Lok Sabha Question No. 2270 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-02
Subject: Agreement with other Countries
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Hasmukhbhai Somabhai Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2270 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.08.2021

## AGREEMENET WITH OTHER COUNTRIES 2270.   SHRI PATEL HASMUKHBHAI SOMABHAI:

## Will  the  Minister  of  SKILL  DEVELOPMENT  AND  ENTREPRENEURSHIP  be pleased to state:

- (a)    whether the Government is also looking to entering into skill-sharing agreements with other countries;
- (b)      if so, the details thereof; and
- (c)    whether the Government is also looking to entering into skill-sharing agreements with private sector and, if so, the details thereof State-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTRREPRENEURSHIP (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

- (a)        Yes, Sir.
- (b)        The Government has partnered with United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kingdom of Saudi  Arabia  (KSA),  Canada  and  Finland  through  Government  to  Government/ Business  to  Business  engagements.  Discussion  is  an  ongoing  process.  Details  are shown below:

|   S.No. | Country   | Area of Collaboration                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|---------|-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|       1 | UAE       | NSDC is working with the Ministry of Human Resource and Emiritization (MoHRE) and Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (ADQCC) for benchmarking qualifications, assessment and certification. In October, 2018, benchmarking of 16 UAE skill qualifications to 13 Indian skill qualifications in construction and automotive sectors was conducted by the technical teams of NSDC and ADQCC. In August, 2019, a pilot programme was initiated. 133 candidates were assessed on mutually recognized qualifications. 63 candidates were interviewed and selected by the UAE employer out of which 18 candidates were deployed in the UAE. |
|       2 | KSA       | In the first phase, 5 occupations were benchmarked between India and KSA. Pilot programme for 100 workers was conducted and Recognition of Prior Learning assessment has been undertaken, out of which 81 candidates have successfully cleared the assessment and were issued joint certification in February, 2020.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |

|   3. | Canada   | A letter of intent is underway between Ministry of Immigration, Quebec and MSDE to launch a Recruitment Mission to mobilize skilled Indian workers from India to Quebec in the healthcare, retail and hospitality sectors. The process has slowed down due to COVID-19.   |
|------|----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|    4 | Finland  | NSDC and Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) has an MoU for knowledge exchange to adopt best practices of the Finnish TVET system.                                                                                                                              |

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), the Government of India signed the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Government of Japan. The MoC on Technical Intern Training Programme (TITP) was signed on 17th October, 2017 to significantly expand the bilateral cooperation between India and Japan in the field of skill development.  So far 220 interns have been placed in Japan  through  the  Sending  Organizations  empanelled  by  NSDC  and  the  interns  are pursuing  their  training  in  Japan  in  diverse  industry  sectors  including  Manufacturing, Healthcare,  Construction,  Textile,  Agriculture  and  Food  Manufacturing.  This  is  a  big leap with more than 780% increase from 17 interns placed in the first year of operation in  2018. As on June, 2021, in addition to the 220 interns placed in Japan, more than 700  candidates  are  being  training  by  the  Indian  Sending  Organizations.  Due  to  the pandemic, flights to Japan were disrupted since March, 2020 and the TITP interns are unlikely to go to Japan till the Olympics of 2021 are over.

In January, 2021, the MoC was signed between the Government of India and the Government of Japan on a basic framework for partnership for proper operation of the system pertaining to 'Specified Skilled Worker' (SSW). The MoC on SSW would set an institutional  mechanism  for  partnership  and  cooperation  between  India  and  Japan  on sending and accepting skilled Indian workers, who have qualified the required skill and Japanese language test,  to  work  in  fourteen  sectors  in  Japan.  These  Indian  workers would  be  granted  a  new  status  of  residence  of  'Specified  Skilled  Worker'  by  the Government  of  Japan.  The  MoC  would  enhance  people-to-people  contacts,  foster mobility of workers and skilled professionals from India to Japan. Skilled Indian workers from fourteen sectors viz. nursing care; building cleaning; material processing industry; industrial machinery manufacturing industry; electric and electronic information related industry; construction; shipbuilding and ship-related industry; automobile maintenance; aviation; lodging; agriculture; fisheries; food and beverages manufacturing industry and food service industry would have enhanced job opportunities to work in Japan.

(c)         National Skill  Development Corporation (NSDC), as an implementation arm of MSDE,  works  in  associations  and  collaboration  with  different  private  players  as Authorized  partners,  Networked  entities  across  the  country  in  domain  of  training, certification, employment support etc. under the overall skill value chain system.

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