The Government of India launched an initiative SWADES (Skilled Workers Arrival Database for Employment Support) to conduct skill mapping of the returning citizens under the Vande Bharat Mission (VBM). SWADES was a joint initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of External Affairs which aimed to create a database of returning citizens based on their skill sets and experience. The returning citizens were required to fill up an online SWADES Skill Card, containing details related to the work sector, job title, employment and years of experience. As on 25^th January 2021, more than 30,500 citizens have registered for SWADES Skill Card, out of which more than 24,500 (~80%) citizens have returned from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain).

            Details of SWADES registrations have been integrated with Skill India’s ASEEM (Aatmanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping) portal. Currently, 800+ employers are registered on ASEEM portal and have posted a combined demand of more than 5 Lakh employees in India. Through ASEEM, employer-specific reach out for SWADES candidates is also being conducted for providing relevant job opportunities. There is scope for workers including Gulf returnees to work in other countries including migration corridors under the Memorandum of Understanding/Memorandum of Cooperation signed with various countries.

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