Safeducate & TISS join for supply chain skilling

Safeducate, India’s premier supply chain and logistics skilling organisation and a part of Safexpress Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) recently in Mumbai as part of Safeducate’s mission of creating a skilled workforce in the manpower intensive supply chain and logistics industry of India. The MoU was signed by Divya Jain, CEO, Safeducate in the presence of TISS director, S. Parasuraman and deputy director Neela Dabir. The partnership with TISS is a reflection of Safeducate’s growing relevance as a key Skill Knowledge Partner (SKP) in the mission to drive the supply chain skilling revolution in India. For Jain, who has been in the field of training and skilling for over seven years with Safeducate, this partnership was very special. “This is, indeed, a proud moment for me and for Safeducate,” Jain told ITLN immediately after signing the MoU in Mumbai. “This partnership with TISS, one of India’s foremost education institutions will help us get supply chain education to a coveted position, as well as create courses that are not just market driven but also aspirational for students. We look forward to a brighter career for aspirants in this field by way of a robust vocational education system,” she said on the sidelines of the 8th Express, Logistics & Supply Chain Conclave, in which she was a speaker in a panel discussion on women in logistics industry. As part of the partnership Safeducate will be responsible for a series of activities with respect to this programme. These include conducting skill gap mapping of logistics industry, collaborating with industry associations and players to study future skill demands and trends, as well as designing the course pedagogy, syllabus and course content for all the skill programs. “We will also be responsible for identification of training companies for facilitation of referred programs pan-India, tie-ups with industry players for on-job-practical training, and mentoring of training companies and skill development centers all across India,” Jain said. “Vocational courses have been designed with a definite vision to improve the lives of disadvantaged and marginalised youth, especially those who are excluded by the formal school education system. TISS SVE (School of Vocational Education) has been set up to create an ecosystem that would bring back the dignity of labour for blue-collar streams of work and create a sustainable source of income for them,” said Parasuraman. Apart from the regular skilling programs like short-term certification programs and skill enhancement programs, TISS is also launching India’s first undergraduate degree program in skilling, called Bachelors in Vocational Education (B. Voc.). What is noteworthy in this partnership is that the programme lets students to earn while they learn. “This programme has a unique ‘earn while you learn’ model, under which the trainee could also earn a stipend during the on-the-job duration of the course,” said Jain. With a master’s degree in management studies from University of Cambridge, Jain has been spearheading the mission to fill the skill gap in India’s logistics and supply chain industry. She is among the growing number of women who is finding a leadership role in India’s logistics and supply chain industry. “The key competencies required are not different from other sectors. What women should focus is on being a long term player in logistics. Today around 30 percent of the total workforce in supply chain and logistics comprise women. But only about 10 percent of them are seen at the leadership level,” Jain said. According to her, it is high time that we break the myths about the industry being male-dominated and a taboo for women.