Vijaywada (Andhra Pradesh) : There is an acute shortage of skilled workers for various sectors in the state and at least 80 percent of the semi-skilled and unskilled labour working in different industries are from north Indian states like Bihar, UP and Odisha.
At an interaction between the industrialists and the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) CEO Ghanta Subba Rao at AP chambers here on Tuesday, the participants admitted that this is a worrying trend. Citing the example of rubber industry in Kerala, where skilled manpower shortage is leading to losses in rubber plantations, he said increasing mechanization in various sectors, including rice mills, calls for skilled labour.
“People with such skills are scarce to get. Retaining the trained workers is also a problem as they tend to move out,” said Rice Millers Association president P Veeraiah Chowdary. Echoing the same opinion, AP Small Scale Industries Association president T Pardha Saradhi said local workers are reluctant to work for long hours. They are not interested in upgrading their skills.
“We need to inculcate workmanship and effect an attitudinal change from the school level itself,” he said. He said apprenticeship must be made mandatory and the Government should involve industries in training the young workers. Jhansi of COWEF said the hosiery unit that she runs needs specially skilled technicians and getting such persons within the state is proving to be difficult.
Most speakers blamed it on the freebies being given by the Government and the populist measures of the parties. “Those sitting idle are enjoying more benefits than those working hard,” pointed out young entrepreneur S Sreenadh.
Government sops should be incentive oriented and encourage the people to work. This in-turn would make them learn new skills and upgrade their existing skills. Ghanta Subba Rao explained various skill development initiatives put in place by the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation and said the corporation would design courses based on the feedback from the industrialists.
Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation principal consultant N Sailaja said through such interactive sessions with industry, they are trying to identify the required skill-sets for the various vocations and come out with customized training programmes.
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