Nagpur faces dearth of skilled manpower

The economic upturn of the industries in Nagpur has thrown up an unexpected problem. The industry is running short of trained manpower: Workers who were available in plenty just a year ago, are now difficult to come by.

"I have no idea where they have gone. The system's sucked them in. They have either left for better prospects elsewhere or have been employed here. We had underestimated the available base for skilled manpower," says an exasperated Chander Khosla, president of MIDC Industries Association (MIA).

According to Khosla, the Hingna industrial estate which has around 800 working units and employs 30,000 people, sorely needs "at least 5,000 skilled technicians if not more."

"I know of MIA members who have had to bring in trained people from outside. Poaching is on. Wages are on the rise. The system is not sustainable in the long run," said a worried Khosla. According to him some units have deferred expansion plans due to the shortage of ITI graduates with a year's experience.

The industry is concerned at having to train ITI pass-outs with little practical experience.

"You can't be a training school and also run an inudstrial unit. I get ITI pass-outs who are wet behind the ears and have to spend about a year in training them, introducing them to working on shifts and familiarising them with machines. Just when they start showing signs of progress, they move on," rues Khosla.

He said ITI graduates generally preferred jobs in the public sector as this was viewed as being more secure. Khosla said fresh technicians from the ITIs are unable to cope with the work demands at an industrial unit as they lack practical training.

Skilled technicians who register their names with the government-run employment exchange office vie for jobs in public sector organisations.

"We are regularly sending our requirements to various institutes in the region, but they can't give us trained people," Khosla said, adding that there was an urgent need for industry-ITI interaction to resolve the issue.

There are 63 government run ITIs in Nagpur region and 40 private institutes over the six districts of Nagpur, Wardha, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Bhandara and Gondai. The ITIs offer 50 courses and the pass-outs number around 5,000.

Deputy Director of Vocational Education and Training, Nagpur Region, S M Haste, admitted to the problem but said that apprentice training in various industrial units was already available. The state government has taken initiative in upgrading the ITIs into "Centres of Excellence" and has identified the Nagpur ITI for the automobile sector.

The basic objective is to offer multiple skills to candidates so that they can be easily absorbed by the industry, he said.

Khosla, meanwhile, said that there was no automobile industry in or around Nagpur and hence the effort was not entirely useful.