MEA to create online database of workers to map their skills

The ministry of external affairs (MEA) has teamed up with the National Skill Development Corporation to create an online database of Indian workers returning from abroad to map their skills.

“The ministry maintains a database of Indian workers who travel overseas to work,” said Sanjay Bhattacharyya, secretary, consular, passport & visa and overseas Indian affairs, in MEA. "Now we are capturing information from those registered with the Vande Bharat mission. The skilled workers arrival database for employment is being developed with the help of NSDC to create skill cards for returning workers. State governments including Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are also creating their own database of returning migrants."

The MEA is working with agencies and stakeholders to support them, he said. Return migration has also started to some countries as employers of some IT and healthcare professionals have started using special charter flights to get the staff back, Bhattacharyya added.