CHENNAI, INDIA — Saudi Basic Industries Corp. and an Indian government agency have launching a program to train machine operators in plastics processing and close a skills gap in the sector.
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-based Sabic announced Feb. 2 that it's creating a six-month residential training program in the city of Chennai for 50 unemployed youth from less-privileged backgrounds.
It's doing so in partnership with the Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology, which is part of the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.
Sabic officials said they also wanted to support the new “Make in India” campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bolster manufacturing in the country.
“Sabic is encouraged by the Government of India's thrust on building India as a global manufacturing hub under its ‘Make in India' initiative,” said Janardhanan Ramanujalu, vice president for South Asia & ANZ for Sabic. “Given the wide-ranging application of plastics, the plastics processing industry can play a pivotal role in supporting the growth of the manufacturing sector.”
“However, currently there is a huge gap between the supply and demand for trained manpower in this field,” he said. “Our partnership with CIPET is a small but significant step in trying to create an enduring framework for developing vocationally-trained frontline workers for the plastics manufacturing industry in India.”
The program includes full scholarship to the participating students, covering their course fees and room and board costs.
The program started in January, with students independently selected by Cipet, which developed the curriculum with input from Sabic. The students will be trained to operate injection molding machines and be certified by both Sabic and Cipet.
In the announcement, Sabic said the program could be expanded to other Cipet centers nationwide.
“Such industry collaborations enable us to address the need for employment-ready manpower,” said S. Sugumar, a deputy director of Cipet. “We are delighted to work with Sabic and are confident that this specially-designed curriculum will immensely benefit the 50 youth who will go through the training and also provide a future-ready framework for expanding this program through similar partnerships.”
