Indian diaspora can contribute in a big way to the success of Skill India mission. A major step towards this direction was taken on 6th March 2018 when National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) entered into a partnership People of Indian Origin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PIOCCI), a not-for-profit organization. PIOCCI has been exploring new dimensions on showcasing and building economic partnerships between India and its diaspora and this Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) provides an impetus to contribute to skilling India. The MoU was signed by Manish Kumar, MD & CEO, NSDC and Abhay Aggarwal, Secretary General, PIOCCI.
Highlights of the MoU between NSDC and PIOCCI
- The non-commercial agreement illustrates collaboration between the parties to support skilling initiatives and enhance India’s soft power along with work on various opportunities nationally and overseas locations.
- The agreement also lays importance on placements for skilled Indian youth abroad, including placement support and leveraging industry connect.
On this occasion, Manish Kumar, MD & CEO, NSDC said, “NSDC emphasizes standardization and high-quality skill training to create a world-class workforce. This collaboration will strengthen our efforts by mapping skill gaps in various countries, identifying gainful job opportunities overseas.”
Abhay Aggarwal, Secretary General, PIOCCI commented, ” We are delighted to partner with NSDC to expand footprint of Skill India mission around the world. Working closely with reputed entrepreneurs and Indian diaspora associations in more than 150 countries, PIOCCI aims to act as a bridge to connect and catalyze a regular interaction with the diaspora to seek employment opportunities for skilled Indian youth.”
PIOCCI has been serving India’s engagement and partnership with the diaspora in areas of investment, trade and commerce, technology/innovation/knowledge sharing, social, cultural, tourism, spiritual, healthcare, climate change, anti-terrorism, industries, agriculture/food processing, water & sanitation, infrastructure among others, with a focus on emboldening India’s dynamic new policies and schemes such as Make in India, Digital India, Skill India, Swachh Bharat Mission, Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, Namami Gange etc. towards strengthening bilateral relations with countries of Indian Diaspora strength and improved socio-economic development in India.
NSDC with the support of its training partners and Sector Skill Councils will carry outreach programmes for skill training and development of the youth to match requirements of international organisations and will further leverage industry connects such as the Technical Intern Training Program (TITP), India International Skill Centres (IISC) to send trained youth abroad. Further, NSDC will work with PIOCCI to understand skill gaps in various countries and the skill requirements to bring about a significant qualitative improvement in the skill development training programs in India. This would also help in knowledge exchange to facilitate development programs for trainees, trainers and assessors. The partnership will also help in mobilizing funds for the skill ecosystem including co-investment in setting up skill institutes, skill universities, Centre of Excellence, entrepreneurship programs, and other skilling initiatives.
(This article is based on a press release from NSDC)
