KOTTAYAM:
In a major drive to skill up and certify tyre mechanics in Kerala, mobile Skill Vans fitted with tyre fitting equipment and manned by skilled trainers will be plying on the highways and transport hubs in the state.
The mobile vans have been launched by Rubber Skill Development Council (RSDC), the sector skill council for Rubber in the country. In the first phase, a state-of-the-art Mobile Van has been pressed into service with a target of up-skilling 3000 tyre mechanics and certifying them in Kerala till March 2020.
The mobile skill van was flagged off by Dr KN Raghavan the Executive Director of the Rubber Board at Kottayam in the presence of Vinod Simon, Chairman RSDC and Rubber Board officials.
“Kerala is a major transport hub and tyre mechanics play an important role in making road transport safer. Fitting of tyres, especially commercial tyres, is a skill based job requiring formal training. The drive by RSDC will make road transport safer and competitive”, said Dr KN Raghavan the Executive Director of the Rubber Board while flagging off the van.
Instead of a class room training, specially developed mobile skill vans are reaching out to tyre mechanics in the country. The mobile vans will move across highways, villages and towns, driving awareness about the skills required in servicing and maintenance of tyre.
Reskilling of tyre mechanics is being done under the project SAAMARTH of RSDC, which aims at reskilling a million workforce in the Rubber sector, as mandated by the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.
“Tyres are known as wheels of a nation and tyre services and maintenance is a huge sector that needs a skilling boost. Currently this segment, which has a major role to play in making road transport efficient and ensuring road safety, is largely unorganized. Hence skilling and reskilling in Tyre services has been taken by RSDC as a priority area”, said Vinod Simon, Chairman RSDC.
Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) has collaborated with RSDC in this campaign of up-skilling tyre fitters. The training is being provided under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) scheme of Government of India.
