India's G20 presidency: First Employment Working Group Meeting begins in Jodhpur

Jodhpur: India's first Employment Working Group meeting began in Jodhpur where the panel held discussions focussed on developing a collaborative road map for global skills under India's G20 presidency, the Ministry of Labour & Employment said in a statement.

According to the statement, the discussion on "Exploring strategies for global skills and qualifications harmonisation and developing a framework for common skill taxonomies" was chaired and moderated by Atul Kumar Tiwari, secretary of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, who provided insightful guidance for the event. The panelists shared insights and ideas on the priority area -- 'Addressing Global Skills Gaps', which was chosen by the Indian Presidency for the Employment Working Group.

The panel consisted of prominent leaders in the relevant field, viz. Muchtar Azis, Director of Competency, Standardisation and training programs, Ministry of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia, Stefano Scarpetta, Director for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Anil D. Sahasrabuddhe, Chairman of National Education Technology Forum (NETF), Christine Hofmann, Skills and Employability Specialist at the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and Mr. Manish Sabharwal, Vice Chairman of TeamLease.

The First Employment Working Group meeting, a three-day event, saw delegates from the G20 countries, guest countries, international and national organisations, and other prominent international and national experts attending the discussion. Officers from several central and state government agencies, representatives from industry bodies, academia, and the Chair of the Labour-20 Engagement Group also participated, according to the statement.

Delegates, who arrived for the 1st G20 Employment Working Group meeting, attended a cultural event in the city. At the event, Rajasthani women cooked up local delicacies.

The panel discussion focused on global trends in skill shortages, surpluses, and mismatches and deliberated on the means to plug these skills deficits, develop of a collaborative road map for global skills and qualifications harmonisation.

The diverse perspectives and expertise of the panelists provided an overview of the current state of skills and qualifications and harmonisation efforts, and led to an engaging discussion on a need to capture and harmonize skill taxonomies at a more granular level.

The discussions provided fruitful insights into the need for advancing the skills and qualifications sector and creating a more harmonised and inclusive global skills landscape.

The Chair summed up the recommendations by the panel by emphasising the need for international dialogue and cooperation on skills harmonisation and bilateral/multi-lateral partnerships on mutual recognition of skills and certifications, the statement added.