TravTalk India Online Magazine
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC) in Delhi recently, Rajan Bahadur, Chief Executive Officer, Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC), reaffirmed the council’s dedication to empowering individuals through skill development and contributing to the growth of tourism and hospitality industry in the country.
Surbhi Sharma
Commemorating its 10th anniversary, the Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC) recently held a grand event in Delhi. The celebration, themed ‘A Decade of Excellence, Empowerment, and Employment’, highlighted THSC’s journey and achievements over the past decade while setting the stage for future initiatives. Eminent personalities graced the occasion, reflecting on the significance of the big milestone.
Delivering the welcome address, Jyoti Mayal, Chairperson, THSC, emphasised the council’s mission of enhancing skills and creating employment opportunities in the tourism and hospitality sectors. Outlining the accomplishments and growth of THSC over the past 10 years, Rajan Bahadur, CEO, THSC, said, “It’s been a fantastic journey. We started skilling 50,000 people in the first two years and went up to about four lakh and now aim to cross the figure of five lakh by the end of this year.”
THSC initiatives
Showcasing the key initiatives and programmes that have significantly contributed to the sector’s development, Bahadur said, “Over these years, we have grown to have a presence in every state of India, barring Lakshadweep. We have tie-ups with 1,000 plus training centres, 100 plus colleges and universities, and as we go forward, we look for opportunities to double our numbers in the next 10-15 years. So far, we have tied up with 21 school boards, which cover over 2,500 schools. We have introduced the RTD (Recruit, Train, Deploy) programme, where we impart training to people for the specific needs of our industry partners, certify them, and then companies employ them.”
One of the key highlights of the event was the launch of the ‘Empowering 100 Dreams’ initiative, which focuses on empowering women by providing them with necessary skills to thrive in the industry. Speaking about this commitment, Rajan underscored the importance of gender inclusivity in the workforce.
Balancing demand-supply gap
Emphasising that nothing can be done individually, Rajan said, “We are in complete alignment with the Ministry of Skills Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and the Ministry of Tourism, and working together for narrowing down the demand-supply-skill gap.”
Challenges
Discussing the industry challenges, he said, “We have done a pan-India study covering 20 states, 5 Union Territories, 10,000 youth, and 500 employers and concluded that our industry has great potential and holds immense significance in the coming time. The challenges we are struggling with are the entry-level pay scales and the working conditions are not very conducive. As an industry, we need to address this issue. Our industry needs far more skilled people to service the guests. For that, we need to collaborate, work together, and ensure that India becomes the most preferred destination in the world.”
