The NACE International Institute (NII) has entered into a licensing agreement with the Nirvaan Foundation of Skill Development (NFSD), a nonprofit organization that provides skills development, education, and training programs in rural and urban areas of India.
In India, NFSD will act as a licensee to implement the NII’s Contractor Accreditation Program (NIICAP), designed to validate a coatings contractor's quality assurance program, support practices, and production processes.
Coating contractors applying for NIICAP accreditation are subject to intensive audits of their business practices. These include field and shop practices; internal training programs; hazardous waste removal; and management, health, and safety conditions. In India, NFSD will act on behalf of NII to market NIICAP and execute audits, and NIICAP accreditation will be issued through NII.
NFSD programs currently includes skill development welding, paint applicator training, architectural coatings application, and masonry training. The organization plans to add more programs in additional fields in the future.
According to the International Measures of Prevention, Application, and Economics of Corrosion Technologies (IMPACT) study by NACE International, the direct cost of corrosion for India is $26.1 billion — or 2.4% of India’s gross domestic product (GDP). Meanwhile, the indirect cost of corrosion was $39.8 billion, or 3.6% of India GDP.
To mitigate the cost of corrosion, the IMPACT study recommends the implementation of corrosion management programs for both government organizations as well as private companies, with training and education of the workforce an important aspect of these programs.
Since coatings are considered to be the first line of defense against corrosion, the agreement between NFSD and NII is designed to raise the bar for the coatings industry in India and enable public and private asset owners to increase public safety and improve corrosion management practices.
Source: NII, www.niicap.net.