Skill ministry plans to train 300,000 migrants

The union skill development ministry has chalked out a plan to train at least 300,000 migrant workers who have returned to their home states since March in an attempt to help them upgrade their skills and possibly earn more, according to documents seen by Hindustan Times.

The training will be offered under the Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan. The special job programme, kick started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 20, primarily aims to provide jobs in projects worth Rs.50,000 crore but it also has a training component for unskilled daily wage workers.

At a meeting on June 16 and 17, the union skill ministry spoke to different states, asking them to identify 300,000 daily wage wagers willing to take two crash courses on skill development.

The training for unskilled workers will be given under two heads: “1.5 lakh migrant workers under Short Term Training (STT) and another 1.5 lakh in Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL),” said a skill ministry order on June 22.

While STT is typically 300-500 hours of training depending on the job role, RPL varies from 12 hours to 80 hours of training. In its bid to meet the target, the government has also allowed states to reduce the short courses and shift them to recognition programmes. The skill minister has told the states that “In such case, against surrendered target of 1 STT, 3 additional RPL targets may be taken.”

State and district administrations have been requested to identify and map the skills of “reverse migrants” and identify their interest in skilling courses. The states will also do survey of the eligible enterprises for apprenticeship at district levels.

Under the Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan, the government will provide jobs across 116 districts—with at least 25,000 returnees migrant laborers—spread across 6 states.

A skill ministry official said the ministry is hopeful to meet these targets in the stipulated time (125 days) as considerable progress has been made on skill mapping of migrant workers, identification of job roles for training and survey of establishments for apprenticeship.

Former rural development secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra maintained, “I think if they are targeting skill upgradation of 3 lakh workers that’s a modest and doable target. My guess is eventually 80-90% migrant workers will return to big cities but the rest would stay back. The skill programme will be helpful for all as a skilled labour can claim more wages.”