Europe is destination next for Indian professionals, workers

New Delhi, Sept 5 (PTI) With the government pushing for
a bilateral labour mobility agreement, Indian professionals
and workers may soon be headed for destinations in Eastern
European countries, as 13 million job opportunities are
expected to arise there.

With numbers of aging population on the rise in Europe
and a steady outflow of skilled workers from these countries
to a more prosperous western Europe, India hopes to fill the
gap with its young work force.

So far the traditional choices for Indian professionals
was North America and for workers it was Gulf countries.

Studies by the European Union estimates on the basis of
increase in production capacities and growth parameters that
13 million additional jobs will be created in Eastern Europe
between years 2006-15.

The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (M.O.I.A.) have
already signed a MoU with the International Organisation for
Migration (I.O.M.) for implementation of an European Union
sponsored project 'Regional Dialogue and Program on
Facilitating Managed and Legal Migration between Asia and the
European Union (E.U.)'.

"Labour supply gaps in the E.U. states have been
identified in certain key sectors like construction, health,
hospitality, pharma and I.T. Also a India-E.U. Free Trade
agreement which is on the cards shortly will provide a natural
corollary for supporting movement of Indian workers and
professionals," said a top M.O.I.A. official.

"Countries like Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Hungary
and Denmark have already been approached by the Indian
government with proposals for a bilateral labour mobility
agreement, after a potential for circular migration was
identified in these countries." he said.

Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, Vyalar Raviv is
slated to visit Copenhagen and London later this month to
push the bilateral labour agreement treaty with Denmark.

The agreement pursues putting in place a system of safe
and legal migration for Indian workers. To meet standards of
global production structures, India is counting on the
Craftsman Training Scheme and an Apprenticeship Training
Scheme of the Directorate General of Employment and Training.

"We have offered skilled worksmen for Europe in 153
trades from the 1896 Industrial Training Institutes and 3126
industrial training centres in the country," said an official.

Studies have shown that population of working age in
Europe will decrease from 67.2 percent in 2004 to 56.7
percent by 2050. While population of elderly will double from
prevailing 18 percent to 30 percent by 2050.

With Europe hit hard by recession, officials said they
are awaiting an opportune moment to go ahead with the
bilateral labour mobility agreement.

"Going by global market trends, Europe will over come the
recessionary trends by end of this year. A job fair in Denmark
is on the cards by then to initiate the process. Responses to
the agreement are also expected from Germany, Czechoslovakia,
Poland and a few other countries around the same time," said a
policy division official at the M.O.I.A.