Tata Group, UKIBC to collaborate on skill development in India

The over USD 100 billion diversified conglomerate Tata Group today said it has entered into a partnership with UK India Business Council (UKIBC) for collaboration in skill development and delivery in India.

The Tata Group and the UKIBC have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in this regard in the presence of UK Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts, the group said in a statement.

"This will initially include projects in Odisha and Mumbai for replicable skills training across India," it added.

Commenting on the development, Tata Sons Chairman Cyrus P Mistry said: "The Tata Group of companies is keen to support the creation of skill development centres that can sit at the heart of sustainable communities in India.

This initiative is designed to support the skill needs of large employers, as well as their supply chain of small and medium enterprises."

They will seek to provide best-in-class skills, enterprise, employability training and work placement in the country, he added.

UKIBC Chair Patricia Hewitt said: "We actively support the vision behind this MoU and believe that the most progressive UK skills providers, awarding bodies and further education colleges deliver a similar vision for economically and socially disadvantaged communities."

Advisor to the Prime Minister in the National Council on Skill Development and Vice Chairman of Tata Consultancy Services S Ramadorai said the group's collaboration with the UKIBC is also "in keeping with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's vision to have 500 million skilled individuals by the year 2022, supporting inclusive growth, investment, creation of jobs and a better demand supply connect".

The initiative will also test and evaluate a range of innovative approaches to the development of skills and employability, particularly pioneering e-learning approaches, providing a robust evidence base for future roll-outs at a significant scale.

Tata Steel, TCS and several other Tata Group entities, in addition to specific Tata Trusts, will be involved in the execution of this initiative, the statement said.

"If mutually agreed, the partnership will also develop other greenfield or brownfield projects in other parts of the country beyond Odisha and Mumbai to improve vocational training with regard to coverage, content or delivery leading to enhanced employability for people at the bottom of the pyramid," it added.