Workers executing the government. Contracts should have official certification

All workers who execute government contracts must have official certification for their skills, the government has decided. Only 2.4% of India’s workforce is formally trained according to the periodic labor force survey of 2018-19.

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has asked all government departments to fulfill this requirement for all contracts issued to their employees, so as to push for the government and certify skilled workers at lower salaries The contractors’ preference for employing informal workers may be cited.

“If the above provision cannot be enforced in Toto Immediately, then a phase-wise application can be considered … It can be mandated that up to 10% of the strength of skilled workers used in 2021-22 will be certified skilled workers, which will progressively be 100 by 2026. % To 27%, ”Pradeep Kumar, Secretary, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, wrote in a release to all ministries.

Government contractors, in particular, prefer to depend on low-paid informal workers to meet their labor needs, Mr. Kumar asserted, creating a dualism, where the government is in the workforce without insisting on the use of skilled manpower. Trying to promote skills. Own projects.

“Perhaps, the time has come to mandate the engagement of certified skilled workers by government contractors. In addition to high productivity and quality of production in government contract works, a beneficial effect will be the improvement in wages for skilled skilled manpower, ”said the secretary.

India’s skills regulator, the National Council for Vocational Education and Training, has standardized the skills certification system for 4,000-odd job roles, in an effort to transform the labor market structure from a largely unskilled to a formalized skilled workforce. As part of. The busyness of certified skilled workers causes more people to seek certification and will also affect industry hiring practices, the ministry has argued.

“Given the amount of manpower engaged in government and government contract work, it will help to create skilled aspirations for our youth and spread a culture of proven skills. And the demand for skilling will start coming from the industry and labor force, who would prefer to pay for skilling, try to drive skilling through the money with the current system of government, ”said Mr. Kumar.