Workshop conducted by DFID in Delhi to promote apprenticeship in Renewable Energy sector

Department for International Development (DFID), Government of UK in collaboration with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), organised a workshop in Delhi for the promotion of apprenticeship and sensitization on NAPS for the industry players working in the renewable energy sector, keeping in view the need to sensitize the industry on NAPS and benefits of apprenticeship. 

The sector is facing a lot of challenges in hiring of apprentices while renewable energy sector is a sector which is expected to be a major source of employment with 3 lakh new jobs being generated in the next 3-4 years. Employment growth, along with emerging technologies necessitates capacity building in the sector and preparing a workforce that is apt to the industry requirement.

Ms Anu Gupta, Head of Skills, DFID briefed the audience on the technical assistance being provided by DFID, Govt. of UK through the skills for jobs programme and the priority sectors of intervention within the programme, renewable energy being one of them. Delivering a keynote address, Ms Anita Srivastava, Joint Director, MSDE GoI, highlighting that scale, skills and standards are the key for making the efforts of skilling successful in India. She further briefed the audience on the initiatives taken by MSDE to promote apprenticeship. In his message, Mr. Praveen Saxena, CEO, Skill Council for Green Jobs, urged the stakeholders including industry and academic to recommend ideas to promote the idea of hiring apprentices. Acknowledging the challenges of the sector and the kind of work the renewable energy sector workforce does, he emphasised that there is still scope for organisations to encourage hiring of apprentices. 

Ms. Pangkhuri, NSDC, sensitized the industry participants about National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS). She also sensitized the industry participants on how the industry can register, hire and engage apprentices online through the NAPS portal. Delivering her speech, Ms. Shobha M. Ghosh, Assistant Secretary General, FICCI, highlighted that the awareness and sensitization workshops and need of productivity study to highlight benefits of hiring apprentices will encourage industry to hire apprentices. She also urged MSDE and MHRD to work collaboratively and integrate the NEEM and NAPS to manifold the results. Mr Dhruv Mittal, Head Assessments, Eduvantage, made a presentation on the role of Third-Party Aggregators (TPAs) who support the Industry and training providers by providing solutions to their apprenticeship needs. He highlighted the importance of TPAs and said they are there to bridge the gap between industry, training providers and government. 

Related article: 7 ways to put National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) into successful practice  – Read more: https://nationalskillsnetwork.in/national-apprenticeship-promotion-scheme-naps/

The workshop saw participation from over 30 industry partners including industry associations working in the renewable energy space, including the likes of IREDA, National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE), NTPC, Renew Power Ltd, and Avaada. The session ended with a presentation from the DFID team on the proposed interventions in the renewable energy sector under the skills for jobs programme and a Q&A which had suggestions, questions and queries from the industry members on the proposed interventions as well as apprenticeship.