A first-of-its-kind Aviation Multi Skill Development Centre (MSDC) supported by Airports Authority of India (AAI) was inaugurated in Chandigarh recently by the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, P Ashok Gajapathi Raju, in the presence of Member of Parliament Chandigarh, Kirron Kher, and Member of Parliament Anandpur Sahib, Prem Singh Chandumajra. The Centre has been set up in collaboration with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), and is supported by the Aerospace and Aviation Sector Skill Council (AASSC) of India.
Speaking on the occasion, Raju said, “This Centre which will train about 2,400 youth and women in eight aviation job roles over the next three years has already received a very enthusiastic response. I would like to see many more such Centres for aviation skill development to be set up across the country.”
Demand for aviation skilled personnel has been rising commensurately with the boom in the civil aviation sector witnessed in the last three to four years. More than 900 new aircraft are expected to be inducted by Indian scheduled airlines in the coming few years. Air connectivity for both passenger transport and air freight is increasing, with new air routes and operationalisation of unserved or underserved airports through the UDAN Regional Connectivity Scheme. MRO and ground-handling demands for skilled personnel are also rising in tandem.
Recognising this demand and to bolster the Skill India Mission, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) have collaborated to launch this Aviation MSDC at the Chandigarh old airport terminal building. With an outlay of Rs.5.25 crore, this project which is a unique CSR initiative of the Airports Authority of India. National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), the implementing agency of MSDE, in collaboration with the Bird Education Society for Travel & Tourism (BESTT) will undertake the training programmes. The course curriculum and assessments of the training have been designed by AASSC in accordance with the National Skill Qualification Framework.
Located at Chandigarh’s old Airport Terminal building, this Centre will leverage AAI’s existing infrastructure, which has been converted to offer training in modern aviation courses as well as upskilling programmes to empower underprivileged youth and women in particular. The Centre is equipped with modern training infrastructure to supplement an industry-relevant course curriculum. Upon successful completion of the skill training, the candidates will be certified by NSDC through the AASSC. The Training Provider- Bird Education Society for Travel & Tourism has been mandated to ensure job placement in the aviation and allied fields for at least 70 per cent of the successfully trained students.
Radha Bhatia, Chairperson, Bird Group (the parent organisation for Bird Education Society for Travel and Tourism) said, “We take pride to be inaugurating India’s first ‘Aviation Multi Skill Development Centre’ here in Chandigarh today. India is among the fastest-growing aviation markets globally and aims to become the third largest market by 2025. The rapidly growing sector requires highly skilled manpower and we believe that the centre is a positive move in this direction. Knowledge sharing and skill up-gradation are Bird Academy’s focus areas and through our partnership with NSDC, we are glad to help bridge the employability gap by creating a specialized and skilled workforce within the aviation and aerospace sector.”
Manish Kumar, MD & CEO, NSDC said, “NSDC is building long term partnerships to extend the reach of skill training across sectors and geographies. This world-class skill development centre is geared towards providing cutting-edge training facilities and making skill training aspirational for the youth. This initiative will facilitate availability of industry-ready workforce for aviation and aerospace sector.”
