In the second phase of its implementation this year, Skill India, the PM’s ambitious project to train lakhs of unemployed youth will focus on partnering with industry and strengthening the programmes of state governments to train youth.
In that context, the centre is looking at the models of imparting skills adopted by Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, UP, TN and Maharashtra, to be emulated in other parts of the country.
Recently, the Ministry for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has partnered with World Bank to strengthen the states implementing skill training schemes through financial support. Ministry officials said an aid of $1 billion offered by World Bank to fund Skill India will be given to state governments depending on the way they are implementing their projects.
“The idea is to strengthen the state governments. But we have six parameters which will look at how much aligned they are to industry standards. We are also looking at how they have executed district-level skill assessment studies,” official said.
The ministry, last year, had invited all states to present their plans for Skill India, after which officials and Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, have been touring different states to take stock of the progress.
According to officials, while Rajasthan with a fund dedicated to skill training had done exceedingly well, the Rajasthan Livelihood Development Corporation by asking all panchayats to hold meetings to identify unemployed high school graduates and enabling them to be trained for 90 days in a skill of their choice has helped with their job placements.
Rudy had recently praised the state for establishing the first State Skill Mission to converge all skill development schemes under one umbrella. The centre is also keenly looking at the model adopted by UP and TN, both non-BJP states, that have fulfilled their skills targets for the year. “UP had become the first state to implement the skill development policy”.
Nearly two lakh have been trained at 1,769 centres,” an official said, adding that the state’s vocational Education and Skill Development Minister and IIM-A professor Abhishek Mishra needs to be credited for it.
The ministry is also looking at the model adopted by Chhattisgarh that already has an Act for youth’s right to skill development under which Rs 75 cr has been sanctioned for livelihood colleges and girls’ hostels recently.
Maharashtra is setting up a university to impart an integrated skill development training in specialized sectors.
Note: News shared for public awareness with reference from online news portal.
