Skill centres to benefit youth: PM

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched 511 ‘Pramod Mahajan Grameen Kaushalya Vikas Kendras’ in Maharashtra. Inaugurating the skill centres via video conferencing, Mr. Modi said they would open a lot of opportunities for local youth around the globe.

Officials said the skill centres have been established across 34 rural districts of Maharashtra, where skill development training programs will be provided across various sectors to provide employment opportunities to rural youth.

“In these centres, skills related to construction sectors, new ways of agriculture and special training centres for media and entertainment will also be established,” Mr. Modi said.

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, and deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were among those present at the function. The PM urged CM Shinde and his team to focus on soft skills such as learning basic foreign languages using AI tools or other means for youth who are interested in working outside India.

Mr. Modi further said that India is not preparing skilled professionals only for itself, but also for the world. “Under the skill development programme of my government, 1.30 crore youth have received skill training. The demand for skilled professionals from India is increasing across the world,” he said.

Taking a veiled jibe at the previous regime without naming anyone, the PM said that the previous governments lacked farsightedness and seriousness towards skill development which resulted in fewer job opportunities for the lakhs of youth due to lack of skills. He said that the his government understood the need for skill development and created a separate ministry dedicated to it with its own budgetary allocation and multiple schemes.

Officials said that each skill centre will train about 100 youngsters in at least two vocational courses. The training is being provided by empanelled industry partners and agencies under the National Skill Development Council.