Lost a job abroad due to COVID? Govt will help you find one in SWADES under Vande Bharat

• This is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of External Affairs

• It aims to create a database of qualified citizens based on their skill sets and experience to tap into and fulfil the demand of Indian and foreign companies

New Delhi: With the aim of making the best of the skilled workforce returning to India due to the ongoing pandemic, the Central government has launched a new initiative SWADES (Skilled Workers Arrival Database for Employment Support) to conduct a skill mapping exercise of the returning citizens under the Vande Bharat Mission. This is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of External Affairs. It aims to create a database of qualified citizens based on their skill sets and experience to tap into and fulfil the demand of Indian and foreign companies.

What will happen after skill mapping?

The collected information will be shared with companies for suitable placement opportunities in the country. The returning citizens are required to fill up an online SWADES Skills Card. The card will facilitate a strategic framework to provide the returning citizens with suitable job opportunities through discussions with key stakeholders including State Governments, Industry Associations and Employers. MSDE's implementation arm National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is supporting the implementation of the project.

Commenting on the collaboration, Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, said, "These are testing times and it is crucial that the entire country comes together and supports the Centre in its efforts to address the challenges posed by the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are pleased to partner with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of External Affairs to conduct this skill mapping of overseas returning citizens under the Vande Bharat Mission. Inspired by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision of security and growth for all, the data collected through SWADES Skill Card will help the citizens with job prospects and bridge the demand-supply gap."

'Workers returning from abroad posses international skill sets'

Commenting on the initiative, Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Civil Aviation Minister, said, "When we started Vande Bharat Mission, we observed that a lot of our overseas workers returning to India due to job losses, possess international skill sets and experience which can be of great value for domestic and international markets. We reached out to MSDE to create an online portal for gathering database of these workers. To ensure dissemination of information on SWADES Skill Card, In-flight announcements are being made by Air India and Air Indian Express that are operating flights under the Vande Bharat Mission. Airport Authority of India and other private airports have also put up banners/standees and digital signages to ensure that all our migrants returning from abroad can be informed about this initiative."

Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, commented, "In view of the global emergency caused by the unprecedented spread of the novel Coronavirus, we are committed to provide every possible support to our citizens stranded abroad and the challenges they are facing due to job losses. We shall actively promote the SWADES Skill Card initiative through our Embassies/ High Commissions/Consulates across different countries. The initiative will help in the deployment of returning Indian workforce matching their skill sets."

Where can you apply for skill mapping?

The online form available on www.nsdcindia.org/swades has been created to gather required details of the returning citizens. The form contains details such as details related to the work sector, job title, employment, years of experience. A toll-free call centre facility has also been set up to support the citizens for any queries related to filling the form.

The SWADES Skill Form (online) was made live on May 30 and has garnered around 7,000 registrations till June 3. Amongst the data gathered so far, the top countries from where the citizens are returning are UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. As per the skill mapping, these citizens had been primarily employed in sectors such as oil and gas, construction, tourism and hospitality, automotive and aviation.   The data also suggests that the states which have shown highest returning labour are Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana.