Saksham

Background of the project:

In view of COVID – 19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown, which have brought acute misery and hardships to lakhs of Shramiks all across India due to migration, TIFAC has taken up a project for development of dynamic app / portal for mapping of skills of migrant shramiks visa-vis industry requirements - Shramik Shakti Manch (SAKSHAM).

The app / portal aims to address to the immediate need of these shramiks for getting some gainful employment and at the same time for MSMEs and other industries to know the region/ district wise availability of skilled / semi-skilled shramiks. The app / portal (SAKSHAM) to provide shramiks as well as industries a platform where the available skills can be highlighted and utilized by the local industries on a need based rational approach. This technological intervention is also expected to help in reducing misery of the shramiks to compulsorily travel large distances, if work / requirement is available nearby, and to industries in smoothening the sourcing of shramiks.

To begin with, it has been decided to map the availability of shramiks in select districts of UP / Bihar and the requirements of shramiks / workers in the MSMEs and other industries of Mumbai / Pune region on pilot project basis. After this, the platform would be extended on a pan India basis and would become solution provider / enabler for shramiks as well as industries, to seek employment and get shramiks to address their respective needs.

Core objective

  • The impact of the pandemic is quite clearly visible amongst the vulnerable section of the society, specially the shramiks (labourers).

  • A large amount of migration of such labourers has created a hollow amongst the industries and thus, this has impacted the functioning of the industries.

  • On the other hand, the migration has resulted in increase in unemployment and thereby, loss of livelihoods.

  • The core objective of the project being: Empowering MSMEs and Supporting the Migrant Labours.

  • Finally, helping us achieve the aim of – Boosting the economy of the nation while providing livelihoods to majority of the section of the society.

For the industries:

  • Creation of an online survey tool to collect their primary data.

  • The questionnaire is designed to address their immediate as well as long term requirement as well as the financial and operational impact of COVID on their businesses, thereby, studying the pain points.

  • Tie up already being done with major industry bodies to promote the initiatives.

  • Long term vision to create a MSME ecosystem to highlight their pain points and driving policy recommendations on the basis of the same.

  • Creating a digital infrastructure through this ecosystem to help with their financial and operational requirements.

Questionnaires have been created through a team combining domain experts (social scientists, existing and former civil servants, Padma Bhushan honoree, and others) as well as data scientists (Python experts, data researchers, technology experts from leading universities of the world)- first of its kind.

MSMEs can fill in this survey form - https://saksham.industryimpactstudy.org/

Migrant Workers and other Shramik:

  • Data collection through multiple channels including partnerships with NGOs, primary survey, etc.

  • A WhatsApp Chat Bot, already deployed in colloquial English and Hindi; seeks information from the shramiks about their past activities. Telugu and other languages in process.

  • Connecting the migrant workers with the nearest available industry requirement.

  • In the long term, with the available skillset database and the industry requirement, skill gaps could be identified and thus, it can help the policy makers significantly in planning the skill training programs. Therefore, ensuring long term vision post employment identification.

The Questionnaires designed through domain and data science experts do not assume that shramiks know their skills well; hence the questions act as a simple evaluation tool without making the survey takers realize the same and be victim to any pre conceived notions about their own lack of skills; thus allowing proficiency evaluation for even the supposedly “unskilled” workers. This is the first of its kind survey in India.

Shramiks can provide their details through:

Clicking on this link: You’ll be redirected to WhatsApp - http://rebrand.ly/shramik

Give us a missed call on: 022 673 80 800

Send us ‘Hi’ on WhatsApp at +91 72086 35370

 

 

The entire process will help us to

Access, Analyze & Connect.