In the face of rising global competition, government is now targeting to build one million-strong multi-skilled workforce of 'world standard'.
A central scheme is being implemented to upgrade ITIs into centres of excellence for producing multi-skilled workforce of 'world standard' and one million persons will be trained and their skills be tested and certified under the scheme, Labour and Employment Minister Mallikarjun Kharge said.
Asserting that quality and relevance in skill are the key to India's global competitiveness, he said there is a need to recognise the importance of synchronising national skill development policies with policies on technology, trade and environment.
Kharge was addressing a Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskar and National Safety Award distribution function organised by The Labour and Employment Ministry.
One hundred and fourteen industrial establishments were given National Safety Awards in recognition of their outstanding safety performance.
The minister presented 28 Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskar, to be shared by 128 persons, for their outstanding contribution in improvement of quality, productivity and working conditions of their establishments.
"We are aiming at nurturing the dormant talent and the skill, which is present abundantly in every worker, so that he or she is presented with suitable opportunities and a work atmosphere in which every worker can develop to his optimum level of efficiency," he added.
He also appealed the industrial establishments to introduce worker-participative schemes in a big way to harness and leverage the hidden potentials of the workers and requested the trade unions to make 'these work participative schemes successful'.
Kharge said that Indian economy is facing new challenges on the international front, which have implications for employment growth.
"Some of these challenges are -- absorbing capital inflow for investment purposes, providing enough security to migrant workers going abroad, enhancing skill levels of migrant workers going abroad, protecting small and medium enterprises which face unequal competition and providing incentives to labour intensive export sectors like textile, gems and jewellery and handicraft," he said.
Minister said that globalisation has influenced the Indian labour market 'significantly'. The increased international trade has provided the impetus for the introduction of new and modern technologies which has a 'direct bearing' on the skill enhancement of the Indian workforce, he added.
