New Delhi: The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has identified 42 lakh blue- and grey-collar jobs for skilled Indian workers across 12 countries and is trying to collaborate with these nations to send skilled workers overseas.
At a press conference held Thursday, MSDE Secretary Praveen Kumar said, “We have identified 26 lakh job opportunities in the Gulf, 3 lakh in the European countries and about 10 lakh job opportunities in countries like US, Singapore, New Zealand and Switzerland. In addition to this, we have identified 3 lakh job opportunities for medical technical assistants in the countries of Japan, Australia, Germany, Canada, Sweden, UK, USA, Switzerland, Qatar and Saudi Arabia among others.”
Indian workers who are trained at the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras and Industrial Training Institutes will be matched with these job requirements found abroad, Kumar said.
“India has a demographic dividend of about 62 per cent and it will remain so for the next 30 years. The workers found fit for the job roles will be trained and taught the required languages to be able to fit into the culture of the country they go to,” he added.
Talking about the job roles, Kumar told ThePrint, “In Gulf countries we have found that technical workers with experience in construction, welders, plumbers, and in European countries the demand for personal workers, nursing staff and food delivery staff has been identified.”
“A joint working group has been formed in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs and our Japanese counterparts in order to strengthen and materialise areas of cooperation. Talks with Australia are underway as well,” the secretary added.
In her budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had emphasised on the need for skilling and placement of Indian workers and increased cooperation between India and its international counterparts.
In January this year, the government signed an agreement with Japan to institutionalise the process of exchange of skilled workers between the two countries.
Collaboration with other countries, strengthening training bodies
Speaking about how these job roles are identified, Kumar said, “In order to identify a match, we match Indian qualifications with that of other countries. For example, in our collaboration with the UAE, we identified 15 qualifications from UAE are equivalent with 18 qualifications in India.”
He also spoke about the need to strengthen training bodies like the India International Skill Centers (IISC). Powered by the National Skill Development Cooperation, 545 centres of the IISC are currently functioning across the country. These centres help in training students in the area of personality, language and additional skills.
Kumar also spoke about the ministry’s plan to bring further amendments to the National Apprenticeship Act 1961 and Apprenticeship Rules 1992, under which undergraduates and school students are trained by companies. He said, “We are in the process of revamping the scheme and will bring all stakeholders on board before implementing them. We plan to increase the number of apprentices by 10-15 per cent.”
Also read: Can’t pay rent or salaries, how Covid & lack of govt funds are shutting down skill centres
Most of the countries mentioned are hugely xenophobic and racist, with a completely contrasting work culture to ours, such as Japan, Saudi Arabia etc. Human rights will be an issue. How will our government protect them?? Look at the labour in Qatar which went for the projects for 2022 Football world cup. Many international organisations have already highlighted both human rights and labour rights violations by the Qatar government.
Also, some of these collaborations are in war zones.
Dr Mahes Docherla: You pontificate:
“.. countries mentioned are hugely xenophobic and racist .. Human rights will be an issue ..”
Well, how are human rights respected in India Dr Docherla ? After all, in none of the countries you mention organised pogroms against Muslims and Sikhs did they? Not to speak of how Dalits and lower castes are treated…
You go on to ask:
“How will our government protect them?”
Well, fact is, as long as the GOI gets remittances from workers, it really does not bother about such niceties like xenophobia, racism and so on that Indian migrants face outside the country. And honestly, barring the Middle-East where many freedoms are not available to migrants, most Western countries do treat migranst relatively well. After all, every Indian who lands in a Western country does a countdown to when he can drop his Indian passport and get a Western one doesn’t he Dr Docherla? He doesn’t need the non-existent protection of the GOI.
And when you talk of xenophobia, have you ever realised how Africans are treated by Indians?
I think it is sheer hypocrisy when Indians accuse other countries of being xenophobic and not respecting human rights when India itself is one of the worst offenders. Towards its own minorities.
So called “skilled” Indians are already employed here in India or abroad. If the generosity of the GOI is to only send unemployed (Unemployable) Indians for low wage on the job training abroad, it still helps India with inevitable remittance money. The recipient nations for these “skilled” people know this and hence there ain’t no 41 lakh jobs awaiting the poor souls looking for a job in India.
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Well, with the vast majority of Indians spouting Hindutva at the workplace, fat chance that they would get hired. the BJP, under Modi has squandered India’s soft power reserves and a generation of Indians who sing praises to the pogromwala and Hinudtva fascism are not exactly going to be popular with recruiters. In any case, it is an acknowledgement of the fact that the great Gujarati Prophet and Messiah cannot create growth in India. Only the crony capitalists who back Modi grow … not the average Indian.
good, export what you have in plenty..
That assumes there are willing importers of Hindutva touting Indians…
Exceptionally good initiative, the country chosen are develop nation which will provide a better opportunities, just need to ensure they will have proper safety coverage. Beyond skill worker we need to engage closely in arts, music and cultural collaboration fields as well.
Exceptionally good initiative ? So the best the BJP can do is train people for other countries who are more developed. It shows a Third rate mentality. Which country has a policy to develop manpower for other countries ?
There is no possibility of developing India. They will develop India for cow vigilantes and rapists. No one will come and invest in India because there is no skilled labour.
And why do these nationalists train people to go to Christian and Muslim countries ?
When those people will send remmittance, India will have large capital for gorwth. And why do muslims infiltrate illegally into India?
An excellent, hard-hitting comment Mr/Ms Meander !
Not only is this move an admission of the fact that the economic policies of the Modi government have destroyed the economy but also an acceptance of the fact that the “atmanirbhar” nonsense touted by him is a load of bullshit – err cowdung ! Demonetisation destroyed jobs and livelihoods, especially in the informal sector where 80% of Indians work. And now, the BJP hopes to create in foreign countries what it destroyed in India. Additionally, if you close your economy to foreign countries through harebrained schemes like “atmanirbhar” you cannot expect foreign countries to open their doors to you.
What is paradoxical about all this is that, as you rightly point out, the scheme envisages export of Indian labour, mainly Hindutva fellows to Christian and Muslim countries. And at the same time, the Hindutva fascists of the BJP have no qualms about lynching Muslims or attacking Christians in India. And even denying their basic rights as citizens. Hypocrisy writ large .
Looking forward to reading more incisive posts from you Mr/Ms Meander.
Informal sector labor in India amounts to 94% of the total labor force.