magicbillion

[magicbillion]

A Global Rise in Welders’ Recruitments

Both the economy and employment is currently more secure abroad and hence it is no surprise that many welders are seeking opportunities to work out of the country. Working abroad offers a wide range of benefits that are simply too many to count. Besides a considerably higher compensation, the welders’ recruitment has also gone up in numerous overseas job markets indicating the rise in demand for skilled welders. For recruiters too, this is an extremely good time to hire welders from countries like India where the workforce is larger, more skilled and cheaper. It is not as difficult to get an overseas welding job as most people think. To get a good job, a welder not only must have similar or better skills but should also possess a richer experience than the local welders of the country he/she is planning to work in. While the requirements and the shortage of skilled labor situation is known to many, welders are not always able to find the right jobs suited to their capabilities. Similarly, those responsible for welders’ recruitment often cannot reach the right candidates to fit the roles perfectly. The best way for welders to get work abroad is through recruitment companies based in their own country or in the country where they plan to work in. Companies like Magic Billion help such candidates find the right job in the right country as per their skills and requirements. It also assists recruiters abroad to get the best fit candidate. From recruiting to interviewing to VISA processing, Magic Billion provided end to end support to candidates and international employers. Welders’ recruitment has currently gone up and it is no longer a job for just making ends meet. Welders with the right accreditations earn good salaries. After gaining some experience, welders can expect projects in oilfields or off-shore rigs that come with six-figure compensations.

[magicbillion]

Global Agriculture Talent Requirement and Recruitment Needs :- Basab Banerjee

Farms across the world are being hit by two big challenges, by low commodity prices, and by an acute shortage of farm workers. Farm production in large parts of southern US is affected because the traditional migration of Mexican farmworkers has been reduced drastically this year. Similarly agricultural production across much of Western Europe is affected because the 1 million farmworkers across Italy, Spain, Germany and the UK, need to be supplemented by recruiting at least another 700,000 migrant agriculturalworkers from many places across the globe. Britain's horticultural industry alone hires up to 70,000 seasonal agricultural workers each year. This year’s widespread virus epidemic has clearly defined how the absence of seasonal and workers from overseas countries can see will impact farm production and commodity prices. Many European Countries are asking for volunteers to work in farms, to support farmers with their produce.

In contrast, in India about 41.9% of Indian workers are working in farms. This number becomes sizeable when computed to the one billion numbers of Indian population. This 400 million agricultural workforce is renowned for its efficiency and quality. The Indian government’s skill institution, Agricultural Skill Council of India has created an inventory of skills of this agricultural workforce, and this indicates that talent is available in almost all segments of agriculture and allied fields, like Farm Mechanization and Precision Farming,Agri-Information Management,Dairy Farm Management,Poultry Farm Management,Fisheries,Animal Husbandry,Post-Harvest Supply Chain Management,Forestry & Agro Forestry,Watershed Management,Amenity Horticulture & Landscaping,Production Horticulture,Seeds Industry,Soil Health Management, Commodity Management, and Agri Entrepreneurship & Rural Enterprises.

It is no surprise then that a large number of countries are looking at India to offset their shortage of talent in agriculture. Our company Magic Billion, specialises in understanding needs of global agricultural clients, who are open to recruiting talent from India. A sizeable number of our clients come from the agriculture industry, and their needs for talent are dispersed across the entire agriculture spectrum. We have had enquiries from Japan, where the employers are looking at recruiting Indians who work in rice farms. In Russia, the inquiry was for recruitment of agricultural specialists who will be able to operate combine harvesters and tractors, and other such farm equipment. And similarly a requirement came from Romania, where again the employer was looking at recruiting Indian agricultural workers to operate a variety of agricultural equipment. In the US the requirement is a little different. Employers want to recruit agricultural workers, as also professionals for piggery and poultry. In Italy, our agricultural professionalshave been recruited as agronomists in one of the largest horticulture farms. Companies like ours remain committed to provide the best of Indian agricultural talent to global employers, and help them recruit the best of Indian agricultural workers to work in their farms. This is done through an elaborate exercise (see Magic Billion Business Cycle) of understanding the client needs, mapping the competencies of agricultural workers in India with similar competencies, and then to provide with candidates a skill upgrade program in technical, cultural and language skills as per requirements of global employers.

[magicbillion]

Germany: the next BIG destination for Indian Talent

My tryst with Indo German Talent Mobility started when I was at National Skill Development Corporation, (NSDC) about a decade back.I was leading the discussions from NSDC withGIZ, the German Society for International Vocational Education and Training (VET) collaboration. We had protracted discussions, Seminars and Workshops on how we can collaborate for Talent Mobility and Dual VET. These interactions have resulted in much collaboration and understanding, and now GIZ even has staff within NSDC.

Historically, Germany and India have had exchanges of talent from the time industrial age has dawned, and especially after the Second World War - 70 years ago - when companies like Siemens and Mercedes came to India. They sent many Indian technicians to Germany, including one of my uncles, who went to Mercedes Germany to understand Truck Cab Design.

All the good features of an effective and efficient skill development system have been incorporated in the German Dual Vocational Education and Training (VET) System.

·        Firstly, the industry is very deeply involved in the entire process. It is they who provide a large part of the “on the job” training, which is so critical for technical learning to be imbibed by trainees.

·        Secondly, there is a structured curriculum, which is focused by trade, and based on practical learning for every trade.

·        And thirdly, the VET system has career progression built into it, allowing the youth to become more and more efficient in their trade.

Today, an interesting stage has been reached in the labour markets of both Germany and India. Germany with a population of 80 million,has a shortage of more than a millionin a large number of professions. In order to fill these shortcomings in the labour market,the country has amended its Labour Laws, and introduced the Skilled Immigration Act, which has kicked in from March 1, 2020.The new law expands the framework under which qualified professionals from non-EU countries can come to work in Germany. Also, the employment of qualified professionals from outside the EU with vocational, i.e. non-academic training, is no longer restricted to occupations experiencing a skills shortage. If someone has a vocational training qualification recognised in Germany, their residence permit allowing them to work in a specific occupation will also allow them to work in Germany in all occupations covered by their qualification.

This is a very potent Act, and can greatly facilitate the way in which youth from countries like India can participate in the German labour market.

India, having had more than two decades of very focused vocational education and training, has now got professionals who are proficient in their trades, and match global skill standards. India regularly wins medals at Worldskills Competitions, and bagged a whopping 23 of them in the last Championship.This will allow them to seamlessly get integrated into the German labour market.

Typically, for Indian candidates to be attractive in the German market, they need to be upskilled in two areas: (a) knowledge in German up to A2 level (preferably B1/B2 level) and (b) technical upskilling to German standards in sectors like manufacturing and construction.

This is where the company that I co-founded, Magic Billion,comes into play. Not only are we at the forefront of sending trained Indian candidates to overseas markets,but we also have a world class training infrastructure in Kolkata (India) for technical upskilling and a language training center in Noida (India).

 Our centers can also be usedby German employers to provide basic training and conducting assessments, after which selected Indian candidates can move to Germany.

Some Pictures of Magic Billion Training Centre at Kolkata India

I was recently in Germany (in January 2020, pre-Covid), and visited various Industry Associations (called IHKs). I met with the representatives of Potsdam, Magdeburg and Frankfurt Oder(pictures in this order below), all in the Bavarian Region, who all speak on behalf of employers in those regions.

Every single meeting was about German employers either seeking apprentices, semi-skilled or skilled workers in trades from welders, fitters, machinists, to service industry candidates in hospitality, and to high end IT professionals. Many models were suggested, from apprentices, to trained candidates, with options of language training in India or Germany.

There are various customized models that Magic Billion can offer German employers, and each of these models would be curated uniquely for every employer.

·        One model can be for IHKs and/or employers to indicate their requirement of apprentices by trade. Magic Billion can select suitable youth from 350 million Indians, get them interviewed by employers, and provide extensive German language and technical training in India, before they go to Germany. This way the youth can enjoy their apprenticeship to the fullest, and employers too would be happy to get youth who have similar language and technical skills to native candidates.

·        Another model can be for German employers to similarly indicate their requirements of trained workers in various sectors, like healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing or agriculture, and Magic Billion can help with sourcing, screening and selection of such candidates. There can be options for language and technical training in Magic Billion facilities before their dispatch to Germany.

·        For high end professionals like IT, Banking and Finance etc, Magic Billion can also help with sourcing, screening and selection of such candidates. Here again there can be options of language training, for the short term, or long term if the candidates are compensated for their time by their German employers.

Indians stand ready to support the German economy to grow. In 2018, the highest number of Blue Cards in Germany were issued to Indians –the then German ambassador in Delhi, Michael Steiner, said at a Global Skills Summit organised by FICCI, in 2013, that while India has the advantage of a young workforce, Germany is an ageing society that needs skilled workers. While this statement is true, there is a chasm of a skill and language gap that Indian youth need to fill before they can be inducted into the German Labour Market.

And this is where companies like Magic Billion come in. We are able to study the skill gap, understand the technical qualifications of both countries, and create skilling models for rapidly up skilling selected Indian youth to technical, linguistic and cultural standards as required by German employers. If we can do this with near 100% success rates for employers from 10 countries spread from Japan to US, we can definitely do the same in Germany.