Punjab inks MoU to set up Bharti Wal-Mart Centre

Chandigarh, Nov 12 (UNI) A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed here today between the Government of Punjab and the Bharti Wal-Mart (BWM) to jointly establish Bharti Wal-Mart Skill Centre to impart technical training in skills like modern retail and allied sectors including logistics, supply chain and other support services.

Principal Secretary Employment Generation and Training Navreet Singh Kang and Managing Director and CEO Mr. Raj Jain signed on behalf of Punjab government and Bharti Wal-Mart in the presence of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Badal said that the BWSC being set up in Amritsar would act as a catalyst to promote economic and social development of local communities.

The Chief Minister informed that vocational training through private providers had been initiated in 6 districts namely Fatehgarh Sahib, Bathinda, Muktsar, Sangrur, Mansa and Patiala for imparting free training in computer hardware, desktop publishing, retailing besides the trades of electrician and welder etc. and the remaining districts would also be covered soon.

Briefing about the skill development programme in the state, Mr Kang informed that Skill Centres had been set up in collaboration with leading private sector companies like Driving and Automotive Skills by Tata Motors, Construction Skills by Larsen and Toubro and Retail Skills, logistics and supply chain management by Bharti Wal-Mart.

He said that free training would be given to students for the entire course at BWMC, which will be certified by Bharti Wal-Mart.

He said as many as 42 applications had been received from different private players who had been empanelled as vocation training providers.

Speaking on the occasion, Bharti Enterprises Vice Chairman Rakesh Bharti Mittal said that BWM, as a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) would establish the BWSC at the space allocated at Government Institute of Garment Technology (GIGT) in Amritsar run by the Department of Technical Education.

He said that it aimed at revolutionising the retailing business in the state by providing world class training to the youth to enable them to compete globally.

UNI XC JN MMS1546