Aviation Multi Skill Development Centre launched at Chandigarh

A first of its kind Aviation Multi-Skill Development Center (MSDC) was launched by Hon’ble Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri P Ashok Gajapathi Raju on 27th February 2018 at Chandigarh in the presence of Hon’ble Member of Parliament Chandigarh, Smt. Kirron Kher, and Hon’ble Member of Parliament Anandpur Sahib, Shri Prem Singh Chandumajra. This is a CSR initiative of Airports Authority of India (AAI) jointly implemented by Ministries of Civil Aviation and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship of the Government of India. Situated at the Chandigarh Old Airport Terminal Building, the Multi-Skill Development Center will impart skill-based training to 2,400 youth in Aviation Jobs. The center is supported by the Aerospace and Aviation Sector Skill Council (AASSC) of India.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri P. Gajapathi Raju said “This Centre which will train about 2,400 youth and women in 8 aviation job roles over the next 3 years has already received a very enthusiastic response. I would like to see many more such Centres for aviation skill development to be set up across the country.”

Demand for aviation skilled personnel has been rising commensurately with the boom in the civil aviation sector witnessed in the last 3-4 years. More than 900 new aircraft are expected to be inducted by Indian scheduled airlines in the coming few years. Air connectivity for both passenger transport and air freight is increasing, with new air routes and operationalization of unserved or underserved airports through the UDAN Regional Connectivity Scheme. MRO and ground-handling demands for skilled personnel are also rising in tandem.

Recognising this demand and to bolster the Skill India Mission, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) have collaborated to launch this Aviation MSDC at the Chandigarh old airport terminal building. With an outlay of Rs.5.25 crore, this project which is a unique CSR initiative of AAI. NSDC, the implementing agency of MSDE, in collaboration with the Bird Education Society for Travel & Tourism (BESTT) will undertake the training programmes. The course curriculum and assessments of the training have been designed by AASSC in accordance with the National Skill Qualification Framework.

Located at Chandigarh’s old Airport Terminal building, this Centre will leverage AAI’s existing infrastructure, which has been converted to offer training in modern aviation courses as well as upskilling programmes to empower youth and women in particular. The Centre is equipped with modern training infrastructure to supplement an industry-relevant course curriculum. Upon successful completion of the skill training, the candidates will be certified by NSDC through the AASSC. The Training Provider –BESTT– hasbeen mandated to ensure job placement in the aviation and allied fields for at least 70% of the successfully trained students.

Speaking at the launch, Mrs Radha Bhatia, Chairperson, Bird Group (the parent organization for BESTT) said, “We take pride to be inaugurating India’s first ‘Aviation Multi Skill Development Centre’ here in Chandigarh today. India is among the fastest-growing aviation markets globally and aims to become the third largest market by 2025. The rapidly growing sector requires highly skilled manpower and we believe that the Centre is a positive move in this direction. Knowledge-sharing and skill up-gradation are Bird Academy’s focus areas and through our partnership with NSDC, we are glad to help bridge the employability gap by creating a specialized and skilled workforce within the aviation and aerospace sector.”

(This article is based on a press release from AASSC)