Kochi (Kerala) : Underscoring a major need for skilling in rubber and tyre sector, Government has shown its keenness to open a national institute to cater to the training needs of the sector.
The institute is being planned on the lines of Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (CIPET) in case of Plastics and Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) in case of leather industry.
In a conclave with top management of rubber and tyre industries organized by Automotive Tyre manufacturers Association (ATMA), Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Rajiv Pratap Rudy said, “Rubber is an important sector of the economy. However India doesn’t have a principal institution in the country that caters to the training needs of the sector.”
Rudy also invited the industry to partner with the Government for an institution such as CIPET or FDDI.
Highlighting the diverse needs of skill training in tyre industry, Rudy said, around 15 crore tyres are being manufactured every year entailing the need for huge manpower to be trained.
There are more than 10,000 dealers of tyres. Tyre alignment and maintenance is a must for safety. The training needs of the sector are also crucial for safety on the roads.
Speaking on behalf of the rubber and tyre sector, former chairman of ATMA, Raghupati Singhania said the value chain of the rubber and tyre sector is long and a rich one.
It includes about one million natural rubber growers and about two million people working in rubber and tyre industries. There are about 6000 rubber and tyre manufacturing units in the country (small, medium and large scale) and manufacture 35,000 different rubber products besides tyre.
“Such a vast network of resources (both man and material) couldn’t have been sustained without a robust skilling system of the existing workforce and the new recruits. However industry perpetually finds it difficult to find employable skilled people”, added Singhania.
Vinod Simon, chairman Rubber Skill Development Council (RSDC), the sector skill council for rubber in India said, “RSDC is trying to develop a strong eco-system for the sector such as developing National Occupational Standards (NOS), affiliating the training providers, revising curriculum and certification of trainees as well as trainers.”
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