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NHAI Launches Skill Program to Train 49-District Highway Workforce

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is launching a structured skill development program for construction workers to meet the quality demands of the expanding highway network. Using data mapped to the village level, the program will target labor-origin clusters in 49 districts across eight states. It will partner with local training institutes and develop experienced workers into 'master trainers' to build a sustainable talent pipeline. The initiative, funded through NHAI seed capital and corporate CSR, aims to enhance workforce skills, employability, and the overall quality of national highway infrastructure.

Key Points: NHAI Skill Program for Highway Construction Workers

  • Targets workers from 49 districts across 8 states
  • Partners with local ITIs and colleges
  • Creates 'master trainers' from experienced workers
  • Funded by NHAI seed money and corporate CSR
2 min read

NHAI plans to implement skill development program for highway construction

NHAI launches a data-driven skill development program targeting workers from 49 districts across 8 states to improve highway construction quality and employability.

"build a skilled, resilient and future-ready workforce - NHAI statement"

New Delhi, February 4

With an objective to enhance the capabilities and skilling of workers engaged in the National Highway construction, NHAI will initiate a structured skill development and capacity building program that will be in line with the growing scale, complexity and quality requirements of the expanding National Highway network in the country.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the initiative aims to upgrade construction workers' skills to meet emerging quality-control standards in ongoing projects and to strengthen their ability to maintain developed National Highway assets.

In the first-of-its-kind exercise, NHAI has undertaken a detailed mapping of the origins of construction labour engaged in National Highway projects.

Data has been collected up to the village level to identify regions from which workers travel to construction sites. Based on this assessment, key labour-origin clusters have been identified in 49 districts across eight States: West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha.

This data-driven approach will help NHAI facilitate targeted skill training closer to workers' locations, leading to improved accessibility, participation, and long-term retention of trained manpower.

In order to establish a structured and sustainable framework for skill development and comprehensive training, NHAI has identified prominent local institutions such as Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), diploma colleges and engineering colleges in these regions and will be engaged as potential training centres.

The initiative also envisages upskilling experienced workers with seven to eight years of experience and developing them as 'master trainers' to train fresh manpower. Additionally, the respective NHAI field officers will serve as nodal officers for program implementation at the regional level.

The program will be implemented in partnership with volunteer National Highway construction companies, with NHAI providing seed funding and participating construction companies contributing under their CSR commitments.

Also, a dedicated skill-training website will be developed as a central repository for capsule training videos and course materials to support continuous learning and broader outreach.

The initiative will not only strengthen the workforce's skill base but also significantly enhance their employability. Also, creating a pool of trained and skilled workers will improve the quality and efficiency of National Highway construction while promoting skill development and livelihood opportunities in remote regions.

With this initiative, NHAI aims to build a skilled, resilient and future-ready workforce to support quality assurance and sustainable maintenance of the expanding National Highway infrastructure across the country.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As someone who frequently travels on national highways, I welcome any initiative that promises better quality construction. Upskilling the workforce directly involved in building these roads should lead to fewer potholes and longer-lasting infrastructure. The master trainer concept is particularly good.
P
Priyanka N
Good plan on paper. My only concern is implementation. Will the seed funding be sufficient? And will the construction companies genuinely participate in CSR or see it as a burden? The success will depend entirely on the ground execution by the nodal officers. Fingers crossed! 🤞
A
Aman W
Finally, a focus on the human capital behind our infrastructure boom. Migrant workers from these states form the backbone of construction. Providing them certified skills close to their villages means they won't have to migrate for low-wage, unskilled labour. This can be a game-changer for rural economies.
M
Michael C
The website with training videos is a great idea for continuous learning. Hope it's available in local languages. Quality infrastructure needs a quality workforce. This is a positive, long-term vision.
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Karthik V
A much-needed initiative. But I respectfully disagree with only targeting 49 districts in 8 states. What about the southern states or the Northeast? Skilling should be a pan-India mission. Limiting it might create regional imbalances in the future workforce.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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