The Jewellery Occupational Skilling Hub (JOSH), an initiative by the Gem & Jewellery Skill Council of India (GJSCI), held a convocation ceremony at the Mega Common Facility Centre (CFC) in SEEPZ, Mumbai on 27th June. The event marked the graduation of 115 candidates from the 7th regular batch and the 1st batch of Specially Abled Persons (SAP/PwD).

The trained candidates specialised in various job roles, including Filing & Assembly, Basic Metal Setting, Polishing & Cleaning, Jewellery CAD Designing, Diamond Assorting, Wax Setting, SAP - Filing & Assembly, SAP – Basic Metal Setting, and SAP – Polishing & Cleaning.

The event was graced by the chief guest, the newly appointed Development Commissioner, SEEPZ-SEZ, Shri Dnyaneshwar B. Patil, IAS, who was joined by Joint Development Commissioner Shri C.P.S. Chauhan, IRS, SEEPZ-SEZ; Deputy Development Commissioner, Dr. Prasad Varvantkar, IRS, SEEPZ-SEZ along with other dignitaries including GJSCI Chairman Shri Adil Kotwal, GJSCI Ex-Director Shri Shishir Nevatia, GJSCI Director Shri Colin Shah, Jewelex India Pvt. Ltd. MD Shri. Bobby Kothari, and GJSCI Executive Director & CEO Mr. Rajeev Garg.

Shri Patil was moved by a testimonial from a parent of a trainee in the Specially Abled Candidates batch. He stressed the importance of providing opportunities to underprivileged sections of society, giving them purpose and hope. He praised JOSH for its inclusive training efforts, highlighting the programme's impact on individuals from diverse backgrounds.

GJSCI Chairman, Shri Adil Kotwal, encouraged graduates to complete their training and apprenticeship to secure a better future. He provided valuable employment advice and reassured them of promising career prospects. Shri C.P.S. Chauhan, Joint Development Commissioner, spoke on the importance of skill development and urged industry partners to offer competitive packages to retain skilled workers.

A notable achievement of the training programme was the employment of all SAP batch graduates by Jewelex India Pvt. Ltd. Additionally, many candidates from the general batch were offered apprenticeships with various jewellery companies within SEEPZ.

Shri Rajeev Garg expressed gratitude to the Office of the Development Commissioner and acknowledged the rapid progress of JOSH, crediting GJSCI Chairman Shri Adil Kotwal. He called upon industry partners across India to collaborate with JOSH to establish training setups in their clusters.