At its meeting held on 15th July 2020, The Chamber's Managing Committee had an interactive session with Shri Anoop Agrawal, IAS. The Chamber's has had engagements with the Department of Technical Education, Training and Skill Development, Government of West Bengal since 2017.

Shri Anoop Agrawal commenced his address by mentioning that he would be engaging with the members on the World Youth Skills Day and also the day of launch of National Skill Development Mission. He shared that the Department has been closely working with The Chamber, the recent interaction being on the Recruit Train and Deploy (RTD) model.

Highlights of Shri Agrawal's session were as follows:

▪  Under the COVID scenario when retention of jobs is becoming challenging, his Department, to ease the situation can assist Industry in re-skilling, up-skilling and broad basing of skills of employees.

▪  The Department looks after 150 polytechnics, around 270 ITIs and around 5000 vocational training centers in the State, covering almost 6 lakh persons annually in terms of training. The Department is providing industry trained personnel through instructors trained by industries, some of which have placed their equipment in the ITIs. Thus students of these ITIs are ready to join industries immediately after their training. Such a model, Shri Agrawal stated, can be expanded not only to benefit industry but also to provide jobs to aspiring skilled workers.

▪  Out of the 270 ITIs, there are about 70 ITIs which are Government ITIs run by private training partners and this robust PPP model is under study by the Central Government. Currently the Department was also looking for industry partners for around 12 ITIs.

▪  Skill mapping of more than 10 lakh migrant workers who have returned to the State have been made and the Department was looking at avenues for their resettlement. Their up-skilling and re-skilling needs are also being looked into.

▪  The Department is inviting industry representatives to join course curriculum revision committees. Many new job roles are being examined and created and courses designed such as in Kantha Stitch, Real Estate etc. where training will be provided so that industry can source ready and trained manpower.

While rounding up his talk, Shri Agrawal invited interested industries to come forward with proposals for training on their equipments either in the ITIs or even for training of students at their factories. He also shared that bid for 12 ITIs' is currently open and if any industry was interested, the link could be shared separately through The Chamber.

The meeting concluded with the President thanking Shri Anoop Agrawal on behalf of The Chamber for his insightful address and for encouraging Industry to join hands with his Department for training and skill development needs.