CRAFTSMEN
TRAINING SCHEME IN INDIA
The Construction industry is characterised
by the predominance of migratory and unskilled
labour. Therefore, there is need to expand
the training and skill certification programmes,
both in terms of content as well as geographical
reach. To encourage such training, incentives
may be provided to contractors for funding
the skill upgradation of construction workers.
However, there is no institutional framework
to impart training at the workers' level,
barring a few initiatives taken by the Construction
Industry Development Council (CIDC) and some
companies.
There is need to involve the Industrial Training
Institutes (ITIs) in a big way with training
for the construction sector to bridge the
demand-supply gap for skilled labour force.
The number of ITIs and trainees undergoing
training under the scheme in the year 1996
were as follows:
TABLE - 1
Trades, Trainees & ITIs, 1996
| Trade |
No.
of ITIs |
No.
of Trainees |
|
One
year courses:
|
| - Plumber |
210 |
4608 |
| - Mason (Building
Construction) |
81 |
1488 |
| - Carpenter |
340 |
6592 |
| - Welder |
806 |
17496 |
|
Two
year courses:
|
| - Painter (General) |
74 |
1408 |
| - Electrician |
1280 |
30396 |
| - Electrician |
85 |
30336 |
| - Electrician |
163 |
4048 |
The entrance qualification
prescribed for the Plumber, Mason (building
construction) and Painter is 8th class pass,
whereas for the remaining trades, trades of
(General) it is 10th class pass with Science
as one of the subjects under the 10+2 system.
Since these courses are skill oriented courses,
more emphasis is given on skill development.
The practical instructions are given for 28
hours per week and theoretical instructions
are given for 10 hours per week for all the
trades. Apart from practical classes, theoretical
instructions are given in subjects like trade
theory, workshop calculation and science,
engineering drawing and social studies. After
the completion of the training, the trainees
are required to sit in All India trade test
conducted by DGE&T under the aegis of
NCVT. The successful trainees are awarded
National Trade Certificate and are considered
as semi-skilled workers.
The availability of training seats in the
above listed trades in various States is shown
at Table 3.
Apprenticeship Training Scheme
Out of the 129 trades designated under the
Apprenticeship Training Scheme covering 30
group of trades, only 11 trades are related
to building construction activities. Here
also, it is observed that Mason (building
construction), which is one of the basic trades
in construction activities, only 308 seats
have been located and out of which only 159
were utilised in 1996. In respect of other
10 trades, the position of seating capacity
and seats utilised during the year 1996 remained
as below
TABLE - 2
Capacity Utilisation of ITI's - 1996
| Trade |
Seating
capacity in 1996 |
Seats
Utilised |
Plumber
|
1793 |
1071 |
| Mason |
308 |
159 |
| (Building
Constructor) |
| Carpenter |
3315 |
1899 |
| Painter General |
1120 |
684 |
| Electrician |
19650 |
14039 |
| Darughtsman
Civil |
2720 |
1772 |
| Surveyor |
281 |
124 |
The trade apprentices
are paid a stipend @ Rs. 580 for first year,
Rs. 670 for the second year, Rs. 770 for the
third year and Rs. 880 for the fourth year.
The trade apprentices are trade tested by
DGE&T after completion of their training
and are awarded National Apprenticeship Certificate,
which is recognised for subordinate services
under the Central and State Governments.
From the above, it is evident that both the
institutional as well as the apprenticeship
training in industry is restricted to a limited
number of training seats and there is not
enough response for some of the trades either.
For the trade of Mason under ATS the duration
of training was reduced from 3 years to 2
years but even then the response has not picked
up. The reason attributable to this appears
to be the lack of industry-institute linkage.
The industry was requested to come forward
for co-financing the training programme on
the pattern of courses co-financed by plastic
industry in the case of Plastic Processing
Operators. Four training courses listed below
were identified in 1986 in consultation with
the Secretary General of Indian Concrete Institute,
Madras for augmenting the training programmes
in concrete construction industry and were
contemplated to be introduced under CTS/ATS.
iv. Introduction of scheme for the certification
of skills for the in-service semi-skilled/skilled
workers on the pattern of NVQs in U.K. For
this the skill standards should be identified
and prescribed by the industry.
Abbreviations
DGE&T : Director General Employment and
Training. Ministry of Labour; Govt. of India.
NCVT : National Council of Vocational Training
1TI : Industrial Training Institute
CAC : Central Apprenticeship Council
TABLE 3
Growth of ITIs Since 1985
|
Year
as on
December 31 |
No. of I.T.Is |
|
Govt. |
Private |
Total |
| 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
| 31-121984 |
694 |
574 |
1268 |
| 31-12-1985 |
719 |
728 |
1447 |
| 31-12-1986 |
825 |
889 |
1714 |
| 31-12-1987 |
852 |
1035 |
1887 |
| 31-12-1988 |
862 |
1037 |
1899 |
| 31-12-1989 |
903 |
1167 |
2070 |
| 31-07-1990 |
964 |
1173 |
2137 |
| 31-07-1991 |
981 |
1259 |
2240 |
| 31-07-1992 |
1008 |
1439 |
2447 |
| 31-07-1993 |
1028 |
1623
|
2651 |
| 31-07-1994 |
1038 |
1682 |
2720 |
| 31-07-1996 |
1068 |
2015 |
3083 |
| 31-12-1997 |
1392 |
2276 |
3668 |
