Private sector must upskill, certify security workforce: Dharmendra Pradhan

Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan today urged the private sector to consider Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) without any financial implications for the country's private security workforce to raise their skills and provide them with certification.

Addressing a special session on the theme of 'Critical issues concerning Skilling and Training of Security Workers' at the fifth edition of 'FICCI Private Security Industry Conclave 2017' here, Pradhan said there is a huge policy gap between private security industry and skill development which needed attention.

He called upon industry representatives to engage in meaningful deliberations with his ministry to develop a mechanism to skill and certify workforce in the sector. He added that such an initiative would be a positive move for India's ease of doing business ranking in the World Bank.

Describing the private sector as the lifeline of the country as it was providing employment to the youth every year and playing a productive role in strengthening India's economy, Pradhan released the FICCI-PwC Report on the private security industry.

Manjari Jaruhar, Chair, FICCI Committee on the private security industry, said the government should authorise more institutes to skill and upgrade manpower in the private security sector.

She said there is a need to make skilling robust for the private security sector as it was lagging behind.

Rituraj Sinha, Co-Chair, FICCI Committee on private security industry and Group COO, SIS India Ltd., said the private security industry was estimated to be worth Rs.40,000 crore in terms of revenue with per annum growth of 18-20 per cent.

The sector offered great employment opportunities. He added that the categorisation of private security workers' as skilled and highly skilled has benefitted the industry.

Dr. Sanjaya Baru, Secretary General, FICCI, said the government had not been able to fulfil the security needs of the nation creating a vacuum in the system. This became a business opportunity for the private sector and now the private security industry was meeting the demands of the market.

He added that public policy, enforcement of the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act (PSARA), availability of skilled manpower, licensing and compliance requirements, were some of the challenges that needed to be addressed.

Earlier, Vivek Bhardwaj, Joint Secretary (Police Modernisation), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, said that the private security industry is a huge employer in Indian economy. The government and security agencies need to work together to increase the productivity of security guards by investing in training and capacity building programmes.

Pankaj Khurana, Partner, Government and Internal Security, PwC India, said that the PSARA provides the policy and regulatory framework for the industry but its enforcement remains a challenge. Enforcement of skill-related reforms can ensure nation-wide standardisation in training on functional skills and core life skills and mandatory assessment and accreditation of individuals employed in the private security sector.