One of the best countries for rubber technology, India has plenty to offer in terms of job opportunities in the rubber sector. But what does it take to land a job in the industry and why is it relevant to the youth today? Vinod Simon, Chairman of the Rubber Skill Development Council (RSDC) who recently joined hands with Hindustan University to offer training programmes in rubber technology gives us a low down.
1. What will the programme entail?
The course is a three-year programme equivalent to that of a BSc Physics or Chemistry. It will include 40 per cent practical training and field visits. The course will ultimately aim to land students in supervisory roles in the rubber industry and plantation sectors. Students can join immediately on completion of Class XII and we are considering provisions for conducting examinations in regional languages.
2. How far has rubber technology in India developed over the years? To what extent will this help unemployment?
Rubber is a sunrise sector in India. Rubber industry fits in perfectly with the government’s initiatives of Make in India and Skill India as rubber units spread across the country manufacture around 35,000 different rubber products which find usage in auto, defence, healthcare, agriculture and in various other critical sectors. It is a labour intensive sector and manpower is always needed at all levels.
3. What other training programmes does RSDC undertake?
Currently, RSDC is conducting training for the job roles of Latex Harvesting Technician. The training is being conducted through Rubber Board Channel of 2314 Rubber Producer Societies and 254 Group Processing Centers in Kerala. The exercise will skill and recognize as many as 22,500 candidates for Latex Harvest Technician for controlled upward tapping and 4,500 candidates for the job role of Low Frequency Tapping.
4.What are some of the other places that offer training for rubber?
Kamaraj College of Engineering and Technology, Madurai , RSDC’s affiliated training partner recently launched the first batch of the Senior Rubber Technician (SRT) course as a value added program for the engineering students of the Dept. of Polymer Technology. Similarly, RSDC has inked a Memorandum of Article with Tripura University to offer a unique program called Bachelor of Vocation (B. Voc) in Rubber Technology. The course has been approved by University Grants Commission (UGC).
5. Where does India stand in the rubber export market and who are our major players?
India is a major exporter of rubber products. In the non-tyre sector as much 40% of the turnover comes from exports. There are around 5500 non-tyre rubber goods units in the country manufacturing 35000 different products. India is well known for the quality of rubber products and even discerning markets such as US account for significant exports. However the potential for rubber exports is much larger than exploited so far.
6. What are the job placement initiatives as part of the programme?
The best part of the programme is the industry itself is involved in training people. That ensures that students have the necessary skills that industries are looking for. We also conduct placement drives and encourage students to post their CVs on the RSDCindia.in portal, where companies.
