Rubber Plantation Sector

External Funded Projects for Skill Development                                                          

Apart from the Calendared programmes, RTI has undertaken the following external funded projects for skill development during 2016-2021.        
 

1. PMKVY, Govt. of India

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal VikasYojana (PMKVY) is the flagship Scheme of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), instituted with the objectives to develop, improve and certify the skill of Indian youth.  Assessment and recognition of prior learning are also undertaken by PMKVY. MSDE is implementing the skill projects in PPP mode in collaboration with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the Rubber Skill Development Council (RSDC), the Sector Skill Council for Rubber Sector. NSDC has been set up as part of the National Skill Development Mission to fulfil the growing need in the country for skilled manpower across various sectors and to narrow down the existing gap between the demand and supply of skills. RSDC is responsible for developing National Occupational Standards (NOS) and Qualification Pack (QP), Skill Gap Analysis etc. for rubber sector.

Rubber Board has been approved by NSDC as the Project Implementing Agency (PIA) for conducting Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) trainings in rubber plantation sector from 2016-17onwards in association with RSDC.

Skill development Projects funded under PMKVY 2.0 Scheme 

Skill Development programmes in rubber plantation, processing, trading and product manufacturing sectors are included with funding under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal VikasYojna Scheme (PMKVY) Scheme. The project includes new skilling, re-skilling and up-skilling programmes for various job roles as per the NOS and qualification frame work (NSQF)/Qualification Pack (QP) laid down by RSDC and approved by NSDC for all these sectors.

 

The Institute had launched the RPL project in 2016 in collaboration with Rubber Production Department of Rubber Board under the PMKVY Guideline 2.0, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Govt. of India (GoI), to address the skill gap in the critical job roles of tapping and processing. On successful completion of the first phase of the RPL project in Kerala for 10,000 tappers in 2016-17, the Ministry gave approval for the second phase in 2017-18 for 22,040 participants from five states viz., Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Assam for conducting RPL programme in four job roles.   During 2018-19, got allotment of 8300nos (including 204 nos. for industry sector) for conducting RPL programmes in 13 states viz., Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Maharastra, Odisha, Tripura and Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram , Nagalnd and Arunachal pradesh.   Subsequently in 2019-20, 23000 nos. were also allotted by NSDC/ RSDC for all these states. A skill gap study in rubber plantation sector in the States of Kerala and Tamil Nadu was also conducted jointly by Rubber Board and RSDC during 2017-18.

Rubber Board was the first body to launch the PMKVY Projects under the MoCI. The project was a great success and in 2017-18, Rubber Board bagged the National Award - Champion PIA among the PIAs under Government Sector, by MSDE. The Best Training Provider Awards of RSDC were also to Rubber Board during three consecutive years. The Best Trainer and Trainee awards ofRSDC were also to Extension Officers of Rubber Board and the trainees mobilized and trained by the Board. 

The details of the Project conducted during 2016-20 are given below.


Total nos. trained

State	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	Trained    (Total Nos.)	Certified (Total Nos.)
Kerala	10000	15120	4078	13730	42928	38984
Tamil Nadu	-	486	207	605	1298	2096
Karnataka	-	812	285	1243	2340	6850
Tripura	-	2490	1498	3597	7585	5036
Assam	-	2511	1107	1842	5460	1211
Manipur	-	-	65	53	118	105
Meghalaya	-	-	84	259	343	321
Missoram	-	-	57	0	57	51
Arunachal Pradesh	-	-	78	113	191	173
Odisha	-	-	256	276	532	492
Nagaland	-	-	78	84	162	147
Goa	-	-	48	-	48	45
Maharastra	-	-	53	-	53	50
Andhra Pradesh	-	-	-	81	81	79
Total	10000	21419	7894	21883	61196	55640

 

The project was highly beneficial in addressing the skill gap and skill shortage in critical job roles in rubber tapping (LHT) and rubber processing (LPT) towards increasing production and improving quality of sheet rubber (RSS), the major processed form of NR in the country. We could promote various cost-effective agricultural practices among the growers which are to be adopted for sustainability of the sector. Nearly 40 percent of the participants were marginal growers opted for self-tapping. The concepts of Tappers bank for addressing the shortage of tappers and to ensure regular job to the tappers and Contact/Joint farming towards entrepreneurship, Mobilisation of resource persons among the competent trained persons etc. were well accepted.  Above all it was an opportunity for our extension officers to interact with the growers which was really helpful in motivating the growers and addressing their concerns especially when the sector was passing through a crisis period and our Scheme activities were weak due to lesser fund flow.    
                              

 

PMKVY 3.0

During February 2021, the Board has submitted a proposal to NSDC for imparting RPL training under the PMKVY 3.00 Scheme to 11,000 beneficiaries from all NR growing regions. Also the RPL project for 10 days in TISP model targeting 6000 beneficiaries in all States is being uploaded in the SIP.   
 

2. Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP) Project, Govt. of Kerala

Rubber Industry Sector- Collaborative projects with Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP), Higher Education Department, Govt. of Kerala for conducting the following courses of three months’ duration including internship to enhance employability of students. Placement support was also extended to needy candidates.

• Lab Chemist Course -    Summer Skill School for B.Sc. completed students (Crash Programme)
• Lab Chemist Course –   Regular course for B.Sc. first year completed students (Round the year Programme)
• Jr. Rubber Technician – Regular course: For plus one completed students (Round the year Programme)

During 2016-20, 734 students were trained under the Scheme by Rubber Board and the project is ongoing.

 

3. International programme, Govt. of India

Collaborative programme with M/s HMT (I) Ltd., to impart training in Rubber Technology (ToT) for four months to officials from Myanmar in connection with their Project for the establishment of India-Myanmar Industrial Training Centre(IMITC) at Thaton, Myanmar was undertaken in 2019-20.