify the nodal agencies and training institutions and suggest the routing of the funds. The duration and cost of training has been left flexible.
This is not the first time that an effort to introduce standards and allow for upgrading of skills has been made. The NDA government had proposed camps where workers without formal training could be evaluated for a certificate, as well as options for upgrading skills would be provided. This move was calculated to ensure that skilled workers without formal training would not lose out in a global market where certification is important. It would also be in keeping with the requirements under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).
At present there are over 50 lakh overseas Indian workers primarily in the Gulf region and in Malaysia. Over 5.5 lakh workers emigrate from India each year as unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers to work in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Malaysia.
Minister for overseas Indian affairs Vayalar Ravi unveiled the programme at a national consultation attended by principal secretaries and labour secretaries of eight states — Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Haryana. The programme is expected to be launched in October. This initiative will be undertaken by state governments, with the support of the ministry of overseas Indian affairs in partnership with apex industry bodies.
The ministry has a budget of Rs 5 crore for the current fiscal. The programme will be launched in these eight states, major sourcing states for overseas employment. Each of these states is expected to train 5,000-10,000 workers in the current year.
These states will be expected to train at least 50,000 workers annually for overseas employment in diverse sectors. The funding for this initiative will be on a 75:25 basis, with the ministry of overseas Indian affairs providing 75% of the funding. States have been given the flexibility to utilise existing training infrastructure including the extensive network of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), Vocational Training Institutes and the Small Industry Service Institute as well as credible technical training institutions run by the private sector. The duration of the training will range from one-to-weeks, depending on the need, at a training cost of about Rs 20,000 per batch of 15 trainees.
The minister said that states like Orissa, Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, which have an enormous potential for providing skilled workers for overseas employment, could be covered under phase II of the National Skill Upgradation Programme. A key element of this programme will be the standardised testing and certification of emigrant workers to meet global standards.
The programme also gives the states sufficient flexibility to be able to effectively respond to the overseas employment market. The states can identify the nodal agencies and training institutions and suggest the routing of the funds. The duration and cost of training has been left flexible.
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This is not the first time that an effort to introduce standards and allow for upgrading of skills has been made. The NDA government had proposed camps where workers without formal training could be evaluated for a certificate, as well as options for upgrading skills would be provided. This move was calculated to ensure that skilled workers without formal training would not lose out in a global market where certification is important. It would also be in keeping with the requirements under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).
At present there are over 50 lakh overseas Indian workers primarily in the Gulf region and in Malaysia. Over 5.5 lakh workers emigrate from India each year as unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers to work in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Malaysia.
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