In line with the recent successes and achievements that the ambitious Skill India program has seen, the ecosystem today witnessed a strategic partnership between the Airport Authority of India (AAI), National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and National Skill Development Fund (NSDF), for scaling up skill development initiatives in the aviation sector.
The three organisations signed a Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) where AAI has committed to contribute an amount of 5.25 crore of its CSR funds to NSDF along with land and premises for setting up skill development centres in the country. This pact is the result of the joint efforts made between the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).
The MoU signing ceremony took place in the gracious presence of P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Union Minister for Civil Aviation and Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (I/C) and Parliamentary Affairs. The MoU was signed by Rajesh Agarwal, CEO, NSDF, Rajiv Goel, Director India Aviation Academy, Airport Authority of India and Jayant Krishna, CEO, NSDC.
Commenting on the strategic partnership, Raju said, “As we gear up for a new civil aviation policy, for new avenues that aviation will open up for economic growth of the country, for more new airports, and existing ones becoming active; there has to be a large part of our strategy towards sourcing skilled workforce to make all our plans successful. Our plans can be the most well thought out plans, but we need trained and certified people to execute those plans. Any vibrant program needs a skilled workforce. Our partnership with Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship through this MoU signing between AAI, NSDC and NSDF will certainly help us ready that workforce from right now. In this way, we are investing back into our sector’s and the country’s brighter future.”
Welcoming this contribution from the aviation sector, Rudy, said, “The Aviation Sector has seen some good traction in the skill ecosystem. It is estimated that by 2035, the Indian Civil Aviation sector would employ 8 to 10 lakh personnel directly and another 3 lakh indirectly. To cater to this requirement, we introduced a new Sector Skill Council exclusively for preparing a job ready workforce for the Aerospace & Aviation Sector, last year. We welcome the contribution being made by the Airport Authority of India through their CSR funds. We are certain that together we will be able to bring about a constructive change in the aviation sector in India. I thank Mr. Gajapathi Raju and the Civil Aviation Ministry for joining hands with us in this endeavour.”
“We have skilled more than 1.04 crore youth last year in 2015-16 which is an incremental growth by 36.8% from the previous year. With contributions like these we are certain that we will be able to bring speed and scale along with standards to skill initiatives in the nation,” he further added.
Speaking on the occasion, Rohit Nandan, Secretary, MSDE said, “This is a welcoming move from the Civil Aviation Ministry and AAI; and we are a committed to this partnership with them. We hope that more Corporates and PSUs like them, come forward and invest in skills for a brighter future of the country. Skill India is the largest human resource exercises that has ever happened till now and it is imperative that we together develop a vision for convergence across all stakeholders in the country to achieve this goal of skilling 40.2 crore people in the country. Our partnership with Civil Aviation Ministry is certain to see great results.”
