CII inks pacts on skill development with UKSkills

CII has signed a pact with UKSkills focusing on skills development in India, on the occasion of the visit of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Gordon Brown on 20 January.

The signing was the MoU between UKSkills and WorldSkills India, an organisation managed by CII. The signatories were Mr Simon Bartley, Chief Executive, UKSkills and Lt Gen (Retd) S S Mehta, Director General, CII. The MoU will also help create a support structure for the development of a National Skills Team and their participation in WorldSkills International, and other competitions. WorldSkills International is the biggest skills competition in the world that sets world standards in over 45 skill categories ranging from cabinet making to web design.

Lt Gen (Retd) S S Mehta stated that, The Indian demographic advantage can best be epitomised by skilling our workforce across all sectors and at all levels. Association with WorldSkills and UKSkills is CIIs initiative to achieve our goal to make India the Skill Capital of the World.

In January 2007, India had become the 48th member of WorldSkills International with CII as the member organization representing India in all WorldSkills activities. The main objectives of WorldSkills India are to promulgate skills in the society, champion skills and learning for work through local, regional, national and international skills competition and also host international competitions, and link up with the WorldSkills International secretariat, the Government of India, State Governments, the registered vocational skills training and awarding bodies.

The signings took place in the presence of UK Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, the Rt Hon John Hutton MP, Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr Kamal Nath and the President of CII, Mr Sunil Bharti Mittal.