G4S supports Skill India training initiative
.jpg)
G4S is a major employer across India, with 130,000 staff providing security services at over 16,500 client sites in cities, suburbs and rural areas. Every month, G4S India recruits over 4,000 people from an average of 20,000 applications, providing each employee with a minimum of 160 hours worth of training delivered via 32 training centres across the country.
This equates to nearly 8,000,000 hours of training provided by G4S to new recruits every year, in addition to the ongoing training provided to all employees.
Despite many gains made in recent years, the country's adult population averages 4.4 years of schooling according to UN Human Development estimates, well below other emerging market economies such as China (7.5 years) and Brazil (7.7 years) and significantly below the average for all developing countries (6.8 years). Only 2.3% of the Indian workforce is estimated to have any vocational training at all, according to recent research from training providers Manipal City and Guilds.
The UK India Business Council (UKIBC) Chair, Rt Hon. Patricia Hewitt, said: “Currently, the CSR spend of British companies is 4.4% of profits against the government-mandated figure of 2%. They also spend an average 7% of their total revenue on training and re-skilling their employees in India. The Skills Pledge is another highly impressive example of the commitment UK companies have for India, and to skills development. India has an enormous pool of ambitious and talented young people, and the Pledge gives them access to work quality training to recognised international standards. Through this pledge UK companies are further reinforcing their efforts to contribute to India’s ongoing economic success, and we would invite more businesses to join the initiative.”
G4S has led the security services sector in India for many years, since establishing a presence in the country in 1989. Investment in staff is a business priority, not only through ongoing skills training but also through workforce flexibility, designed to accommodate the seasonality of staff availability in rural areas.
G4S is also prioritising the recruitment of women, in response to the declining participation rate for women in the Indian workforce, from 35% in 1990 to 27% in 2013. (UN Human Development Report 2015). Women currently comprise just under 10% of G4S India employees, reflecting the traditional over-representation of men in the security industry. A recent partnership with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s Ladies’ Organisation (FLO) has seen G4S provide training on a range of skills to disadvantaged women aimed at preparing them to enter the workforce, and this should lead to an increase in the number of women working in the security industry.
G4S has also significantly contributed to the launch of National Occupation Standards under the aegis of the Security Sector Skills Development Council and has upgraded and modernised its training provision accordingly. The training covers all of the aspects of security roles which new recruits might face, from dealing with members of the public, patrolling, observation and surveillance, to crowd control, first aid, and etiquette. After successfully completing the course, new recruits earn a certificate as prescribed by Private Security Agencies Regulations Act, and can begin their careers in the manned guarding industry wearing the coveted G4S uniform.
UK India Business Council (UKIBC) is the premier business-led organisation promoting bilateral trade and investment between the two countries. Its mission is to facilitate an increase in trade between the UK and India through business to business dialogue.
