Mauritius Human Resource Development Council focuses on entrepreneurship

A highly skilled labour force with a dedication to the company and the country is a proven combination, hard to beat. Thus, one of the main objectives of the Human Resource Development Council is to take appropriate measures to ensure a balance between demand and supply of human resource. This was stated by the HRDC vice president Shamshudin Durgauhee in an interview with The Independent. Durgauhee also outlined the various projects of the council.

The HRDC became operational in 2003. What is the objective of the council?

The HRDC is an apex and tripartite body with a national mandate to advise the minister of Education and Human Resources. The vision of the council is to develop a creative and competent human resource base for Mauritius. Its main aim is to stimulate a culture of training and life-long learning in a bid to increase employability and productivity.

What measures have been implemented to ensure that the HRDC’s set goals are achieved?

The focus is on three main axes, namely education, training and employment. We see to it that there is no mismatch between demand and supply on the labour market. We put emphasis on pre-employment through work placements, re-skilling and up-skilling, entrepreneurship and market-driven training. We are trying to develop more multi-skilled workers.

Can you outline some of the projects the HRDC has set up?

We support institutions like the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development. We also have different schemes to support corporate training.
Other projects include enhancing adaptability of employees and families to evolving work conditions, training projects as well as the HR Excellence Awards, launched in May, which reward companies and professionals for adopting best HR practices. A regional exhibition is being planned for next year. We also have projects to cater to differently-abled people.

How does the council ensure skilled labour supply for the different industries in Mauritius?

At the HRDC we have eight sectoral committees that advise and work with the council. These are the emerging sectors, financial services as well as the ICT, agricultural, public, tourism, knowledge-hub and the manufacturing sectors.

Bridging the gap between school and the workplace is one way to prepare students for today’s challenging labour market. How does the HRDC help school leavers choose their career path?

We are involved in work placement projects for secondary school and vocational students. The project stresses the importance of out-of-classroom career-related experiences for students. It is one of the easy ways to ensure connectivity between schools and the world of work from an early stage. The project helps reduce mismatch between demand and supply of labour. Since July 2007, 2,932 students have completed an internship.