Tourism ministry plans to extend scheme for jobless to private sector

The ministry of tourism is set to extend its ?Hunar Se Rozgar? programme for training the jobless to the private sector.

The scheme, under which government-run institutes train the jobless for employment in the tourism and hospitality sectors, will now cover private hospitality institutes as well, a senior official said.

The centrally-funded programme was started by the government in 2009-10 for imparting skills to youth of the economically weaker sections of society and in order to bridge the gap of skilled manpower in the tourism and hospitality sectors.

?We have sanctioned 49 Institutes of Hotel Management (IHM), in addition to 16 under construction, to help people from the economically weaker sections acquire skills, so that they can get employment in the tourism sector. This will also help the tourism sector in getting skilled manpower,? said Sanjay Kothari, special secretary, ministry of tourism. In addition, private sector institutes will now be allowed to undertake the training programmes under the scheme. Private sector hospitality associations like HAI, FHRAI and IHHA will be roped in.

Kothari also said the tourism ministry aimed to train 2.5 crore people to get jobs in the sector during the 12th Plan period (2012-17).

According to a Ficci-Yes Bank report, employment in hotels, restaurants and by tour operators is estimated to be about 7.2 million people by 2022.

?Public-private partnership is important for capacity building in the tourism sector. Cooperation among various stakeholders is the key,? said Tushar Pandey, president and country head, strategic initiatives, government & advisory, Yes Bank.

Noting that G-20 countries, in their recent summit, had recognised the role of tourism in triggering job growth, Kothari said the country’s tourism sector has a huge potential to provide a solution to unemployment and poverty in the country.

?After achieving this recognition as being a tool for fuelling job growth, India now aims to bring up the air connectivity issue in the next G-20 summit at St Petersburg,? he said.