India’s leather sector has the potential to create 2 million jobs over the next five years, according to Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, the country’s minister for skill development and entrepreneurship. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) certificates are playing a key role in helping to meet this demand. 

Dr Pandey spoke yesterday at a ceremony for more than a thousand RPL candidates who had earned their certificates under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) of Skill India and the Leather Sector Skill Council (LSSC). This initiative was created to assess and certify existing skills and knowledge that candidates have informally acquired, with the goal of boosting employability and incentivising more formal skill training. 

To date, 2.70 million candidates have been trained, 2.15 million assessed, and 2.03 million have been awarded certificates under the PMKVY program.

“When we look back at our past, India has always had a rich heritage of leather crafts like footwear and accessories,” Dr Pandey said at the ceremony. “Today, these skills need to be preserved and people should be encouraged to make them a means of sustainable livelihood.”