NSDC's 55 Skill Training Centers to Make PwD Candidates More Employable

The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) has set up more than 55 skill training centers for PwD candidates in order to make the specially-abled more employable.

In India, there are 2.68 crore PwD candidates, out of which 56% are men and 44% are women. Nearly half of the total PwD population falls in the bracket of 15-59 years, which is considered employable. Yet, most of these people are underutilised. In fact, 2011 Census data suggests that around 74% of PwD individuals are non-workers or marginal workers in India.

Considering the huge population of PwD candidates in India, it is necessary to make such individuals contribute to the economy. A World Bank study suggests that excluding such individuals would mean a forgone GDP of 5-7%, says Manish Kumar, MD, and CEO, NSDC (National Skill Development Corporation).

Not only this, improving vocational training for such individuals will ensure that they live a quality life.

Kumar said that the courses to improve vocational training and employment for PwD candidates have been introduced as part of a tie-up between the Sector Skill Council for PwDs (SCPwD), which is under NSDC, and the PMKVY (Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana) 2016-2020 scheme.

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The duration of the courses is 3 to 4 months and they combine theory and practical learning to address the skill gap. Apart from this, candidates will also get soft skill sessions on grooming, communication and presentation. These courses have been available since 2016 and more dedicated PwD centers have been approved since 2018 March in order to train more and more individuals. Under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), over 9000 PwD candidates have been trained, out of which 5000 have been placed. There are more than 55 training centers that have been established to train 14,520 PwD candidates across India.

For various job roles such as Retail Sales Associate, F&B Steward, Domestic Data Entry Operator, the training is being provided by using assistive aids such as Braille, language interpreters, and computer screen readers at many centers. Kumar further added that, for entry requirement, each job role requires minimum educational qualification, and since the education status of PwDs is very low, the SCPwD can be flexible with the norms.

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The placement cell of the training center also provides exposure visits to employer locations for practical knowledge and organises counselling sessions for trainees. Also, to focus on PwD inclusion, placement drives /Rozgar Melas are also being orgainsed by the placement cell.