New Delhi : In a bid to create a dialogue between the Indian recruitment agencies and UAE’s Employers and to identify solutions for creating a robust workforce mobility mechanism, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) with support of Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India organized the ‘India-UAE Skill Mapping and HR Conference’ in Dubai on 22 April 2018.
A 40-member strong Indian delegation led by Dr K.P. Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India and Mr Manish Kumar, CEO, National Skill Development Corporation participated in the conference. Dr Omar Al Nuaimi, Assistant Undersecretary, Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, UAE lead the deliberations from the country.
The other participants and stakeholders at the conference include Indian High Commission at the UAE, Ministry of Labor (UAE), National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Jharkhand State Skill Development Mission, Indian training providers and placement agencies along with employers from the UAE.
The deliberations also explored the mechanism for capturing the demands of the workforce in the UAE, and skilling of Indian workforce catering to the UAE’s high-demand sectors and ways to facilitate the ethical migration of the Indian skilled workforce to the UAE.
In the recent years, the number of international migrants worldwide has continued to grow rapidly, reaching 258 million in 2017, up from 173 million in 2000. While creating local jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities is the need of the hour, migration of skilled workforce outside India can also offer alternative options for skilled people and meet global workforce shortages.
“With such initiatives by FICCI and other stakeholders, India can leverage strategic interventions like mapping of skill-sets required in the UAE and draw an effective roadmap to upskill and reskill its workforce”, said Mr Mohandas Pai, Chair, FICCI Skill Development Committee and Chairman, Manipal Global Education.
In the changing global scenario, India will have the youngest skilled surplus workforce amidst the rapidly ageing developed countries. It is estimated that globally there will be a skilled workforce shortage of 56.5 million by 2020. India could leverage this with appropriate and timely reforms to skill Indian youth to meet the global needs and standards.
Ms Shobha Mishra Ghosh, Assistant Secretary General, FICCI said, “With 15 million working age people getting added to the workforce every year, “increase in employment generation” is as critical as the overall economic growth. As per latest EPFO data analysis, around 7 million annual jobs that are being created, there is an urgent need to gainfully engage the remaining 8 million youth entering the workforce annually, either within the country or in the favourable foreign destination like the UAE.”
