New Delhi, (IANS) The Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and National Skill Development Fund (NSDF) for scaling up skill development initiatives in the country.

According to the tripartite agreement, the AAI has committed Rs.5.25 crore contribution from its CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funds to the NSDF along with land and premises for setting up skill development centres in the country.

Commenting on the ‘strategic partnership’, Civil Aviation Minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju said the skilled workforce was required to improve airport infrastructure across the country.

“As we gear up for a new civil aviation policy, for more new airports, we will have to source skilled workforce. Any vibrant programme needs a skilled workforce. This strategic partnership will certainly help us ready that workforce right now,” he said.

Under the MoU, the AAI will align its ongoing skill development programmes with the Skill India mission so that all courses are taught under the ‘National Skill Qualification Framework’, which is recognised by the industry.

The programme will be managed by the NSDC and its training partners who have till now cumulatively skilled more than 80.33 lakh youth.

Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy said this partnership will cater to the workforce requirement of the civil aviation industry.

“By 2035, the civil aviation sector will employ an estimated eight to 10 lakh people directly and another three lakh indirectly. To cater to this requirement, we introduced a new Sector Skill Council exclusively for preparing a job-ready workforce for the aerospace and aviation sector last year,” Rudy said.