India plans to supply skilled workers to the world, partner with 30 nations

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The government is working on an upskilling plan which also aims to partner with 30 countries that need skilled employees, The Economic Times (ET) has reported. The plan focuses on specific skills required by different sectors and industries. By doing this, India is embarking on a long-term journey of developing and supplying a skilled workforce across the globe.

As part of the plan, the government will introduce several skill-related courses, certifications from international institutes, pre-departure orientation training, soft skills, multi-cultural training, and support for overseas mobility, the newspaper reported.

To this end, the government is setting up 30 Skill India International Centres (SIICs) across the country, the ET report said, citing senior government officials.

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The government has also identified the key destinations for this talent, which include developed-world countries like the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, Japan, Sweden, and Finland.

So far, the estimates show that there is a demand for about 3.7 million trained workers across 16 countries over the next five years, the report said.

To ensure a successful implementation of the program, the skills development ministry and the external affairs ministry are working together to ensure hassle-free migration and mobility agreements, along with skill development. These agreements include the mobility of young, skilled professionals, apprenticeships, and students. Family members of these professionals are also covered under these agreements, ET reported.

According to the official website of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), the Government of India has signed 11 government-to-government (G2G) MoUs with countries like Australia, Belarus, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Qatar, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Kingdom.