The two nations plans to create a framework for skill development and formation of a Joint Working Group (JWG) for smoother operations between the countries.
UAE has a sizeable Indian population in its workforce. Now to ensure a greater productivity and to keep the labour influx more organised and better skilled, the two governments have decided to work more closely.
The collective vision is to ensure that the workforce that comes to UAE from India, will have skills of transnational standard keeping in mind the benchmark that UAE follows.
This will be a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries across all relevant sectors that result in economic growth of both the countries.
India will also analyse the gaps that India can fulfil through its human resource. Both UAE and India wants to develop an effective mechanism for skill mapping.
Out of the 71 skill standards framed by UAE, 10–15 standards have been identified for skill mapping mechanism in the pilot project. India has a robust vocational training system and 1.6 million people (on an average) are being imparted vocational training. India has a well-established system of ITI institutions, of which 85 per cent are private and 15 per cent are state government run.
Besides, the two governments have decided to integrate the e-labour platforms of the two countries. With a mutual recognition of qualifications and assessments, both the countries have agreed to employ the best-in-class certification agencies for this purpose.
The two nations also discussed the creation of a framework for skill development and formation of a Joint Working Group (JWG) for smoother operations between the countries. Officials from the Ministry of Human Resource & Emiratisation (MoHRE) are expected to visit India for the dual purpose of meeting the JWG as well as visiting training centres in India to get a first-hand experience on assurance of quality and training pedagogy.
Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India and H.E. Nasser bin Thani Al Hamli, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, Government of UAE met to discuss flagship programmes on skill harmonisation and development to address the issue.
This further strengthened the MoU—signed during the visit of Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India to UAE in February, 2018— around skill development to meet the requirement of trained manpower in UAE.
While appreciating the progress that India and UAE have made together around skill development, there was an emphasis on immediate deliverables.
Addressing the meeting, Pradhan, said, “India and UAE have a robust institutional framework of cooperation on manpower and skilling matters. We are discussing a pilot skill project to harmonise skill eco systems between the two countries. Both nations need to work together as partners to upskill India’s workforce in UAE and make them better equipped to meet the requirement of future jobs across different sectors.”
Hamli said, “UAE and India have a historic relationship. People of both the nations share similar principals and the UAE labour market has been offering attractive opportunities to workers in India. With the harmonisation plan, UAE has made multiple changes in the policy to ensure wage protection, amicable living conditions, workers’ health, and so on, as well as provisions for disputes to be handled effectively.”
A strengthened MOU on cooperation in the field of manpower was signed during the visit of PM Modi to UAE in February, 2018. An MOU is also in place between the MSDE, Government of India and the National Qualifications Authority, Government of the UAE on cooperation in skill development and recognition of qualifications since April, 2016.