An estimated 177 lakh skilled workforce is required in the transportation and logistics sector alone, says a study by the National Skill Development Corporation.
To narrow the skill deficit in the sector, the Union Labour Ministry has floated apprentice training schemes for mechanics in three trades — two- and three-wheelers, tractors and motor vehicles. However, till August 2012, the seats available in all the three trades had not been fully utilised.
Of the total of 532 seats available for auto mechanic training for two-three-wheelers, only 323 were utilised, of the 1,762 seats for tractor mechanic training, only 1,213 were taken, and of the 12, 987 seats available for motor vehicles, only 11,004 had been utilised, says a Labour Ministry release.
In addition, 1,33,600 seats are available for a craftsmen training scheme in 11 trades relating to transportation and logistics being offered through Industrial Training Institutes. The schemes include training in mechanical repairs and maintenance of various vehicles, such as marine diesel, heavy and light vehicles, engine fitters and vessel navigators among others.
However, the Ministry does not have figures from the number of seats utilised for these schemes.
“So far 35,759 persons in the transportation and logistics sector have been trained under the Skill Development Initiative scheme, which was launched in 2007,” it said.
The Ministry has been mandated to train 100 million under the scheme, for which it has decided to set up 1,500 new ITIs and 5,000 Skill Development Centres in public-private partnership during the 12th Plan period (2012-17).