Trade Equivalence for Indian Army, Navy & Air Force Trades: A Gateway to Civilian Employment for Ex-Servicemen

Author : Bikash De – Editor, ESM Info Club

Why Trade Equivalence Certificate is Essential

Each year, a significant number of trained personnel retire from the Indian Armed Forces—Army, Navy, and Air Force—at a relatively young age. While they have served the nation with utmost dedication, their transition to civilian life often presents challenges, especially in finding suitable second-career opportunities.

To bridge the gap between defence service trades and civilian occupations, the Directorate General Resettlement (DGR) has released a revised and comprehensive Directory of Trade Equivalence for all three wings of the Indian Armed Forces. This move aims to facilitate seamless reintegration of ex-servicemen into the civilian workforce.

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Background: Why Trade Equivalence Matters

The last official Directory of Equation of Service Trades and Guide to Registration of Defence Service Applicants was published in 2012. However, with rapid advancements in technology and the emergence of new service and civilian trades, the earlier directory had become outdated.

Recognizing the growing need for a relevant reference guide, DGR—under the Ministry of Defence—has published an updated trade equivalence in the year 2022 that maps service trades with equivalent civilian occupations. The Table of Civil trade Equivalence of Combatant trades are availble here as link given in this article.

What’s New in the Revised Directory

Inclusion of newly created technical and non-technical trades across Army, Navy, and Air Force
Updated to reflect current industry practices and skill sets
Mapped with civilian occupations classified under the National Classification of Occupations (NCO) Code 2015
Serves as a guide for Employment Exchanges, Rajya and Zila Sainik Boards for accurate registration of ex-servicemen
Developed through the joint efforts of:
- Directorate of Training, DGR
- Directorate General Employment, Ministry of Labour & Employment
- Army, Navy & Air Force Headquarters

Objective of the Trade Equivalence Directory

To assist Employment Exchanges and Sainik Boards in matching service trades with civilian job roles
To help employing organizations identify relevant skill sets of ex-servicemen
To support registration and job-matching for ex-servicemen in reserved and unreserved vacancies
To offer a fair assessment of the competency and job-readiness of ex-servicemen based on their military training and experience

Why This is Crucial for Ex-Servicemen

Despite reservations in government and PSU jobs, there remains a large gap between the number of personnel retiring and the actual employment provided. Ex-servicemen, equipped with technical know-how, discipline, and leadership, are ideal candidates for a wide range of civilian roles. However, in the absence of a standardized trade equivalence, many are either under-placed or not considered for roles they are qualified for.

The new trade equivalence directory empowers them with official validation of their skills, making it easier to secure meaningful employment post-retirement.

Download the Trade Equivalence Tables

You can download the official equivalence tables from the following links:

📄 Indian Navy Trade Equivalence
📄 Indian Army Trade Equivalence
📄 Indian Air Force Trade Equivalence

Call to Action for Employment Officers and Recruiters

Employment Officers are urged to:

Utilize this updated directory when registering ex-servicemen
Ensure accurate mapping of service trades to civilian roles
Refer to the NCO 2015 codes for job classification
Use the data for both reserved and open category vacancies

The revised Trade Equivalence Directory is a landmark step in acknowledging the contributions and capabilities of our armed forces personnel. By facilitating their smooth transition into civilian employment, we not only honor their service but also utilize a valuable pool of trained professionals for nation-building.

Let us ensure that every ex-serviceman finds a dignified role in the society they once defended.

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