Skill dept to handle agents who take sundry workers abroad

In view of the complaints against registered agents who take sundry workers out of the country for employment, a consensus has been arrived among different states that the matter should now be handled by the government's skill development department.
The consensus evolved at a recent meeting of ministry of immigration affairs chaired by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Minister of State for Home Ranjit Patil who represented the state at the meeting told PTI that there was concern over the spate of untoward incidents regarding maids, nurses and other sundry workers who are taken to foreign countries by these agents and then their passports are snatched and they are placed in house custody.

"The job done by these agents will now be taken up by the skilled development department of the state government through a separate agency. For example-- the maid will be given a certificate of the skills she knows and her wages will be predecided before she leaves the Indian shores," the minister said.
Similarly, the separate sectoral skill council will work out what skills to be imparted to such workers and the certificate given to them will mention that they are trained to use washing machines, microwave among other things.
"Their wages will also be decided in advance," Patil added.

"Qualification packs will be prepared for different sectors and it would be ensured that the national occupational standards of the workers are fixed," the minister said.

Patil also said that Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) under the Vocational Training department in Maharashtra will soon be rechristened as Multi Industrial Skills (MIS) department.
Patil, who has been assigned the additional portfolio of Skilled Development, said that the National Skills University modelled on the lines of University Grants Commission (UGC) will be co-ordinated by the state governments.
The sectoral skills council formation is an important part of the skilled development mission, he said, adding, that his ministry was working on the capacity building of the skill development department.

The Council will be involved in preparation and regulation of courses and curriculum of the National Skills university, he added.