NSDC and Schneider Electric partner to strengthen Skill India mission

The renewable energy sector is one of the promising industry sectors creating several jobs that need skilled workforce. This skilling needs of this sector is soon going to get fulfilled with joint initiatives from NSDC and Schneider Electric. On 21st June 2017, NSDC and Schneider Electric signed an MoU to partner and strengthen the Skill India mission with some strategic programs.

Highlights of the partnership between NSDC and Schneider Electric

• Infrastructure and training network of Skill India already leveraged to setup 7 Advanced institutes and 1 CoE under PPP model

•  Schneider Electric moves ahead on its commitment to setup 100 labs and 1 CoE

National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Schneider Electric India have setup a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bangalore with a focus on Power, Solar and Automation. They have also set up seven Advanced Renewable Energy Training Centres in the cities of Lucknow, Bhubaneswar, Bangalore, Delhi, Cuttack, Vishakhapatnam and Jaipur. Over the next year a Center of Excellence in the NCR region and 100 Labs, across the country, shall be setup in Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKK). The Centre of Excellence will focus on training of trainers, R&D and specialised corporate programmes. This has been made possible following an MoU between NSDC and Schneider Electric formalised in 2016 with the plan of setting up labs with state-of-the-art equipment in Skill India centres across the country.

The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) signed an agreement with the French Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research of the Government of France last year in its effort to incorporate global best practices and learn from advanced Vocational Educational systems. This collaboration provided the much-needed impetus for partnership between NSDC and Schneider Electric in India, a key growth market for the French conglomerate with a strong presence already.

Mr. Manish Kumar, MD & CEO, National Skill Development Corporation said, “Skill India recognises the importance of training in the renewable energy sector, which is a sector with immense potential. Through this partnership, we would like to address demand mismatch with the best technical inputs from a global company like Schneider. In a small way, we also wish to contribute to both our nations’ commitment to reduce carbon emission by promoting the use of renewable energy.”

With an investment of nearly Rs. 7 crore Schneider Electric India Foundation would support the infrastructure and equipment cost for the initiatives aiming to impact the livelihood of nearly 10,000 candidates every year.

Anil Chaudhry MD and Country President, Schneider Electric India said, “We are proud to partner with the Government of India to contribute to the skill equity of the country. We have already trained 72,000 underprivileged youth as electricians through 260 training centres across the country and through this association we aim to further accelerate the initiative by upgrading the training infrastructure at 100 centres in India and providing market backed pedagogy. We are delighted to support Skill India mission of Government of India and aim to contribute to the development of the nation.”

The programme aims to attract youth who have undergone basic electrician training, obtained a diploma from ITI or have dropped out of college. The month-long training program will be aligned to the latest modules, enabling candidates to manage applications from basic to the most complex of processes. It will propel the growth of renewable energy sector in India by providing pool of skilled resources to the sector on one hand and providing job opportunities to the youth trained on different job roles in the sector.

Schneider Electric is the global specialist in energy management and automation. With revenues of ~€25 billion in FY2016, our 144,000+ employees serve customers in over 100 countries, helping them to manage their energy and process in ways that are safe, reliable, efficient and sustainable. From the simplest of switches to complex operational systems their technology, software and services improve the way our customers manage and automate their operations. The connected technologies reshape industries, transform cities and enrich lives.