In a partnership between the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and the Uttar Pradesh government, two skill centres of excellence (CoEs) will be coming up in Greater Noida and Varanasi. The Varanasi CoE will impart training in the services sector whereas the Greater Noida facility will focus on plumbing training. The plumbing sector in India employs more than 8 lakh individuals, and keeping this workforce up-to-date with skills needed for an evolving market is a key priority.
Previously, Dr. R. K. Somany, Chairman, Indian Plumbing Skills Council has called plumbers “The first soldiers in the line of defense against issues such as water shortage, water-borne diseases and play a very vital role in keeping society clean and safe. We have made a promise to train a workforce of 12 lakh by 2022, out of which we have already trained and certified more than 90,000 plumbers.”
Additionally, an India Institute of Skills (IIS) will be established in Kanpur in partnership with the Institute of Technical Education, Singapore. A brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi the IIS will house 10-12 labs offering technical training in both manufacturing and services.
Read our coverage of Evaluating Industrial Training Institutes – What’s the True Picture?
The two CoEs are envisaged to offer state-of-the-art training environments. CoEs are advanced and upgraded Industrial Training Institutes which have long been a significant source of skills training in the country. The infrastructure and training delivery of the new CoEs will be supported by the respective Sector Skill Councils with industry stakeholders chipping in to make the courses offered relevant to market demand.
Also read the 2-part series:
- Are Industrial Training Institutes up to the Job?
- Are Skills Training Centres of Excellence up to the Job?
Uttar Pradesh has a total of 3,134 ITIs with a seating capacity of 7.58 lakh. Plans are underway to rejuvenate and upgrade the State’s ITI network.
