New Delhi: To reap the benefit for vast employment opportunities in the maritime sector and with a view to certifying their skill sets, the Ministry of Shipping and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship have come forward. Aiming to skill, re-skilling and up-skilling manpower for the growing maritime industry and development of the coastal community, a memorandum of understanding has been signed virtually between the two Ministries on Thursday. The MoU has been signed in the presence of Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister of State for Shipping (I/c) Mansukh Mandaviya and Minister of Power RK Singh and senior officials.

Speaking on the occasion, Pandey, congratulated the Ministry of Shipping for undertaking endeavour to create a job-ready workforce by skilling them and build their competencies up to the global standards. "The vision of making India the Skill Capital of the World will continue to prosper if we work together and craft strategies to enhance access and innovate in the areas of skilling. Maritime transport is a critical segment that propels the economic development of our country. This strategic partnership with The Ministry of Shipping is also derived from the same motto. It is aimed in the direction in which our initiatives support our workforce by skilling them and builds their competencies up to global standards. It is my belief, that with the right assistance, training and exposure our youth will reach newer heights and will contribute in the growth of the shipping sector."

Mandaviya, expressed gratitude for the MoU, towards the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and said that this partnership will provide vast employment opportunities and better prospects to the youth of coastal areas. This MoU would reinforce the commitment of coastal community development under Sagar Mala programme of Ministry of Shipping, he added. Mandaviya said that It will nurture the skilled manpower for the development of ports and maritime sector of India and globally. "We are dedicated towards building the economic strength of our country by improving the capacities of our ports. We are also committed to resolving the diverse issues faced by the maritime transport sector. Our promise is to build a skilled workforce to empower our youth, strengthen their stand in a technology-driven future and accelerate the growth of the maritime sector. The partnership will provide better prospects to our candidates who are committed in the development of ports and maritime sector. Additionally, this will open opportunities within India and in the international coastal lines for our workforce", he added.

As per the MoU, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) will cooperate in the development of course curriculum, National Occupational Standards, content, etc. for cruise tourism, logistics, fisheries, shipbuilding, ship repair and shipbreaking, dredging, offshore supply chain etc. It will also leverage its existing infrastructure such as ITIs, NSTIs and PMKK and PMKVY centres to train manpower required as per the skill gaps of the coastal districts. MSDE will also help to immobilise private sector and CSR funding for skill development in the port and maritime sector and facilitate the port and maritime sector in TVET agreements signed for skill development with international partners.

What is in this MoU?

The support in funding the implementation of various skilling initiatives wherever applicable and feasible under the Sagarmala Mission will be extended by the Ministry of Shipping. Under the partnership, the Shipping Ministry will facilitate the implementation of activities related to skill development and up-gradation not only through institutions under the Ministry of Shipping and autonomous bodies but also through the involvement of the private sector. Shipping Ministry will also facilitate the identification and availability of infrastructure that can be leveraged for the development of skill development centres and utilization of the same as In-situ Training hubs. This would include developing 5-10 shipping cabins to deploy remote training and practical whereby instead of investing in developing classroom training infrastructure and some ships can be customized with mobile classrooms to deploy training to remote areas.

To implement the skill training based on the need of the industry and youth aspiration, the Ministry of Shipping is collaborating with different Ministries and agencies who have been involved in skills training for a long time. Skill development of coastal communities is an important objective of the Sagar Mala programme and a budget of Rs.100 Cr. has been allocated for coastal community development activities.

Outcomes expected under this MoU

• Facilitating the development of the port and maritime sector through TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) agreements signed for skill development with international partners.
• Providing best practices from relevant institutions in public and private sector pertaining to teaching aids, continuous lifelong learning, recognition of prior learning, teaching methodology, qualifications, credits, technology use, learning systems and research, etc. in the skill development field
• Facilitating the enhancement of skill levels of personnel in priority areas through setting up of Trade Specialization Centers and Centres of Excellence especially for ports and maritime sector
• Setting-up multi-skill development centres for higher-order skills in collaboration with DGT or NSDC through PPP model for skill training
• Facilitating Training of Trainers (ToTs) and Training of Assessors (ToA) through empanelment with relevant SSCs or through any other mechanism
• Raising the quality of work in institutions under Ministry of Shipping to hire skilled and certified personnel, putting in policy for incentivizing skill training and a certificate in recruitment process and certification of RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) of skilled/semi-skilled people
• Maximizing apprenticeship training in coordination with NSDC and DGT, as permitted under the amended Apprentices Act, 1961.

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