A step towards building skilled workforce

Taking a step forward to recognise and certify their skilled workforce, Wave Infratech signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Construction Skill Development Council of India (CSDCI) under the 'Best in Class Employer' scheme of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL 4). The group has taken this initiative to certify and empower their workforce, across all its projects.

As a huge section of India's workforce is unskilled or semi-skilled, there is only 4.69% of the total workforce in India which has formal training. As a result of which, most of them pick up skills in an informal channel, which could not be assessed. Therefore, in order to recognise these skills, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) launched RPL to ensures wider reach to large uncertified workforce across the country.

And, to recognise and assess the workforce in the construction sector, CSDCI was constituted under the mandate of NSDC. RPL was launched as a component under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna (PMKVY) and it targets to certify over 40 lakh people in workforce in various trades by 2020. RPL recognises prior competencies of the assessed candidates and provides them with a certificate and monetary reward on successful completion of assessments.

With this MoU with CSDCI, Wave Infratech will get 4000 (approx) of its construction sector workers, across all its projects, in various trades, certified. The MoU was signed between H S Khandari, Director Wave Infratech and Retired Colonel AK Singh, CEO, Construction Skill Development Council of India (CSDCI). The certification will help the workforce access future opportunities in the formal ecosystem.

Speaking on the occasion, H S Khandari, Director, Wave Infratech said, "Construction sector is the second largest industry when it comes to manpower employment, and the workforce required here is huge. There is a continuous need for the upgradation of skills and certification. With this MoU, we are helping our workers, across all our projects, in various trades - get formally recognised and give them an avenue to up-skill and grow further. Through this certification, we are recognising the 'value of learning' acquired in an informal setting".

Elaborating the aim of the MoU, Retired Colonel AK Singh, CEO, CSDCI informed that over 60 million of skilled workforce in our country are yet to be assessed. These workers, learned their trade through informal channels, as there were inadequate training facilities. Therefore, to bridge these gaps, MSDE and NSDC launched RPL. And, through RPL 4, CSDCI facilitates the assessment of the workforce. He said that the organisation is happy to be associated with Wave, and appreciates this initiative taken by them. Singh also ensured that this association is a step forward to certify the skilled workforce in the

construction sector.