The Kerala Academy for Skills Excellence (KASE) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the infrastructure major Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society (ULCCS) for collaboration in the courses offered by the Indian Institute of Infrastructure and Construction (IIIC) under KASE.
The MoU was signed by Dr. SriramVenkitaraman, Director for Training and MD, KASE, and Remeshan Palery, Chairman, ULCCS Ltd, at Mascot Hotel here, in the presence of Labour and Excise Minister T P Ramakrishnan.
Ramakrishnan noted that the IIIC-ULCCS tie-up is a major step forward in meeting the growing demand of skilled workers in the state and outside.
“The lack of needful skill for the works available is the problem that the state is facing today. IIIC will be a milestone in the area of labour and skills. It is a matter of pride to have the Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society Ltd. as a partner in setting up and the operations of IIIC,” Ramakrishnan said.
Referring to the presence of a large number of migrant workers in the state, Ramakrishnan said Kerala was the first state in the country to implement an insurance scheme for them.
“Awas insurance scheme, a state government scheme to provide insurance, safety and security for migrant workers in the state has been implemented and Kerala has become the first state in India to launch such a project. “The scheme covers over 2.5 lakh migrant labourers, who hail mostly from West Bengal, Bihar and the Northeast. Under the scheme, each worker will be provided with a medical care of worth Rs 15,000 and an insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh for death by accident.
More than one lakh migrant workers had already been registered under the scheme and identity cards distributed to them. The state also has plans to introduce more similar projects for the welfare of migrant workers, Ramakrishnan added.
RemeshanPalery, Chairman, ULCCS Ltd , said the Society would ensure the best facilities for the courses at IIIC and ensure 100 per cent placement for the students .
Tom Jose , Additional Chief Secretary to Government , Department of Labour and Skills, and Chairman, KASE, said the major aim of the Academy is to equip the youth capable of fulfilling their dreams.
“I am immensely gratified to be a part of this one of its kind global skilling initiative of IIIC right from the time the idea was conceived. The major aim of KASE is to equip the youth capable of fulfilling their dreams”, said Tom Jose said.
He also advised the youth to accept the reality that English is a universal link language and they should acquire proficiency in that language as the only means to interact with the world. As part of the event, a seminar on “Skills For The 21st Century” was held, which was followed by the agreement signing ceremony and an interactive session with media.
Making the lead presentation at the seminar, Dr. Sriram Venkitaraman, who focused on the “Role of KASE in skill development of Kerala”, said that the IIIC, a global skill destination, has been set up to conduct courses in skill development for workers and managers in infrastructure and construction sectors and to facilitate their employment.
Speaking on “Skilling Future India”, Sobins Kuriakose, Head, State Government and Citizen Engagement (South), NSDC, said, “Every one of us has the responsibility to make the world a better place and India, especially Kerala is a resourceful state and we cannot just be the service providers but we have to become the entrepreneurs.” He further added, KASE, NSDC and ULCCS should work together are to achieve this.
S.N. Raghuchandran Nair, President, the Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the National Vice President of CREDAI, spoke on “Importance of Skill Development An Industry Perspective.
In all, 38 courses will be offered by IIIC, located in Chavara in Kollam district, and the student strength per year across all categories when the institute is fully operational will be 2350.
The MoU signing function was attended by C K Nanu, MLA, Vadakara, and Shri M Chandra Dathan, scientific adviser to the Chief Minister and former director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), along with officials, experts and over 100 delegates as participants.
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