Skill India to train over One Lakh Frontline Workers for the Nation;
Introduces 6 new courses to support healthcare sector in its fight against Covid-19
- Short term customized crash courses available with 3 months on-the-job training with stipend and boarding & lodging for enrolled candidates.
- Endeavor by Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) to support the healthcare sector specially reduce the burden of doctors and nurses.
Chennai , June 19, 2021: With an aim to be better equipped to combat COVID-19 challenges, Hon’ble Prime Min ister Shri Narendra Modi today launched the ‘Customized Crash Course programme for Covid 19 Frontline wor kers in Healthcare’ to skill and upskill over one lakh COVID warriors across the country. The strategic and timely intervention will provide a new direction to the COVID response by creating an energised and job-ready workfo rce through skilling, reskilling and upskilling initiatives. During the launch event, PM Modi stressed that with Co ronavirus expected to evolve in future, the healthcare infrastructure needs to be strengthened and additional sk illed manpowerwould be instrumental in tackling the virus to a large extent.
Covid-19hasput existing healthcare system under unprecedented stress, and the requirement of skilled COVID warrior across the country is more critical than before. Today, under the visionary leadership and guidance of Ho n’ble Prime Minster Narendra Modi on augmenting capacity of COVID-19 frontline workers across the country, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has decided to create a pool of trained and skil led COVID frontline workers through a customized crash course program.
The program aims to skilland upskill, over one lakh healthcare professionals in job rolesrelevant and related to services required to fight Covid-19. The new job roles identified includeBasic Care Support, Emergency Care Su pport, Advance Care Support, Sample Collection Support, Home Care Support, Medical Equipment Support.The program will include a short-term training followed by 3 months on-the-job training in healthcare facilities such as primary health centers, hospitals, diagnostic facility, sample collection centers etc.
These six customised crash courses have been developed in the shortest possible timelineby Healthcare Sector Skill Council (HSSC) which consists of professionals from health sector;and approved by the skill regulator nam ely NCVET. To start with, the programme will commence in 111 training centres spread over 26 states and soon 1 lakh professionals will be available for on-the-job support at healthcare facilities across locations. Depending upon the demand received from the states, the trainings will be implemented in a staggered manner for on-the-job training adhering to covid guidelines in the States.
Benefits to the candidates include a government certification, stipend, accidental insurance of INR 2 lakh and boarding and lodging provisions. The States are beinginstructed to get the candidates vaccinated, provide PPE kits along with facilitating movement pass for them. In order to ensure quality outcome of the training, special focus is laid on availability of Training Centre (TC) facilities & infrastructure, availability of training material, re gularity of training including batch attendance and strength, tra iner qualification, Training of Trainer (ToT) cert ification and mo re.The initiative will support variousstates and district administ rationsin their fight against CO VID and will also support in red ucing the excessive workload of doctors and nurses.
Talking about the initiative, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon’ble Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurs hip, said, “The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has made this special quality intervention in skill training, contributing towards our fight against corona. This is our endeavour to support the current health ca re system in the country which is fighting day in and out to save lives of more and more people.Under the visionary guid ance of our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, we have launched these specialised six job roles,devised to fight Covid-19.This will certainly reduce the burden of existing healthcare professionals with rapid support, as the magnitude of COVID crisis and surge in number of cases has led to immediate requirement of skilled workforce in healthcare sector. It is important for us to ensure that the increasing demand for healthcare professionals is met to safeguard and better eq uip the country to face Covid-19 pandemic not just in current times but future as well.”
