The Central Board for Workers Education (CBWE) is an autonomous body

under the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India. It is registered

under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. Started in 1958, the Workers
Education Scheme in India has been playing a very significant role in our national
development; creating an enlightened and disciplined work force and bringing
about desirable behavioral changes in our workforce in the organized,
unorganized and rural sectors. It gets grants-in-aid from the Ministry of Labour &
Employment to operate its activities.
The Scheme of Workers Education aims at achieving the objectives of creating
and increasing awareness and educating the workforce for their effective
participation in the socio-economic development of the country. To achieve these
objectives, various training programmes are conducted by the Board for the
workers of formal and informal sectors at national, regional and unit levels through
a network of 50 Regional and 09 Sub-Regional Directorates spread all over the
country and an apex Training Institute viz.
Indian Institute of Workers Education (IIWE) at Mumbai.
CBWE Regional Directorates
Sub-Regional Directorates
Workers Education covers a whole range of skills and knowledge, which
contribute to the harmonious development of a workers personality, his role in the
society and the knowledge and attitudes required for such roles.
Workers Education is a special kind of adult education designed to give workers a
better understanding of their status, rights and responsibilities as workers, as
union members, as family members and as citizens.
Workers Education emphasises group advancement and solution of group
problems. It differs from vocational and professional education, which is meant for
individual advancement whereas the Workers Education lays stress on group
advancement. Education does not mean merely literacy, but also should enable
an individual to understand his/her responsibility towards family, work place,
society and nation.

Empowerment of workers is an essential component of Workers Education as the

functioning and ultimate results achieved of any organization depends mostly on
its workers.

MGNREGA:
In the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), the first ever
scheme launched by the Govt. of India which guarantees wage employment, the
primary objective is to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing at
least 100 days of guaranteed employment in a financial year to every household
whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
The New Scheme under Plan under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has been implemented by the Board
starting from 2011-2012.
The special programmes for the beneficiaries of MGNREGA are being conducted
by CBWE through its Regional Directorates spread across the country to enlighten
the rural masses about the benefits of the National Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme. A provision under plan has been made to undertake the activities under
this project. The budget of Rs 10.00 Cr . has already been approved by the
Ministry for the financial year 2011-2012. The literature will also be developed for
the greater awareness among the rural workers.
Following activities are being conducted under the Project 1.
2.
3.

Village Level Programmes

Block Level Programmes
District Level Programmes

To initiate the things, a National Level Workshop on Training of Trainers on

MGNREGA was organized on 15th and 16th July, 2011 for the Education
Officers, Regional Directors and Zonal Directors who are actually in the field and
doing a noble job of imparting training to the workers to empower them towards
their duties and responsibilities.