As many as 224 operators have been trained/certified and are employed with different customers.

– K. A. Sravan Kumar

Head-Product Support, Larsen & Toubro Construction & Mining Machinery

What is your view on the role of skill development/operator training in CE operations and maintenance?

Construction Equipment have undergone a sea change in the last decade with increased usage of mechatronics, telematics, and enhancement of core technology. A construction machine cannot be utilized to its potential with just the knowledge of lever operation. Proper use of available modes and features along with good energy saving operation techniques will ensure optimum production. Thus, knowledge and skill upgradation must go hand in hand with technology development. An untrained operator who does not understand the features and facilities available in the monitor panel will prove counter-productive and will not do justice to the high capital cost that has been spent for the machine.

The same holds good for the maintenance team. Modern engines with High Pressure common rail injections, EGR (Exhaust Gas recirculation) and SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) to meet the CEV -IV norms have special maintenance procedures which are different from the age-old established methods. Most of the diagnostics are done with the help of the monitor panel itself which requires unlearning and relearning of processes.

What is the current scenario of availability of skilled/certified equipment operators in India?

Conventionally, skill to operate a construction machine is largely acquired through practice and guidance from seniors. The Guru-Shishya (mentor- disciple) culture holds good here. However, L&T- CMB trains operators at the time of machine delivery and update them on new machine features. Training programmes are conducted at job-sites covering operation and maintenance. The launch of Skill

India Mission and the different initiatives to train and certify operators through the PMKVY/RPL and RPL-4 have given a huge thrust in this direction. We have trained and certified 13,000 plus operators and mechanics in the last 5 years.

Despite all this, there are many jobsites where uncertified operators are in the cabin operating the machines. On an average, at any job site one can find only around 30% trained and certified operators. Since there is no norm that mandates a certified operator alone to operate construction machinery, contractors are inclined to recruit unskilled personnel who learn the machine operation over a period of time.

According to you, how are the skill development initiatives progressing in Indian CE industry? What are the challenges faced?

Skill India Mission-PMKVY launched in 2015 and the subsequent formation of IESC (Infrastructure Equipment Skill Council) under the umbrella of ICEMA (Indian Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association) to represent the CE sector Skill Council is the best thing to happen in the last 5 years. They have the responsibility to drive OEMs to train and certify operators and mechanics under the Govt schemes and provide certificates that is recognized by the industry.

RPL-4 scheme to recognize prior learning is a popular scheme initiated by NSDC (National Skill Development Corporation) that gives an opportunity to all senior operators who are proficient in their job, but do not possess a Govt. certificate. L&T CMB alone has trained 11,620 operators and mechanics under RPL-4 till Dec 2021. COVID-19 did have its hindering effect on training with most of the operators returning to their hometowns or jobs getting stalled.

Despite these hiccups, the effort of the sector skill council will definitely yield good results and over a period of time, we will have more certified operators than the uncertified ones.

What are the steps needed to bridge the gap of demand-availability of skilled operators?

Today, we do not find a machine idle for want of an operator, since even a helper at the job-site with some knowledge gets into the cabin and starts operating. Owners do not feel the pinch as not all jobs at a construction, irrigation or quarry site require precision, and over a period of time the helper who demonstrated the initiative becomes the operator without training. Basic training and certification get ignored as a prerequisite.

As a remedy either the government or the industry self imposes the rule that at any job-site only certified operators should be employed. This will create the demand for training, and employers will sponsor more operators and mechanics to training sessions. OEMs will also be encouraged to invest in training infrastructure and trainers.

Operator/ mechanics training for construction equipment could be offered as a summer training course and a career option for the jobless youth. Industry will also get ready operators and mechanics who will be updated with the current features and operation techniques and extract the best from these machines.

Explain us about your company’s initiatives in operator training and skill developments.

L&T- CMB is celebrating 75 years of its glorious contribution in the Construction and Mining Industry and has become a trusted partner in the Nation-Building.  We have a Central Training Centre(CTC)in Kanchipuram  with regional training centres in  Delhi, Durgapur, Nagpur and Chennai to take care of customer training as well as training of its sales and service teams.

CTC has completed 25 years with a self-contained campus and5 fully equipped  lecture halls  of 140 seating capacity, a technical lab with machine components and cut models, a machine operation area. CTC believes that no untrained person should handle a machine and therefore conducts training for all their customers, service and parts engineers.

A customer training calendar is released each year and shared with customers so that they can nominate their operators and mechanics to CTC or at regional locations. All the regional training cells are equally equipped and have a total seating capacity of 220 plus members. Simulators, both portable and fixed, are available for excavators, dump trucks, wheel dozers, at Service Centres depending on the machine population. They provide opportunity to fine tune and perfect operation for the experienced, and basic operation for the beginners.

L&T-CMB has joined hands with ITI- Barbil in Odisha  to create a centre of excellence in the mineral rich district. Training programmes on hydraulics  covering 58 young pass-outs  have been conducted and participants are certified by IESC. Some of the trainees received immediate job offers as well. A similar MOU has been signed with NAC (National Academy of Construction)- Govt of Telangana for training on hydraulics.

In order to create a pool of excavator operators, unemployed youths from suburbs are training on excavator operation at CTC- Kanchipuram as Junior Excavator Operators NSQF- Level 3 and certified by IESC. As many as 224 operators have been trained/certified and are employed with different customers.

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