Steps required for availability of Skilled Manpower – to meet the future need of the Coal
Industry
Human Resources Management in the Coal Industry specifically Coal India is one of the
strategic functions as the industry is labour intensive. As such, the achievement of business
objectives demands not only availability of required number of personnel at the right time;
but also optimum utilization of available manpower. Therefore, Manpower availability, their
development, training and retentions at all levels within the coal sector thus emerge as core
issue.
Considering the increasing demand of coal, not only for power generation purpose but also
for non-power, domestic coal production needs to be augmented. In this background, the
assessment of required workforce and their training needs for the tasks ahead assume much
more importance. Coal India, however, is facing problem of manpower availability with a
rapid decline in the workforce whose average age is approximately 50 years.
Age profile of work-force
Age group
Manpower
% age
<25
Yrs.
4791
1.25
26-30
Yrs
11627
3.03
31-35
Yrs
22691
5.92
36-40
Yrs
40642
10.60
41-45
Yrs
64848
16.92
46-50
Yrs
75898
19.80
51-55
Yrs.
83760
21.85
56-60
Yrs
79090
20.63
As the demand for coal increases, the size of a capable and experienced workforce
decreases. As such, we have to analyze the forces at work and make clear many dimensions
of manpower challenge for Indian coal sector’s plan for expansion or capacity and outline
the measures which are needed to be launched.
Situational analysis
The Coal industry and CIL in particular, is emerging as an organization with average age of
around 50, with vanishing skill set based on experience and reduced ability to “Learn to
Learn”. The average attrition rate is around 4% and `there is a widening gap in manpower
availability of right size and quality. The freeze in recruitment of executives as well as nonexecutives for almost a decade has in fact created in awful vacuum and exacerbated the
problem dimension. The workforce is in the midst of an un-stoppable and dramatic
transformation and right strategies need to be put in place to overcome the challenges of
manpower availability. The evolving skills required for the manpower is also fast changing
and in the pool of the executives, the lack of availability of “knowledge workers” is an area of
concern.
On an over-all synthesis of the manpower data of Coal India Ltd., the following scenario
emerges:-
1
Shortage of front-line supervisors as well as Statutory personnel such as Overman, Mining
Sirdars, Electrical Supervisors and Surveyors who provide the key surveillance inputs for
safety and production at the working face and are responsible for day to day operations
besides Rescue Trained Persons (RTPs). Further, in market ,there is non-availability of
required number of competent persons who can be appointed as Statutory personnel.
Approximately 1.45 lakh unskilled daily rated work-force available to the company need to
be trained suitably for bringing improvement in the competency and value addition to the
company.
Unwillingness of executives especially E&M and Excavation engineers for posting in
Underground mines as well as Opencast projects due to difficult working conditions and risk
factor, etc.
Induction of fresh manpower is to be made on mass level considering the attrition rate.
Simultaneously, training infrastructure is required to be augmented to equip new recruits in
reference to vision of the Coal India Ltd. as well as to provide them need based skills and
competencies.
The changing technology in Coal Mining calls for new and innovative training aids such as
use of simulators.
Though, the gap between the availability and required number of executives has reduced to
a great extent due to mass recruitment of executives made during the last three years; but,
the remaining vacant post of executives are to be filled-up aggressively.
As shelf life of knowledge gets shorter and the turn-over of the knowledge becomes more
rapid, life long learning and skill development becomes increasingly critical for keeping
employees relevant and agile. For the purpose, the training infrastructure as available in
CIL’s subsidiaries needs to be upgraded with world class facilities. In an increasingly
computer-centric functioning of any organization in the present day environment, CIL also
needs to provide massive training inputs on Computer literacy to all its work-force, from
grass root worker to senior most executives and specialized computer skills training to
specific levels of executives and non-executives.
CIL’s HRD policy seeks to provide supporting environment, through training and non-training
inputs, to its employees to help the employees realize their true potentials in enhancing
thereby their performance at the work place. Training inputs are directed towards providing
and enhancing technical and functional skills through programmes organized at different
Management Development Institutes of subsidiaries and at Indian Institute of Coal
Management at Ranchi. The challenges of fast changing business and technological
environment are addressed in the Annual HRD Plan of each subsidiary company.
2
The approved Annual Training Plan is delivered through HRD efforts in different training
centre and handed-over to Vocational Training Centre located in different subsidiaries.
Training in general is imparted under four segments – Technical training, Management
training, Transformation training and General Development training. These apart, all the
subsidiaries also organize workshops, seminars and symposium on issues related to business
concern.
Vocational Training of workers :The Vocational Training of workers is governed by Mines Vocational Training Rules, 1966.
The VTCs offer Basic course, Refresher training and Specialised training to the work-force.
The contents and emphasis on training has changed from time to time and at times, training
modules have been revised at the behest of DGMS. VTCs operates at mine level to train the
workers to improve their skills and make them aware of safety and health problems in mines
and also to educate them to contribute consciously to make the mine safe.
Unit level VTCs offer two types of training programmes – Basic Training for the new recruits
and Refresher Training for experienced workers. At the Area level, the VTCs are focused on
organizing courses for supervisory staff like Overmen, Mining Sirdars, Electrical Supervisors,
etc. and skilled personnel like Shot Firers, Electricians and Fitters. Here Again, two types of
courses are organized – one for the supervisors who are already employed in the mine for
sometime and the other for newly recruited Training Supervisors. The focus of such courses
for the second category is on training and guidance so that they may qualify in Statutory
examinations as prescribed under the Coal Mines Regulations.
Modules of transformational training are planned for new inductees into CIL and for workforce who are required to acquire a skill for transiting from conventional to semi-mechanised
mines or at closure of mines and for surplus manpower. CIL’s Training Policy is geared to
training of all employees and all cadres, treating training as an investment. The formulation
of training plans is based on diagnosis of performance gap and Training Needs Analysis
(TNA). The policy also focuses on Educational Upgradation, Management Development and
IT-enabled programmes for Management Information System.
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF COAL MANAGEMENT
Indian Institute of Coal Management (IICM), Ranchi is a unique training infrastructure of CIL
which was set-up in the year 1994 and is registered under Society Registration Act. It is
Centre of Excellence with state-of the-art facilities and conducts Management and Technical
Development programmes, workshops and seminars for about 3,000 executives every year
not only for CIL but also for other companies in coal sector like Singreni Coalfields Co. Ltd.
and Neyveli Lignite Corpn. Ltd. and strives to fulfil training needs through formal and nonformal means.
3
The spectrum of programmes at IICM covers the following :






Management Development Programmes
Functional Skill Programmes
Cross Functioning Programmes
IT-enabled programmes
Entry level programmes
Misc. programmes; and
Off-campus programmes
IICM plays a vital role in grooming fresh batches of newly recruited Executives of different
engineering and non-engineering streams through a structured institutional and on-the-job
training.
IICM has also been assigned responsibility of training top executives through Advance
Management Programme which includes overseas visit to expose the participants in
different coal mining environment and new technology.
“Kabiguru Industrial Training Centre” (KGITC)
Coal India Ltd. has joined hands with BHEL and DVC as one of the stakeholders in
establishing a new vocational training institute namely “Kabiguru Industrial Training Centre”
(KGITC) to produce a good number of trained youths who would be appropriate human
resource for the cutting age industries with the following objectives :1) To generate good human resource for the industry in the 11 th and 12th Five year
plan;
2) To provide training to youths fitting with upcoming industries;
3) To produce a large number of skillful and trained workers for cutting age industry;
4) To construct it as a premier training institute of excellence for suitable industrial
employment.
KGITC would also cater to the specific manpower requirement of Mining Industry and also
provides a platform for imparting necessary training to rehabilitated persons to equip them
with necessary skills to enhance the job opportunities.
KGITC after considering the present scope of employment in the entire growing industrial
sector has introduced different trades which would be reviewed keeping in view the need
4
and employment opportunities of the local areas as well as state and industry. Besides this,
advanced and modular employment schemes are also introduced for short term training for
the purpose of skill up gradation.
Appraising the Training Initiatives
On an over-all assessment, after nationalisation, Coal India has created a purposeful training
infrastructure which spans from competence building in technology, domain knowledge,
quality process and personnel effectiveness to managerial training and leadership
development. Considering the number of programmes conducted and the total number of
workforce trained, there has been a laudable achievement. However, in terms of quality and
the relevance or for that matter, the impact of training on productivity and safety, has been
only marginal.
Much perhaps could be done in meeting the challenges of “Skill Deficit” and there is a need
to examine the alignment of company’s training efforts to the over-all objectives and goals of
the organization. Efforts are required to be made to bridge the gaps in quality of training
inputs and preparedness for contending future challenges to ensure availability of workforce
who is lean, agile and engaged. For the purpose new skills and new modes of delivery of
training modules are required to be adopted. For example, at present, in NCL, Singrauli at
its Central Excavation Training Institute (CETI), one simulator for training of Dump Truck
Operators is available which needs to be replicated in other subsidiaries having opencast
mines as because benefits of simulation have been proven in the Mining Industry worldwide
for training and efficiency analysis. Similarly, through use of Underground simulators, mine
site training environment could be upgraded to assure safety training, improved equipment
maintenance and over-all operator efficiencies. There is no doubt that use of such facilities
not only attract but also encourage operators, new and experienced to gain added
experience in a true to life, high fidelity non-destructive environment.
In coal mining sector of other countries such as Australia and South Africa, Simulationbased training modules are available and as such Coal Industry in our country could also
justify investment made in simulators for training tasks which would certainly give significant
return in terms of increased effectiveness of Operators and other employees.
In view of the challenges relating to availability of required manpower for the production
targets of the 12th V year Plan and thereafter, the Coal Industry in general & Coal India in
particular need to undertake skill gap analysis for employees of all levels which would have
to comprehend both the qualitative and quantitative dimensions.
There appears a significant need for creation of specialist cadre which may deal with the new
order of technological functions and for undertaking research. Over and above the
initiatives required for bridging the quantitative gap in demand for skills, the development of
new skills for changes in technology, especially for the underground sector, call for
implementation of new HR initiatives. In short, the Coal industry requires an innovative
frame- work for attracting, selecting, deploying and developing its human capital.
5
Improvement be made in the working conditions/environment of mines especially
underground mines, besides more emphasis on Safety.
In summary, to make available required skilled work-force, Coal Industry in general and
specifically Coal India, has to adopt the following :










Shifting in focus of training initiatives and adoption of approach of multi-skilled
work-force - trained, prepared and groomed for new levels of performance.
Assessment of training techniques and their augmentation with a purpose to
strengthen the employees’ ability to act efficiently and competently.
More emphasis on simulation based training modules.
Development of Training Centers with state-of-the-art facilities.
Emphasis on computer literacy besides specialized computer skill modules for specific
groups.
Introduction of Behavior based training
Training to Trainers
Training of Project Affected Persons- to make them employable as skilled personnel
Improvement in working conditions with more emphasis on safety
Introduction of specialized training modules to develop Female employees for gainful
utilization in various assignments.
To develop employees through training opportunities abroad available from Foreign
Govt. Manufacturers & International Seminars/courses and to help in enhanced
Managerial & Technical competence of employees working in strategic positions.
(R. Mohan Das)
Director (Personnel & IR)
Coal India Ltd.
10, Netaji Subhas Road
Kolkata – 700 001
6