IndiaCan, a leading vocational training company today announced the launch of WorkFirst, the first ever international level certification for vocational skills in India for entry level jobs. The certification would help lakhs of first time job seekers get into the fast growing retail, sales and service sectors with a greater degree of confidence and certainty of employment. Developed by IndiaCan and accredited by Edexcel, the world's largest certification provider, WorkFirst certification will establish quality and proficiency benchmarks that will enable learners to find easier acceptability in the job market with greater chances of progress within their market sector. It will also help employers access manpower with certified job skills, improving the rate of selection of candidates as well as lowering the need for training, leading to substantial cost saving. While IndiaCan is a joint venture between Educomp, India's largest education company and Pearson, the world's largest education company, Edexcel is a Pearson company and is among the world's largest awarding body offering academic and vocational qualifications and testing to schools, colleges, employers and other places of learning globally. WorkFirst is expected to become the benchmark for quality in vocational skill development in the country. In the absence of any national index of certification, particularly one which could bridge the growing chasm between demand and supply, the shortage of adequately prepared manpower in entry level jobs is expected to exacerbate the unemployment scenario in the country. According to NASSCOM-Mckinsey Report 2009, the percentage of freshers who are employable by the industry is just around 30%, leading to a huge skills gap. WorkFirst certification mirrors industry endorsed qualifications by providing job centric content and learning that enables learners to be productive from day one of their employment. WorkFirst certificate courses from IndiaCan will enable job seekers to engage in learning that will provide industry relevant skills built around a range of skills and techniques and imbibe personal attributes essential for a successful career.
