CII unveils portal for informal sector workers

BANGALORE, INDIA: The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) on Tuesday announced the launch of SkillConnect, a portal for blue collar workers to connect them with employment opportunities and other agencies, in partnership with CHF International India and LabourNet.

The portal was inaugurated by Shri. Manjunatha Prasad, commissioner, Directorate of Employment and Training, Government of Karnataka.

“There is a great need for Government and Industry to work together to address the issue. SkillConnect is a excellent initiative in this regard. We hope to integrate our Employment Exchanges too in the future along with the Skill Development Initiatives that are underway,” said Manjunatha Prasad.

Brian English, country director, CHF International India, said, “We hope this initiative will help fill an information gap that prevents both workers and employers from understanding the larger labour market. We want this market intelligence to inevitably lead to better jobs and income for workers that often find themselves excluded from the benefits of the formal sector.”

Mr. S Chandrasekhar, chairman, CII Karnataka and MD, Bhoruka Power Corporation Ltd, said, “It is essential to popularize the adoption of this portal amongst both the industry as well as organizations working on building skills for the unorganized workers. There is a need for facilitating organizations who will link the unorganized workers onto the opportunities in the portal.”

One of the burning issues facing the Indian Economy in the last few years has been the acute and growing shortage of skilled people. Studies indicate that shortage of skilled workforce is likely to emerge as one of the key bottlenecks to growth.