TEJAS' aims to create a skilled Indian workforce in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
In March this year, the Indian government launched 'TEJAS' (Training for Emirates Jobs And Skills), with an aim to create a skilled Indian workforce in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In the initial phase, 'TEJAS' aims to create a 10,000-strong skilled Indian workforce for the UAE, the fifth-largest economy in the MENA (Middle East & North Africa) region.
The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) - the Indian government owns 49% of its shares - has signed MoUs with top employers in UAE like EFS, AIQU, Esa Saleh Al Gurg, Future Milez, Lulu Exchange and Dulsco to support the upskilling scheme.
The skills that will be imparted under the ongoing scheme cover higher-order jobs (ex: Full Stack Engineering) as well as lower-order jobs (ex: plumbing) across job sectors, according to a PIB communique.
"Our focus is to provide the world with a large skilled workforce from India. 'TEJAS' will provide high-quality skills as per global standards," Union Minister Anurag Thakur said during the launch at the Dubai Expo while reiterating PM Modi's vision of a strong partnership between India and UAE.
To put things in context, UAE, historically a popular destination for Indian job seekers, was the No 1 country for Indian job seekers, according to the 2016-2021 data from the Bureau of Immigration data. Other Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman followed UAE in the list.
According to a written reply by Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar in the Lok Sabha, 101 candidates have already been placed in the initial phase, while another 35 are undergoing training and certification under 'TEJAS'.
"This sort of training, however, shows the lack of opportunities here in India," Elizabeth Edison, a labour researcher, said, adding that this initiative is like a band-aid to address the issue of job opportunities and is an unsustainable model.
Mr Chandrasekar's written reply added that 'TEJAS' will also be applicable to workers who returned from the UAE under the Vande Bharat Mission in 2020. As per government estimates, around 3,30,058 workers returned from the UAE.
"Whether those who will be skilled under this scheme will get re-skilling opportunities in the future is key," Ms Edison said, arguing that skills acquired at a particular point of time become increasingly redundant in the 21st Century job market.
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