The Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Department has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) at the Construction Skill Training Institute (CSTI) of L&T. As per the MoU, L&T will train over 500 youths from Arunachal Pradesh in the construction sector at its CSTI campus. This partnership aims to provide skill development and on-the-job training to the youths of Arunachal, including those from Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), and to prepare them for careers in the infrastructure and construction sectors.
Currently, 37 trainees from across the state are undergoing intensive training at L&T CSTI to become electricians, welders, surveyors, and civil draughtsmen. Such skill upgradation initiatives are vital for enhancing employability.
L&T is slated to extend training and on-the-job training opportunities to trainees from Arunachal across all nine CSTI centres in India, with placement opportunities at L&T construction sites in Europe and gulf countries. This initiative should be emulated by other companies offering specialised training. However, it is crucial to ensure that trainees are provided with proper facilities, and that working conditions are safe.
There have been reports from various locations of workplace exploitation, including excessively long working hours and wages that do not reflect the workload. Every effort must be made to prevent such exploitation. Safety must also be treated as a top priority, as it is often neglected in many industries, particularly in the construction sector.