CHENNAI: To cope with the serious manpower crunch the industrial sector is facing, the Confederation of Indian Industry, Southern Region, on Saturday launched a pilot pre-employment training programme for unskilled workers in Sriperumbudur, Oraggadam and Cheyyur regions.

Constructions major Marg Constructions Ltd. will partner the CII in the Grassroots Level Skill Development Initiative aimed at training 5,000 workers by 2008.

"GLSDI ... will equip school dropouts with skills that will enable them to be absorbed by industries where, later, they can go for industry-specific orientation. The effort is being launched with the help of the ... district administrations, which will provide ... infrastructure support," B. Santhanam, chairman, Task Force on Skills, Employability and Affirmative Action, CII Southern Region, and managing director, Saint Gobain Glass (India) Ltd., told reporters before signing a memorandum of understanding with Marg Constructions for financial support.

The project will provide the socially and economically disadvantaged youth, especially of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes, with a chance to meet the demands of industry, especially engineering and information technology sectors.

The pilot project will be extended to other centres such as Madurai, Coimbatore and Tiruchi, taking into account the government funding and the needs of industry.

The schemes will bridge the gap between the requirement and availability of skilled manpower, keeping in mind sustainability and inclusive growth, G.R.K. Reddy, managing director, Marg Constructions, said.

The target group will be trained in masonry, electrical wiring and plumbing, glazing, automobile and auto components, textiles, basic electronic assembly, air-conditioning and refrigeration, welding, sewing, retail management and BPOs.

Marg Constructions will fund the project to an extent of Rs. 100 lakh. It will be completed in 18 months.

A monitoring committee of representatives of all major industries will monitor the implementation. Around 2,500 youth each from Cheyyur and Sriperumbudur will be trained.

Sanjay Jarvarthanavelu, co-chairman of the employability task force, was present.

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