Kolkata: Edujobs Academy launches GJSCI Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Goldsmith Program. In the esteem presence of Shri. Sadhan Pande, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Self Help-Group and Self-Employment, Government of India, Smt. Smita Bakshi, member of West Bengal, Legislative Assembly, Government of West Bengal and Shri. Binit Bhatt, C.E.O, GJSCI. The RPL program is an initiative by Gem and Jewellery Skill Council of India (GJSCI) formed under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana. The program will help 8000+ unorganized Goldsmiths of West Bengal to be certified.
GJSCI has been relentlessly contributing towards Hon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Skill India program and has been taking several measures and steps to nurture the 3.5 million skilled yet uncertified labour force of the gems and jewellery industry. The unstructured nature of the industry where artisans who contribute majorly to the jewellery creation process have inherited skills but no certifications and ironically live quite a lacklustre life with everyday struggle to make ends meet in the otherwise glamorous industry. RPL program will help candidates to identify their inherited skills and get certified for the same which will equip them to get better and more stable jobs and avail of entrepreneurship opportunities. While struggling to make a living many of them switch careers to upgrade their lives. Need of the hour is to bring a change in an artisan’s life to ensure that they are retained in the industry as with them will also die several Indian jewellery making styles and techniques.
‘We are working towards ensuring that a skilled & certified labour force is created in the industry which has the right work environment which ensures their financial and physical wellbeing apart from increasing their productive. For this initiative, we are constantly working with several state governments. RPL is the first step for an individual to explore career choices in the industry on the other hand our initiative Dakshagram will play as a catalyst towards the transition of the Gems & Jewellery Industry from being unorganized to organized.’, said Prem Kothari, Chairman, GJSCI.
‘At GJSCI our aim is to create awareness and counsel candidates about career choices and prep them to enrol for courses. RPL program will play a very important role to achieve this aim. We have so far trained 80,000 plus candidates and certified 20,000 plus candidates in RPL. We have a massive target of training 2.7 million individuals and at the same time attract bright talent to create a career in the industry that has several roles and job opportunities to offer. Also, the nation needs to recognize the latent talent that has been present in the gems and jewellery industry through RPL’, said Mr. Binit Bhatt, C.E.O, GJSCI at the event.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
The Recognition of Prior Learning programme identifies previous learnings, often experiential and recognises the talent towards gaining a qualification. Jewellery manufacturing organisations employing artisans experienced through non-formal learning channels can opt to get their employees certified as per national standards and understand their skillsets to build on what they have learnt. There are mainly two types of RPL viz. Scheme & Non-Scheme, both are almost similar, the only difference is that RPL under Scheme offers reward money on being assessed and successfully certified and Non-Scheme doesn’t.
