New Delhi, July 2 (IANS) Four major projects to help build Indian migrant workers' capabilities to move up the value chain and to position India as a preferred source of qualified, skilled and trained human resources across a wide gamut of sectors has been launched by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA).
The projects, each aimed at a particular segment of Indian migrant workers, are currently being implemented through the Indian Council of Overseas Employment (ICOE) set up by the ministry in July 2008 as a think-tank on all matters relating to international migration.
According to ministry officials, "Skill Development Initiative for Potential Migrants from the Northeastern States of India" is a pilot project currently under way in the eight northeastern states in partnership with International Organization for Migration (IOM).
"The objective is to provide job readiness and augment employability of potential overseas migrants in the international labour market, especially the high-demand sectors of hospitality and healthcare," the officials said.
Kick-started last July, the project will develop standards and an internationally recognised framework for skills upgradation, assessment, accreditation and certification.
The project will be scaled up at national level, once the pilot project is completed in July next year, at a cost of Rs.9 crore.
The ICOE is also implementing the pilot project for 'Developing a Knowledge Base for Policy Making on India-EU Migration' in partnership with the European University Institute (EUI), Florence, with an objective to consolidate a constructive dialogue between the EU and India on migration, covering all migration-related aspects.
The project, started in March 2011 and scheduled to be completed in February 2013, is co-financed by the European Commission (EC).
"The objective of the project is to assemble high-level Indian-European Union (EU) expertise in major disciplines that deal with migration, such as demography, economics, law, sociology and politics with a view to building up migration studies in India," the officials told IANS.
It will also provide to the Indian government, the European Union, its member-states, the state governments, academia and civil society evidence-based policy-oriented research, capacity building, and outreach programmes at sub-national level, they added.
The ICOE will implement this month a pilot project on "Empowerment of Women Migrant Workers in the Gulf" in collaboration with the UN Women South Asia region office.
The project will be implemented over a two-year period in select districts of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala - two major states of origin of women migrant workers.
"The project aims to institutionalise good practices in the entire cycle of migration from pre-departure to return and resettlement through a series of awareness and capacity-building programmes covering all stakeholders in the migration process," officials said.
To help Indians looking for employment in European markets, the ICOE had two months ago launched a Labour Market Assessment with a focus on six EU nations, along with a study on the immigration system.
The assessment, to be completed by November, will identify emerging sectors and the required skill sets within those sectors in these EU nations.
It will also analyse education and other skills benchmarks required for Indian migrants, apart from identifying India's competitive advantage and skill development requirements.
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