Latest news with #BalasubramanianRamani
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
A.P. well-positioned to supply skilled workforce to global market, says German official
Germany is facing a major demographic challenge as an aging society, resulting in an urgent need for skilled workforce. On the other hand, India, with its youthful population and emphasis on education, holds a strategic demographic advantage, said Balasubramanian Ramani, Head of Talent Acquisition for Skilled Workforce in the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Government of Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Germany. Speaking to The Hindu during his recent visit to Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) to explore collaboration between Andhra Pradesh and Lower Saxony in skilling and employment, Mr. Ramani said a partnership between the two can be mutually beneficial. Mr. Ramani, who met Secretary (Skill Development and Education department) Kona Sasidhar and Advisor to the A.P. government for International Skilling Seeta Sharma said, with institutions such as ITIs, universities and vocational training centres, A.P. is well-positioned to train and supply skilled workers for global markets. The State's commitment to becoming a hub of renewable energy and quantum technologies further enhances its relevance, he said. He said that though the current focus was on the healthcare, partnership in renewable energy will also be explored actively, given that Lower Saxony leads Germany in renewable energy (offshore and onshore wind and solar). 'The idea is to attract, train and retain skilled professionals,' he said, adding that to take this forward, an invitation will be sent to A.P. government to send its delegation to Lower Saxony for a first-hand experience of its industries, training centres and political engagement. 'A concrete agreement should happen in six months,' he said. Technical sectors, metal industry and higher education and research segments will also be discussed in the days to come, he said. Language training As proficiency in German is crucial for workforce integration in Germany, he said A.P. government has expressed readiness to set up joint language academies, sending 15 trainers to Germany for language training and hosting German language interns from Germany to train local teachers. Referring to A.P.'s vision to become a quantum technology hub, Mr. Ramani said Lower Saxony has strong physics and quantum research universities and suggested cooperation in higher education mobility, research and student exchange. Speaking about broader economic cooperation, he said besides skilling, the collaboration can extend to investment and joint ventures, food processing (Lower Saxony is a major agricultural state) and ports and shipbuilding, suggesting links between Visakhapatnam and German ports.
The Hindu
31-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
A.P. and Germany's Lower Saxony explore ties in skilling, employment
Head of Talent Acquisition for Skilled Workforce, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Government of Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Germany, Balasubramanian Ramani on Thursday called on Secretary, Skill Development and Training and School and Higher Education Kona Sasidhar. They discussed forging of long-term collaboration in talent mobility frameworks, German language training, institutional partnership with ITIs and diploma institutes and industry-academia collaboration. Speaking to the media at the office of Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC), Dr. Ramani said that Lower Saxony was prioritising international recruitment in high-demand sectors, including Industry 4.0 and Automation, Green Technologies, Healthcare and Social Service, Digital Transformation and IT and Hospitality Management. He said Andhra Pradesh, with its robust skilling ecosystem, technical institutions and growing global outlook, was well-positioned to become a key talent partner. Managing Director and CEO of APSSDC Ganesh Kumar and Advisor to the AP government on International Skilling and Mobility Seetha Sharma said that Dr. Ramani's visit lays the foundation for a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding between Lower Saxony and Andhra Pradesh to facilitate structured international workforce mobility, enhance youth employability and promote mutual growth through knowledge exchange and institutional cooperation. Germany is currently facing an acute shortage of skilled professionals, with over seven lakh job vacancies and a projected demand for seven million additional workers by 2035. The shortage spans critical sectors such as transportation, construction, healthcare, engineering and information technology, significantly impacting that country's economic growth. As part of its response, Germany has identified India as a strategic partner, formalised through the Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement and the launch of the India Skilled Labour Strategy in 2024.
