Habitat for Humanity through The Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter’s roundtable and report launch urges housing sector leaders to work together to improve India’s skills development landscape.Global housing non-profit organisation Habitat for Humanity, via its Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter (TCIS), is on a mission to equip masons and construction workers with technical knowledge and skills to build more durable, disaster-resilient housing with the help of India’s biggest organisations in the housing sector. Rajan Samuel, Managing Director, Habitat for Humanity India, said, “With an affordable housing shortfall affecting nearly 441 million people in India, the production and supply of affordable housing suited to low income groups requires rapid scaling. The roundtable discussion is a forum that brings together like-minded stakeholders, who are open to developing collaborations and partnerships which will synergise Habitat’s efforts towards decent housing.”The goalIn partnership with the Builders’ Association of India – Southern centre, the Terwilliger Center’s roundtable and report launch event shed light on homeowner-driven challenges in housing construction practices and its impact on labour practices. The event brought together experts from various organisations that play an active role in supporting initiatives that can build manpower capacity in the sector.Anand Kumar Singh, CEO, Construction Skill Development Council of India (CSDCI), and guest speaker, said, “In a large and unorganised construction sector, enhancing workers’ skills lead to a clear pathway to progress, enabling a better and skilled nation. The CSDCI is happy to have Habitat for Humanity joining hands with us to make positive change in the skills development landscape of the country.”The reportThe TCIS report on construction practices and skill gaps among construction labour was borne out of a four-month research covering low-income communities in Cuddalore, Kanchipurum and Chengalpalet. Around 90 key interviews and focus group discussions from various stakeholders in the housing value chain, including masons, contractors, engineers, architects, in addition to policy review and analysis were featured in the report.Findings show that most construction workers acquire skills through on the job learning, and there is still a stigma in admitting gaps in knowledge and the need for proper training. By understanding existing practices and challenges, organisations can develop new approaches to skill development in the construction industry such as the facilitation of partnerships with educational organisations and training providers to develop products targetted at masons and contractors, with special focus on those that cater to low income housing construction and repair sectors.Research results are in line with Terwilliger Center’s objectives to assist organisations across the construction and adjoined industries through a market system approach that aims to tackle constraints in housing construction in order to build resilience.