Crucial to equip workforce with modern construction skills: Manohar Lal

Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal on Thursday said that it was very important to equip the workforce with modern construction skills, noting that a shortage of skilled labour often affects the quality and pace of infrastructure development.

Addressing a gathering of workers, contractors and officials at the Labour Skill Certification Ceremony here, the minister underlined the role of skill development in realising the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’, according to an official release here.

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At the ceremony, which was organised as part of the Government of India’s Skill India Mission by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) in Kasturba Nagar of the national capital, the minister also commended CPWD’s efforts to bring structured training to the grassroots level and align it with the National Skill Development Mission.

On the occasion, the minister also awarded skill certificates and ID cards, it said.

The minister highlighted that the construction industry particularly requires skilled workers to achieve desired quality standards.

The CPWD has adopted a proactive approach to address this skill gap, it said.

The minister announced that the CPWD would increase the number of workers to be trained in the next financial year to 25,000 from 10,000 this year.

He said that it has now been made mandatory for contractors to engage at least 20 per cent certified skilled workers in projects costing more than Rs 10,000 crore, or provide them formal training on-site.

The training programme, in collaboration with the National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO), certifies workers as Assistant Shuttering Carpenters (Aluminium Shuttering).

As many as 40 ‘workmen’ successfully completed an 80-Hour Skill Development Training Programme in MIVAN Shuttering Systems.