India and Finland on Thursday discussed expanding cooperation in skill development, vocational education and workforce mobility during a bilateral meeting between Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Jayant Chaudhary and Finland’s Minister of Employment Matias Marttinen in New Delhi. The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration between institutions, industries and training systems in both countries to build a future-ready workforce and enhance opportunities for skilled mobility. Both sides highlighted the need to create structured frameworks that enable skilled professionals to access global opportunities while ensuring high standards of training, certification and worker welfare.
Jayant Chaudhary said that under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is steadily moving towards becoming the “Global Skill Capital of the world.” He noted that India’s young and dynamic workforce, supported by an expanding skilling ecosystem, can contribute significantly to global industries. Marttinen said Finland values its partnership with India and acknowledged the contribution of highly skilled Indian professionals working across sectors in Finland. The ministers also discussed cooperation in sectors such as healthcare, construction, green technologies and advanced manufacturing. The dialogue highlighted the need to strengthen partnerships between vocational institutions, promote knowledge exchange, enhance trainer capacity and integrate language training to support international mobility.
In Guwahati, enhanced global skill partnerships could create new opportunities for youth in Northeast India. With growing participation in government skilling programmes, training institutes in Guwahati and nearby regions may benefit from international collaborations, especially in sectors like healthcare services, construction and emerging green technologies.
The Finnish delegation included senior officials from labour migration, innovation and workforce development agencies, while the Indian side was represented by officials from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, NCVET and the Directorate General of Training. Both sides agreed to continue dialogue to identify priority sectors and practical areas of collaboration.
