SMEpost

Gem & Jewellery Council enters pact; Aims to skill 10k in 6 months

To train and certify artisans, the Gem and Jewellery Skill Council of India (GJSCI) has signed an agreement with Indian Institute of Gems and Jewellery (IIGJ), Jaipur and a city based jewellers association under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana here on March 15.

The tri-partite memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by GJSCI Chairman Prem Kumar Kothari, IIGJ principal Dhiraj Kumar and Jaipur Jewellers Association president Nirmal Bardiya.

“Jaipur is one of the prominent jewellery markets housing large number of artisans who are skilled yet uncertified. The MoU will enable us to educate and certify artisans through recognition of prior learning (RPL) programme,” Kothari said.

As per the MoU, the council aims to certify minimum 10,000 artisans in the next six months, said GJSCI CEO Vinit Bhatt. We have so far skilled more than 80,000 candidates in the country under Skill India initiative, he added.

Gems and jewellery industry has been earmarked as one of the priority sectors which contributes almost 6 per cent of India’s GDP. The industry currently employs 3.5 million people and additional 2.5 million jobs are to be created by 2022, said council representatives.

Source: The Hindu Business Line