Latest News | Shipping, Skill Development Ministries Ink Pact for Skilling Manpower in Port, Maritime Sectors

New Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI) In a bid to meet the growing workforce demand in the port and maritime sector, the Ministry of Shipping on Thursday entered into a pact with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) for skilling, re-skilling and upskilling of manpower.

The aim behind the memorandum of understanding (MoU) is to facilitate the manpower to encash employment opportunities available in India and global maritime sectors.

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"To reap the benefit for vast employment opportunities in maritime sector and with a view to certify their skill sets, MoU was signed digitally between Ministry of Shipping and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship today," the shipping ministry said in a statement.

As per the MoU, the MSDE will cooperate in development of course curriculum, national occupational standards, content, etc for cruise tourism, logistics, fisheries, ship building, ship repair and ship breaking, dredging, offshore supply chain, etc.

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It will also leverage its existing infrastructure such as ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes) to train manpower required as per the skill gaps of the coastal districts. MSDE will also help in mobilising private sector/CSR funding for skill development in the port and maritime sector and facilitate port and maritime sector in agreements signed for skill development with international partners.

Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Shipping (I/C), said the partnership will provide vast employment opportunities and better prospects to the youth of coastal areas.

This MoU would reinforce the commitment of coastal community development under Sagarmala programme of the Ministry of Shipping and will nurture the skilled manpower for the development of ports and maritime sector of India and globally.

"We are dedicated towards building the economic strength of our country by improving the capacities of our ports. We are also committed towards resolving the diverse issues faced by the maritime transport sector. Our promise is to build a skilled workforce to empower our youth, strengthen their stand in a technology-driven future and accelerate the growth of the maritime sector," Mandaviya said.

The partnership will provide better prospects to candidates who are committed in the development of ports and maritime sector, he said and added additionally, this will open opportunities within India and in the international coastal lines for workforce.

The MoU was signed in the presence of MSDE Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey, Mandaviya and MoS, Power and Renewable Energy R K Singh.

Speaking on the occasion, Pandey said: "The vision of making India the skill capital of the world will continue to prosper if we work together and craft strategies to enhance access and innovate in the areas of skilling. Maritime transport is a critical segment that propels the economic development of our country."

This strategic partnership with the Ministry of Shipping is aimed at supporting the workforce by skilling them and building their competencies up to global standards.

"It is my belief, that with the right assistance, training and exposure our youth will reach newer heights and will contribute in the growth of the shipping sector," Pandey said.

The statement said under the partnership, the shipping ministry will facilitate implementation of activities related to skill development and upgradation not only through institutions and autonomous under it but also through the involvement of private sector.

It will also facilitate the identification and availability of infrastructure that can be leveraged for development of skill development centres and utilisation of the same as in-situ training hubs, the statement said.

This would include developing 5-10 shipping cabins to deploy remote training and practical whereby instead of investing in developing classroom training infrastructure, some ships can be customised with mobile classrooms to deploy training to remote areas, it added.

To implement the skill training based on the need of the industry and youth aspiration, the Ministry of Shipping is collaborating with different ministries and agencies who have been involved in skills training for a long time.

Skill development of coastal communities is an important objective of the Sagarmala programme and a budget of Rs 100 crore has been allocated for coastal community development activities.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)