CIL, Centre sign MoA to train 1.7 L people

The Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and the Coal India Limited on Sunday signed a Memorandum of Agreement to impart skill training to 1.7 lakh people.

The training will be provided over a period of two years as per the National Skill Qualification Framework. Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Coal India chairman S Bhattacharya, Union Coal Secretary Anil Swarup and Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das were among several dignitaries present during signing of the MoA. Speaking on the occasion here, Rudy said besides the ten-year education period (schooling), a ten-week training skill was required for job guarantee. He said skill training certificates were mandatory for jobs along with educational certificates.

“Increase in skill development increases the per capita income,” Rudy said while terming the skill training to 350 million people across the country, a challenge. The objective of the programme was to promote special education and employment enhancing vocational skills. As per the MoA, CIL would contribute funds to the National Skill Development Fund (NSDF) to be utilised for the purpose of implementation of skill development project, an official release said here.

The project would provide training and undertake ‘Recognition of Prior Learning’ (RPL) to 1.7 lakh people over a period of two years, it said adding NSDF would disburse funds to NSDC, which in turn, would set up a project management unit to manage the project.  The activities under the project would be RPL for unskilled and semi-skilled workers, skill training and certification for contract workers, fresh skill training for youth and women in operational areas.