Bhubaneswar : A significant step forward in skill development for the mining sector has been taken in Jharkhand with the launch of a new training initiative involving the Skill Council for Mining Sector (SCMS), New Delhi, and the District Mineral Foundation Trust (DMFT), Hazaribagh. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed on January 17, 2024, launching a “Short term Training” project aimed at enhancing the skills of 390 local candidates, also known as Project Affected Persons (PAPs), in Hazaribagh district, Jharkhand.
The MOU was signed by Nancy Sahay, IAS, Deputy Commissioner cum Chairman, DMFT, Hazaribagh, and Sanjay Sharma, CEO, SCMS, in the presence of Ronit Kumar, DMF Cell, Hazaribagh, and Navneet Kumar, Head- Business Development and Operations, SCMS.
This ambitious project will offer comprehensive training in non-operator and operator job roles related to the mining sector. The training, conducted in residential mode, includes hands-on training on equipment, culminating in NSQF aligned certification. Course durations range from 450 to 560 hours. Moreover, SCMS will ensure placement of certified candidates in gainful employment. Notably, the training is free of charge for all candidates. It covers all essentials including lodging, boarding, safety kits, medical fitness tests, insurance, and a stipend during on-job training (OJT).
Reflecting on this initiative, Nancy Sahay remarked on the abundance of opportunities in Jharkhand, a state rich in minerals. She highlighted the importance of skilled and certified candidates in leveraging these opportunities for direct or indirect employment.
Pankaj Satija, Executive in Charge – Ferro Alloys & Minerals Division, Tata Steel Ltd and Chairman of SCMS, commended the collaboration. He emphasized that states like Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, with their significant mining and mineral resources, have an ongoing need for skilled personnel. He also noted that similar projects executed by SCMS with DMFT in Odisha and Jharkhand have proven successful and that this project is a stride forward in promoting employment-linked skill development programs in mineral-dominant states.