The Kerala Government is planning to start a ‘Kerala Construction Academy’ which will impart short-term training to unskilled workers in the construction industry. Labour minister Shibu Baby John said on his return from a recent visit to Singapore. The Minister is also planning to start the ‘Kerala Skills Development Corporation’ to train upto 20,000 Plus 2 students every year in different engineering streams based on the educational system in Singapore.
“We will form an apex body, named the Construction Authority, to oversee the work of both the Kerala Skills Development Corporation and Construction Academy. We will get technical guidance from the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise, and our Indian High Commission in Singapore is drafting a MoU with them now,” John said.
During his Singapore tour, John met the Director of the Real Estate and Construction Centre (RECC). “RECC provides vocational training and education to those working in the construction industry in Singapore. In line with the curriculum there, the Kerala government is also planning to develop a skilled workforce in the state. The existing uneducated workforce will be given training to make them semi-skilled. The best ones from the group will be made supervisors, and ultimately foremen,” the Minister said.
Property developers body CREDAI (Confederation of Real Estate Developers’Association of India) welcomed the government’s decision to start a training programme for construction workers. “This is an initiative which no other Government has taken so far. The beneficiaries of the new training system will have the option to either stay back in the local industry or migrate to West Asia and the Far East,” CREDAI, Kerala chapter President M V Antony said.
