Maharashtra to give youth skill passports, language training for overseas jobs

Maharashtra's young men and women will now be trained according to the changing job demands of foreign countries. The state government has decided to create a separate skill passport for each country based on its specific needs, and ITIs along with other training institutions will have to update their courses accordingly.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed officials to create a safe recruitment system for overseas jobs under the state's Global Workforce Mobility Policy. He was speaking at a day-long high-level conclave on international labour mobility held at Sahyadri Guest House. The conclave was jointly organised by the Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA), the Department of Protocol, the Department of Skill, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and the Maharashtra Agency for Holistic International Mobility and Advancement (MAHIMA).

Fadnavis said the demand for skilled manpower is rising rapidly worldwide because of changing and ageing populations. Given the strength of India's young manpower, it is necessary to connect this with global demand, which will further strengthen the idea of "circular mobility of talent", and Maharashtra will play an important role in this.

India has signed agreements on labour mobility with around 28 countries. These countries have large demand for skilled manpower in engineering, healthcare, construction and several technical sectors. According to the World Economic Forum's "Future of Jobs Report 2025", around 170 million new jobs will be created worldwide by 2030, while about 92 million jobs will be lost. Keeping this in view, the Chief Minister made clear that Maharashtra will stay ahead in international workforce mobility.

The Chief Minister directed that the experience of recruitment agencies be used to convey the manpower needs of different countries to training institutions, that both digital and offline training be combined with traditional training, and that online language training have a fixed time frame, minimal testing and the use of digital translation and interpretation tools.

The state government's policy draft prioritises skill development, training tailored to global demand, language training, certification, help with documentation and guidance before going abroad. The Chief Minister said the government will also focus on connecting skilled manpower returning from abroad with the state's industry.

To address language-related difficulties faced by youth, a coordination agreement has been signed between the central government's Digital India Bhashini, MITRA and MAHIMA. With the help of translation technology, candidates will get free and easy training in foreign and profession-related languages. ITI and polytechnic students will benefit from this pilot project.

Protocol Minister Jaykumar Rawal said international labour mobility is not merely a process of manpower migration but an economic partnership linking skill, investment, the diaspora and global markets. By bringing together the network of foreign consulates in Mumbai, industry, universities and skill development institutions, Maharashtra's talent will be connected to global opportunities.

Skill, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha said that along with the skill and language training needed for jobs abroad, the government is also focusing on preparing students to adapt to the local culture of the country they go to. He said workers who go abroad will also act as ambassadors strengthening ties between Maharashtra and those countries.