First Domestic Workers Skill Conclave organized in Assam

Guwahati, June 14, 2019:

Domestic Workers Sector Skill Council (DWSSC) organized the ‘Domestic Workers Skill Conclave – Chapter North East’ on Friday in association with Assam Skill Development Mission (ASDM) at NEDFi House in Guwahati on the occasion of ‘International Domestic Workers Day’.

The aim of the Conclave was to facilitate linkages among the various stakeholders pertaining to this sector for improved reward package for the domestic workers and improved service delivery for the employers of these workers.

The Sector Skill Council also aimed to cater to and promote international requirements of the North Eastern Domestic workers abroad.

The event was inaugurated by Chandra Mohan Patowary, Minister of Skill, Employment & Entrepreneurship, Transport, Industry & Commerce, Parliamentary Affairs Dept., Act East Policy Affairs (Government of Assam) as Chief Guest.

The occasion is graced by Pallab Lochan Das, Member of Parliament from Tezpur Lok Sabha constituency. Ashutosh Agnihotri, IAS, Commissioner & Secretary, Skill Employment & Entrepreneurship Department, Govt. of Assam, Dr. L. R. Bishnoi, IPS, Additional DG, CID , Assam, Anand Prakash Tiwari, IPS, Mission Director- Assam Skill Development Mission, Amod K. Kanth (Chairman, Domestic Workers Sector Skill Council) and Narayan Konwar, IAS, Labour Commissioner, Assam as distinguished guests.

Addressing the gathering, Pallab Lochan Das, gave importance on the respect and dignity of Domestic workers across the country as well as the need for skilling for them for getting a dignified livelihood.

While Chandra Mohan Patowary stressed on the need for skilling in Domestic Workers Sector and also emphasized on bringing this section of people in the organized sector for a safe and secure working environment. He has also quoted skill as a lifelong ornament of an individual.

L. R. Bishnoi emphasized the need for minimizing the crime rate pertaining to Domestic workers, training partners, and placement agencies by putting all together in an organized sector.

Ashutosh Agnihotri emphasized on quality skill training of Domestic Workers and ensured that Assam Skill Development Mission will take all steps for ensuring the same.

Newly elected MP, Pallab Lochan Das also distributed certificates to seven candidates who have successfully completed Domestic Workers Training under Training Partner Valeur Fabtex Pvt. Ltd.

The inaugural session was followed by Technical Sessions where stakeholders and Government bodies concerning to the domestic workers sector like National Skill Development Corporation, National Skill Development Agency, FICCI-FLO, National Scheduled Caste Finance Development Corporation along with industry partners like UrbanClap, PORTEA, training partners like Valeur Fabtex, South Geramari Titanic Club cum Library and Assam Professional Academy, Assessment Partners like India Skill Pvt Ltd. also shared their valuable views during the conclave.

Subu Tabin, Director, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of Arunachal Pradesh also expressed his views on the importance of Skill Development in the domestic workers’ sector in the region.

Domestic Workers Sector Skill Council is a Non-Profit company (Sec. 8) registered under the aegis of National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Govt. of India. DWSSC have established 174 training centers across the country and certified 30,000 trainees and placed 80% of them.

Currently, they have 8 job roles with them:

• General Housekeeper

• Housekeeper cum Cook

• Child Caretaker (Non-Clinical)

• Elderly Caretaker (Non-Clinical)

• General Executive (Institutional /House)

• Caregiver-Mother and New-born (Non-Clinical)

• Baby Caregiver (Non-Clinical)

• Home Cook

As an endeavor to make to give the dignity of labor to the domestic workers in North East India through skill development programs, this is for the first time that a skill conclave for domestic workers of this caliber of national standards was organized in the state by this sector skill council.