Skill universities on anvil for migrants in post-pandemic world
› The government is cognizant of the reverse migration...and is trying to re-connect them to opportunities in their respective regions MAHENDRA NATH PANDEY, skill development minister
NEWDELHI: Setting up special skill development universities, revamping courses and training at over 2,700 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIS) and polytechnics and creating a central board of vocational education -- these are some of the measures the skill development ministry is looking at in an attempt to reorient its own role and create a job-ready workforce for a post-covid world.
The turmoil caused by the pandemic has resulted in not just millions of workers moving back to the hinterland, but also created new demand patterns for jobs, explained officials overseeing the effort. The skill development ministry has created a detailed road map for this. HT has accessed a copy of the plan, a key component of which is to equip the workers with new skills.
Rural logistics, sanitation, health-care and home delivery are all sectors where workers will be needed in a more health-conscious world that the pandemic is likely to usher in. The ministry is looking at the possibility of training workers in these areas.
A database of migrant workers and their skilling needs could be created by the skill development ministry jointly with the rural development ministry and urban local bodies. The ministry is looking at updating its skill management information system (SMIS) to gauge the emerging trends.
According to the plan, a Kaushal (Hindi for skill) app may be developed that individuals can use to locate and enrol themselves for skilling courses. The app may also be used to get in touch with employers.
“The government is cognizant of the reverse migration that has happened due to Covid-19 pandemic and is trying its best to re-connect them back to employment opportunities in their respective regions,” skill development and entrepreneurship minister Mahendra Nath Pandey told HT. “It is imperative that their skills be best utilised at this point in time to {enable them to} earn their livelihood while supporting the local economies.”
According to one official, who requested anonymity, the ministry is also looking at revamping the training imparted at the 2,700 ITIS and polytechnics.
“Such activities shall certainly undergo reverse gravitational pull towards rural areas and smaller towns. This may prove to be a good outcome of Covid curse as it may result in more balanced growth,” said former University Grants Commission member Dr Inder Mohan Kapahy.