MUMBAI, July 13 -- In a bid to revive the stalled skill migration project with Germany, the Maharashtra government has granted permission to Rahul Rekhawar, the director of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), to visit Germany for a study tour from July 13 to 19. The visit is seen as a key move to speed up the implementation of the two-year-old agreement signed between the state and the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg. Organised by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, Mumbai, the study tour to which Rekhawar has been invited is titled 'Integration of German as a Foreign Language with Recruitment of Skilled Workers in the South and South-Eastern Region'. He will meet organisations involved in skill recruitment and training, with a focus on integrating German language education as part of the migration preparation. The Maharashtra government had signed a memorandum of understanding with the German authorities in 2023 to provide skilled manpower to German industries. While over 32,000 students had registered for the initiative, only 7,500 were shortlisted for language and trade training. Despite initial preparations, including the identification of training centres and allocation of Rs.36 crore for language instruction, the project had stalled following the 2024 assembly elections. HT reported on this in its July 1 edition. The SCERT director's visit is expected to help bridge the communication gap between the two governments and resume the implementation of the project. Rekhawar will also explore German language education models and their integration into skill development frameworks, which may inform future training modules in Maharashtra. According to a government resolution, the Goethe Institute will bear the entire cost of Rekhawar's foreign tour. On his return, he will be required to submit a comprehensive report to the ministry of external affairs and key departments of the Maharashtra government, outlining the outcomes of the visit and recommendations for the effective rollout of the language-training programme. The government has also directed that knowledge gained from the study tour be shared with other officials to accelerate the project. With this step, officials hope the long-awaited training for selected students, many of whom have waited nearly a year, will finally begin....