Rubber Skill Development Council (RSDC), the skill council for the rubber sector through its project ‘Saamrath’ aims to empower a million workers. Part of the plans is to skill and up-skill 10 lakh manpower in the rubber sector by 2020 under the Recognition of Prior Learning scheme of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana across sub-sectors such as natural rubber plantation, tyre services, and rubber manufacturing. The RSDC’s plans are backed by an in-depth study of the sector where skill gaps were identified and standardised job roles have been put in place across both manufacturing and services segments of the rubber industry.
The natural rubber plantation segment is of special focus for the Saamrath project as it employs over a million people and the requirements for skilling are enormous to increase both production and productivity. In this respect, the RSDC has joined hands with the Rubber Board of India to up-skill growers to increase the production at rubber plantations. A vast majority of tappers have acquired skills in an informal way either through tradition or skills passed down from one generation to the next with little technical knowledge. The Rubber Board is providing skills training in specific job roles such as Latex Harvest Technician (Tapper), Rubber Nursery General Worker, Rubber Processing Technician-Rubber Sheeting, and General Worker Rubber Plantation.
