28-Dec-2021: Ministry of Skill Development launches a project to upskill the cane and bamboo artisans of Nagaland

Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; and Ministry of Electronics and IT, digitally launched a pilot project today for upskilling the cane and bamboo artisans of Nagaland under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), component of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY). The objective of this initiative is to upskill the local weavers and artisans to enhance their productivity through RPL assessment and certification in traditional handicrafts. The project targets to upskill over 4,000 craftsmen and artisans.

The upskilling project under RPL is expected to improve the competencies of the unorganized workforce existing in the geography. The artisans and weavers will be aligned with the standardized National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF). It will provide access to existing artisans and weavers to sustain their livelihoods and enhance their skills, and technical knowledge. Additionally, the pilot project will augment the marketing skills and techniques, promoting traditional and local crafts of cane and bamboo artisans. The initiative will add value to the traditional handicrafts through Upskilling Bridge Module through Government of India certification. Under the initiative, each batch shall run for 12 days with 12 hours orientation and 60 hours Bridge Module.  Further, after the orientation programme along with the Bridge Module, the artisans and weavers shall be certified with the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Type-1. The training delivery partners for the upskilling initiative are Cane Concept and Handloom Naga.

Launching the initiative, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that traditional techniques of craft and artwork are a significant part of India’s rich heritage and there is an urgent need to preserve these skills. He further said that it is the vision of our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi to create the right synergies and build infrastructure for the country’s youth, from North to South and from East to West. It is an article of faith for him that the future of India will be defined by the efforts, energy, and success of our youth population including the 4100 artisans who are going to be trained in Dimapur. This is not an isolated movement but a part of a larger vision of enabling youth with skills, he added.

Shri Chandrasekhar stated that skilling the youth is an important mission for us and that is why we have gathered here to launch this event that trains and motivates artisans. He shared that during his visit to Nagaland, he realized of the potential that the region has and its role in economic progression. This prompted the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to come up with this program in a bid to meet the economic aspirations of the local youth and take them on the path of development, he added.

The project will be implemented in different phases including selection of artisans and weavers, Training of Trainers (ToT), and upskilling of artisans and weavers through RPL with Bridge Module. The artisans and weavers will be selected from the traditional crafts clusters of Nagaland. The selection will be made basis the existing experience of these candidates. The trainers will be selected either from the existing database or a Training of Trainer (ToT) programme will be conducted for the existing artisans and weavers from the proposed clusters. The artisans and weavers will be trained in innovative and upgraded techniques of making handmade products. Post training all the artisans and weavers will work in micro units which are set-up in their respective clusters. During this time the beneficiaries will be encouraged to participate actively in external deliberation so that at the final stage, they are able to manage market linkages on their own.

National Skill Development Corporation, the nodal implementation agency for the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, supported by Handicrafts and Carpet Sector Skill Council (HCSSC) will monitor the day-to-day progress of the project. The project aims at achieving learning outcomes including entrepreneurship development, digital literacy, communication skills at workplace and development of sales, and marketing skills. The project will also be backed by industry participation which is vital for the successful implementation of this project and the ongoing support. The industry will be supporting in areas like training of 150 trainers, infrastructure, providing raw material and promotion of crafts in domestic and international markets.

In September 2021, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar visited Nagaland and Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Post his visit, he expressed the need to organise a project for the preservation and revival of dying traditional crafts in the respective regions as the handicraft sector is the major employment generator in these geographies. It was observed that the heritage and traditional skill clusters require skilled artisans from villages to meet the demand for traditional crafts in Nagaland and J&K. In addition, the project in J&K was conceptualized and delivered within two months of minister’s visit, as assured. This initiative aims at industry and market linkages, encouraging micro-entrepreneurship.

9-Aug-2021: Public and Private partnership in skilling and employment

Public Private Partnership play an important role in the skilling and employment.

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is implementing its flagship scheme Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) through National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) which had been set up as a Public Private Partnership initiative. The Ministry, through the NSDC, has taken up multiple initiatives to connect with industries for partnership under the Skill India Mission. There are 2188 Training Partners participating in the skill initiatives of the NSDC and all of them are private enterprises. 36 Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) have been set up as Industry led bodies which help in training need analysis, curriculum development, rolling out of training and assessment and certification.

In addition, Directorate General of Training, MSDE has also signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Association of Software Services Companies (NASSCOM), IBM India Pvt. Ltd and SAP India Private Limited for conducting courses under CSR initiative of these private companies.

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasizes integration between vocational and academic streams in all schools and higher education institutions in a phased manner. As per the said policy, vocational education will start in school from the 6th grade and will include internship. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in collaboration with Ministry of Education has already initiated a pilot project on Hub and Spoke model. In Hub and Spoke model, Industrial Training Institutes (ITI)/ Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKK) will be leveraged as hub of vocational education and training (VET); schools will access the skill training from this hub as individual spokes. With this synergy, the school students would be exposed to the wide range of possibilities available in the world of work in their respective fields and learn on latest technologies available in the ITIs. The project aims to ensure that every young adult in 6 to 19 years of age cohort completes either 12 year of schooling with at least one certification of level 2 to 4 National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) certificate or 10 years of schooling & certification with 2 years of ITI programme. Currently, the Program is envisaged in 4 States viz; (i) Chhattisgarh (ii) Madhya Pradesh (iii) Odisha and (iv) West Bengal. These State Governments have identified 2 districts and a hub ITI in each district in their respective States. Mapping of spoke schools is being done by the State Governments concerned.

Further, under the aegis of the MSDE, NSDC and its SSCs are facilitating the Ministry of Education for the implementation of the Samagra Shiksha scheme in 12,332 schools across 31 States and Union Territories (UTs), offering 125 job role-aligned courses across 21 Sectors, as in 2020-21. Under this initiative, more than 13 Lakh+ students are reportedly (by Ministry of Education) enrolled in 2020-21 academic year.

In addition, Ministry through NSDC is supporting University Grant Commission for three schemes namely Community College, Bachelor of Vocational course (BVOC) & Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Kaushal Kendras (DDUKK) which are being introduced in different colleges and universities. Sector Skill Councils are supporting the colleges/ universities to align their curriculum as per the NSQF approved Qualification pack and conduct the Skill Component assessment and certification.

30-Jul-2021: Fresh Skilling, Upskilling and Reskilling of Workers

Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has formulated the special programme for the fresh skilling and upskilling of the reverse migrant workers including labourers impacted from COVID-19 under its flagship scheme Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).

This special programme for the fresh skilling and upskilling of reverse migrant workers including labourers under PMKVY has covered 116 districts of 6 States namely Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh selected under Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan (GKRA) of Ministry of Rural Development. PMKVY has two components namely Short Tern Training (STT) and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). As on 10.07.2021, 70,823 migrants have been trained / oriented (32,789 in short term training (STT) + 38,034 in Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)).

Under the third phase of PMKVY i.e. PMKVY 3.0, a pilot On-line/Digital (Blended) Mode of training under STT-PMKVY3.0 has been launched. Blended Learning (Training) through digital skills is crucial in the post COVID era to ensure skilling for youth and also to address the requirements of industrial revolution 4.0. 

This pilot On-line/Digital (Blended) Mode of training has been launched for 15 batches and 50% of the theory hours can be completed via online mode.

National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) under the aegis of the Ministry has promoted online skilling through eSkill India portal during the pandemic induced lockdown.

This e-learning aggregator portal offers online skill training on a variety of sectors and modules covering sectors namely; Information Technology, Electronics, Retail, Construction, Automotive, Plumbing, Healthcare, Media, telecom etc. Over 1200 e-courses including e-commerce have been catalogued in eSkill India and most of these courses are free. The courses spread across sectors, languages and domains. The enrolment of candidates for various e-courses in eSkill India Portal is around 15 lakhs. Under PMKVY 3.0, focus has been given for skilling on digital technology and Industry 4.0. The Sector Skill Councils have also created job roles on new and emerging digital technologies and industry 4.0 skills like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT).

Similarly, in the field of long-term training, the Directorate General of Training (DGT) under MSDE has launched Bharat Skill Portal covering 29 popular courses, e-learning video content for 71 courses and question bank for all the 137 trades under Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS)for it is, benefitting 9.38 lakhs trainees. Further, on the occasion of World Youth Skill Day (15th Jul 2021), blended learning was launched in respect of six courses under the Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) for long-term training through the Industrial Training Institute (ITI). The six courses are namely those for electrician, fitter welder, computer operator & programming assistant, cosmetology, and diesel mechanic.

30-Jul-2021: Exclusive Scheme for Skill Development in Tribal Areas

The Government has adopted a multi-pronged strategy for the overall development of tribal people living across the country which includes supports for skill training. The Ministry has been implementing Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) Scheme and National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) for providing short term Skill Development training and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) for long term training, to the youth belonging to all section of the society including tribal community.

There is no exclusive specific scheme for the STs; however, the following additional benefits are given to tribal candidates under the different skill development of schemes:

While, under the CTS, development of policy, laying of training standards, norms, conduct of examinations, certification etc. at the national level are the responsibilities of the Central Government and the responsibility of day-to-day administration and other functions related to admission to ITIs are the responsibility of the State Governments.

26-Jul-2021: Promotion of skill development of tribal community

As per the National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, 2015 India has a target to train 402.87 million by 2022. This includes 104.62 million new entrants to existing workforce in the country who need to be skilled to meet industry requirement. In addition 298.25 million of existing workforce need to be reskilled/upskilled.

The Ministry has been implementing Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan(JSS) Scheme and National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) for providing short term Skill Development training to the youth belonging to all section of the society including tribal community. All of the above Schemes has the mandatory provision of utilization of funds for tribals through Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) component.

The MSDE through National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) promotes establishment of model and aspirational skill centres known as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) for imparting skill training in every district throughout the country including the tribal areas. In addition, the Ministry, under the JSS Scheme, 238 Jan Shikshan Sansthans are being functional and75 new JSSs has been sanctioned for the current Financial Year (2021-22). In addition to this, under PMKVY Scheme, Training Centres (TCs) have been set up through NSDC. As on 10.07.2021, 2050 TCs have been operational under PMKVY 2.0. Further, there are 14,604 Industrial Training Institutes which provides long term training to all sections of the society including STs, out of which 1508 are in tribal areas. Capacity of a training centre/ institutes in terms of candidates varies from scheme to scheme and State to State.

19-Jul-2021: Board for Skill Development

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is the flagship skill training scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). Under PMKVY 2.0 (2016-2020), a target to train one crore individuals was set. The number of candidates trained is 1.09 crore. Under PMKVY 3.0 (2020-2022), which was launched on 15.01.2021, a target to train 8 lakh individuals has been set. The number of candidates trained so far is 1.2 lakh.

MSDE, vide notification dated 5th December 2018, has set up National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) as an overarching regulatory body for the skill eco-system. It is mandated to regulate the functioning of entities engaged in vocational education and training, both long and short-term, and establish minimum standards for the functioning of such entities.

Under PMKVY scheme, various initiatives are taken to ensure better placement outcomes for the trained/ certified candidates. Rojgar Melas are conducted for placement of youth by industry. MSDE has launched Aatmanirbhar Skilled Employees Employer Mapping (ASEEM) portal, which acts as a directory of skilled workforce. The objective is to provide a platform that matches supply of skilled workforce with the market demand, thereby facilitating better livelihood opportunities for youth and availability of ready skilled manpower to employers.

8-Apr-2021: Skill India Conducts First-of-its-kind Regional Workshop to Accelerate Implementation of PMKVY 3.0 in North Eastern Region

With a vision to empower the youth of North Eastern Region(NER) with industry-relevant skills to enhance their productivity and contribute to the economy, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) today conducted a first-of-its-kind regional workshop for Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 3.0 in Gangtok, Sikkim. Key personnel of State Skill Development Missions (SSDMs) and District Skill Committees (DSCs) across all eight states - Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram Nagaland and Tripura participated in workshop. Aimed at learning from the best practices, understanding the challenges related to PMKVY 3.0, and building understanding about using technical platform - Skill India Portal (SIP), workshop witnessed participation of central / state officials.

Several dignitaries including Shri Satish Chandra Rai, Advisor, Skill Development Department, Sikkim; Shri Praveen Kumar, Secretary, MSDE; Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Addl. Secretary, MSDE; Dr. Manish Kumar, MD & CEO, NSDC, Shri Sanjeev Kumar Jt. Director (Skill Development), MSDE; Smt. Ganga Devi Pradhan, Secretary, Skill Development Department, Sikkim among others attended the workshop. Various Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) also attended the workshop through video conferencing.

Sharing his thoughts, Shri Praveen Kumar, Secretary, MSDE, said, “Under the ‘Act East’ vision of our Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi, priority is being accorded to the overall development of the North Eastern Region. Aligned with the Government’s relentless efforts to drive holistic development of the NER region, today’s workshop has been envisioned to enhance the scope and impact of skill development efforts under PMKVY 3.0 across all eight states to empower the youth in North East India become industry- ready for jobs of the future. Today’s discussion was also instrumental in understanding the constraints faced by local authorities and key learnings which will help us to develop an even better PMKVY 4.0 scheme.”

Smt. Ganga Devi Pradhan, Secretary, Skill Development Department, Government of Sikkim said “North Eastern states are unique in terms of their rich natural as well as agro-climatic resources, diverse culture, and native trades and hence support of SSDMs and DSCs is essential for well-orchestrated implementation of PMKVY 3.0. This workshop has established that their inputs and insights will play an integral role in the success of the scheme. It is therefore critical for all of us to join forces and support the Government’s efforts to not only promote NER’s arts and crafts and culture but to also bolster the skilling ecosystem to create a resilient and prolific workforce.”

During the day-long workshop, various schemes and programme, management structures and processes, enhanced infrastructure, and local challenges were discussed. A comprehensive discussion with all eight state teams took place where the state officials provided their valuable inputs. Also, there were deliberations around convergence of PMKVY 3.0 with other schemes such as National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), ITIs, and others as well. Under PMKVY 1.0 and PMKVY 2.0, more than 1.21 crore youth have been oriented successfully through improved standardized skilling ecosystem in the country.

Ministry of Skill Development &Entrepreneurship was formed on November 9, 2014 by the Government of India to focus on enhancing employability of skills. The Ministry aims at bridging the gap between demand and supply of skilled manpower to build new skills and innovation not only for existing jobs but also for jobs that are to be created. Till date, around 5.5 crore people have been trained under Skill India. Under its flagship programme, PMKVY 1.0 and PMKVY 2.0 more than 1.21 crore youth have been trained.

7-Apr-2021: Regional Workshop on Skill Development to be held for North Eastern Region in Gangtok, Sikkim

With an objective to sensitize State Skill Development Mission (SSDMS) and District Skill Committees (DSCs) for effective implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 3.0, a regional workshop is to be conducted at Gangtok, Sikkim on 08th April, 2021with all eight northeastern states - Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.

Several dignitaries including Shri Praveen Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE); Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Additional Secretary, MSDE; Smt Ganga Devi Pradhan, Secretary, Skill Development Department, Government of Sikkim; Shri Satish Chandra Rai, Advisor, Skill Development Department, State of Sikkim; Shri Bishal Rai, Director, Sikkim Skill Development Mission; Dr. Manish Kumar, MD & CEO, NSDC and Shri Sanjeev Kumar, Jt. Director (Skill Development), MSDE among others will be present during the workshop. Various Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) will also attend the workshop through video conferencing.

The workshop intends to provide a platform for discussion on skilling ecosystem and serve as a medium for exchange of ideas/thoughts and feedback amongst the participants in paving way for formulation of upcoming initiatives under PMKVY.

The regional workshop will also play a pivotal role in fostering the agenda of Skill India Mission wherein the involvement of States along with the District Administrators is crucial. Therefore, the State Skill Development Missions of all the eight States have invited all the District Skill Committees (DSCs) from all the districts for the workshop.

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana was launched on 15th January, 2021 with the support of States/UTs and as envisaged, training under both the components of PMKVY 3.0 has commenced in most of the States/UTs. Around 1.21 crore candidates were trained under PMKVY 2.0 (2016-2020) and PMKVY 3.0 aims at benefitting 8 lakh youth in the scheme period 2020-21 with an outlay of Rs. 948.90 crore.

8-Feb-2021: Skill Development Centres opened in the country during the last three years

The PMKVY does not mandate the establishment of training centres. Under PMKVY (2016-20) training is being imparted in empanelled training centres (TCs). As on 19.01.2021, 15,124 training centres have been empanelled and presently 1,595 TCs are operational across the country.

Under placement linked Short Term Training (STT) component of PMKVY (2016-20), as on 19.01.2021, 36.04 lakh candidates have been certified; out of which, 18.95 lakh candidates have been placed. The State-wise number of placed candidates under PMKVY (2016-20) is given at column (b) of Annexure I.

Under PMKVY 2.0 (2016-20), placement opportunities are being provided to successfully certified candidates. There is a provision of one-time re-assessment for the candidates who have either failed or did not appear for assessment.

Further, under PMKVY, various initiatives are taken to enhance placement of the certified candidates such as organization of Rozgar Melas with the support of Sector Skill Councils; placement linked release of last tranche funds to the Training Centres (TCs); requirement to have dedicated mentorship-cum-placement cells at TCs / Training Providers (TPs) for industry linkage and placement of candidates; incentive to TCs @ Rs. 3000 per trainee if he or she is retained in employment for 12 months; post placement support of Rs. 1,500 per month per trainee for special areas/special groups; one time placement travel cost upto maximum of Rs. 4,500 per candidate; implementation of employer-led training model; reallocation of target to TCs based on placement performance; etc.

5-Feb-2021: Third Phase of PMKVY

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship under Skill India Mission launched the third phase of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY 3.0) on 15.01.2021, to train 8.00 lakh people across the country with an outlay of Rs. 948.90 Cr. PMKVY 3.0 is a demand driven programme, with bottom-up planning for identification and mapping of job roles. Under the scheme, District Skill Committee (DSC) shall be the focal point for its implementation. DSC shall have major role in preparation of district level plan, mobilization &counselling of candidates, formation of training batches, monitoring of quality assurance & post training support. The scheme is aligned to Common Cost Norms and National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF).

As on 29.01.2021, 35,644 candidates have been enrolled across the country.

15-Jan-2021: PMKVY 3.0 will take skilling to the remotest of villages and towns in India; States and Districts will have an increased responsibility

In a bid to empower India’s youth with employable skills, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) today launched Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 3.0, in nearly 600 districts making 300+ skill courses available to the youth, making skill development more demand-driven and decentralised in its approach.

Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon’ble Union Minister, MSDE launched the third edition of PMKVY in a virtual ceremony along with Shri RK Singh, Hon’ble Minister of State, MSDE. Aimed at supporting the local economy, PMKVY 3.0 has been designed to keep pace with changing demands, both at the global and local levels.

Launched in 717 districts, 28 States/eight UTs, PMKVY 3.0 marks yet another step towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. PMKVY 3.0 will be implemented in a more decentralized structure with greater responsibilities and support from States/UTs and Districts. District Skill Committees (DSCs), under the guidance of State Skill Development Missions (SSDM), shall play a key role in addressing the skill gap and assessing demand at the district level.  The new scheme will be more trainee- and learner-centric addressing the ambitions of aspirational Bharat.

PMKVY 2.0 has been instrumental in bolstering the skilling ecosystem and with PMKVY 3.0, skill development will usher in a new paradigm with focus on demand-driven skill development, digital technology and Industry 4.0 skills. The Government’s growth agenda is guided by ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Vocal for Local’ vision. Keeping this in mind, PMKVY 3.0 is a progressive step towards achieving the vision by establishing increased connect at state, district and block level. PMKVY 2.0 broadened the skill development with inclusion of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and focus on training. With the advent of PMKVY 3.0, the focus is on bridging the demand-supply gap by promoting skill development in areas of new-age and Industry 4.0 job roles.

While the National Educational Policy puts focus on vocational training for a holistic growth and increased employability, PMKVY 3.0 role will be a propagator of vocational education at an early level for youth to capitalize on industry-linked opportunities.

Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon’ble Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, said, “Prime Minister’s vision of “Vocal for local and Atmanirbhar Bharat can only be achieved by furthering the skilling ecosystem to the district level. As a young nation, we’re poised to seize the opportunities that will make India the Skill Capital of the World. By taking the bottom-up approach to training, PMKVY 3.0 will identify job roles that have demand at the local level and skill the youth, linking them to these opportunities.”

“The increased role of district administrations and MPs in mentoring and monitoring the training programs under the schemes will bring in greater local connect. PMKVY 3.0 will encourage healthy competition between states by making available increased allocation to those states that perform better,” he added.

Shri RK Singh, Union Minister of State (I/C) Ministry of Power, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Minister of State, MSDE, said, “Skilling is not an objective but a necessary prerequisite for the economic growth of the country. We need to move with speed and scale if we have to fulfil the vision of making India the skill capital of the world and from there, the industrial capital of the world.”

The launch saw participation of various Members of Parliament and Skill Development Ministers from six states. Candidates from Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKKS) in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh; Satna, Madhya Pradesh; Meethapur, Badarpur; Cuttack, Odisha; South Delhi also interacted with the ministers, and shared inspirational experiences of how skill training has transformed their lives and taken them closer to fulfilling their aspirations. In a freewheeling discussion, candidates spoke about additional courses they felt the need to train in their respective centres.

Both ministers assured candidates and heads of PMKK centres that they would be provided the additional courses that will help them cater to local demand. Amid messages congratulating MSDE for the success of PMKVY 1.0 and 2.0, ‘vocal for local’ emerged as a recurring theme, as all MPs and PMKK centres spoke about the need to build a local talent pool that can cater to industry demands.

The event was graced by the august presence of Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon’ble Union Minister, MSDE, Shri RK Singh, Union Minister of State (I/C) Ministry of Power, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Minister of State, MSDE, Shri. Praveen Kumar, Secretary, MSDE, Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Additional Secretary, MSDE and Dr. Manish Kumar, MD and CEO, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). Shri AM Naik, Chairman, NSDC and Group Chairman, L&T also remotely addressed the event, highlighting the efforts made by NSDC in accelerating the skilling ecosystem and announced the launch of L&T Skill Trainers Academy Mumbai.

Members of Parliament from eight constituencies across the country interacted with Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey and Shri RK Singh to talk about skill development efforts in their states and welcomed the third phase of PMKVY. Additionally, State Skill Ministers from six states — Gujarat, Odisha, Assam, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka — extended their best wishes to the program.

14-Jan-2021: Third phase of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY 3.0) to be launched tomorrow

The third phase of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY 3.0)  will be launched tomorrow in 600 districts across all states of India. Spearheaded by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), this phase will focus on new-age and COVID-related skills.

Skill India Mission PMKVY 3.0 envisages training of  eight lakh candidates over a scheme period of 2020-2021 with an outlay of Rs. 948.90 crore. The 729 Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKKs), empaneled non-PMKK training centres and more than 200 ITIs under Skill India will be rolling out PMKVY 3.0 training to build a robust pool of skilled professionals. On the basis of the learning gained from PMKVY 1.0 and PMKVY 2.0, the Ministry has improved the newer version of the scheme to match the current policy doctrine and energize the skilling ecosystem affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Skill India Mission” launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri. Narendra Modi on 15th of July 2015 has gained tremendous momentum through launch of its flagship scheme PMKVY to unlock the vision of making India the ‘Skill Capital’ of the world.

The launch will be done by the Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, in the presence of the Minister of State, Sh. Raj Kumar Singh. The event will also be addressed by the State Skill Ministers and Members of Parliament.

16-Mar-2020: Skill India and Start-Up India

Under Skill India Mission, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is implementing its demand driven flagship scheme Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) with an objective to provide skilling to one crore people across the country in four years i.e. 2016-2020. As on 17.01.2020, 40.27 lakh and 32.34 lakh candidates have been trained and certified, respectively, under Short Term Training (STT) courses. Out of these certified candidates, 16.61 lakh candidates have been provided with placement opportunities. Also, 33.20 lakh candidates have been oriented under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) component of the scheme.

Start-up India is a flagship initiative of the Government of India, intended to catalyse start-up culture and build a strong and inclusive ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in India. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) acts as the nodal Department for the Start-up initiative. As on December 31, 2019, 26,804 startups across 555 districts have been recognized as startups by DPIIT.  Employment of 3,06,848 jobs has been reported by 24,848 startups with an average number of 12 employees per startup."

Under PMKVY (2016-20), in order to inculcate entrepreneurship in the candidates, training in English, Employability & Entrepreneurship (EEE) module of 155 hours is being imparted in addition to core curriculum of course. Further, TPs provide support for entrepreneurship development through facilitating bank linkages along with providing guidance and mentoring support. In addition, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKKs) are designated as Hand Holding Agencies for MUDRA loans on Udyamimitra Portal Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).

Under Stand-up India, assistance to Startups includes setting up Fund of Funds for Startups’ (FFS) at SIDBI for providing fund support for Startups, relaxed norms in Public Procurement for Startups, Tax incentives, Legal Support and Fast-tracking Patent examination at Lower costs, Self-Certification based Compliance Regime, Setting up of Incubators and Tinkering Labs, etc. 

4-Mar-2020: 40% of 73 lakh candidates trained under PMKVY are women candidates

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship today organised an event in the national capital in connection with the ongoing celebration of International Women’s Day – 2020.  Various institutes and bodies under the Ministry including ITIs, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras and Jan Shikshan Sansthans are also organising various events at various places today.  In the event at New Delhi, winners of various competitions in such institutes were felicitated by Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey.  A number of women, who have benefitted from Government’s various skill and entrepreneurship programmes, narrated their stories as to how they gained confidence and attained financial stability in their lives, due to these training programmes.

Lauding women achievers empowered by programs and initiatives of the Skill India mission, Minister Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey congratulated women for their efforts and achievements.  He said that India has a long tradition of respecting women and giving them due prominence in all activities of life.  He said the motivational talks given by the young women entrepreneurs today would inspire women to move ahead in the life.  He thanked the Prime Minister for starting a new Ministry for Skill Development and Empowerment through which a new eco-system could be developed.  He said that women are not only succeeding at the national level but have also brought laurels to the country by winning medals at the Kazan   World’s Skill Competition.  He said that over 73 lakh people have been trained under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) in last 4 years out of which 40% are women.  In Jan Shikshan Sansthans, the number is above 90%.  Dr. Pandey said that there is more scope of increasing the number of women in skill training programmes. Dr. Pandey announced that the Government is planning to bring a new ambitious scheme which will provide world level skills and create a skilled force in the country.

Dr Pandey said that training for women is not being confined only to the traditional fields but also the new age areas required by Industry-4.0.  He said that Government is fully committed to the women empowerment and the action taken by it under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi like Swachh Bharat, Ayushman Bharat, Jan Dhan Scheme, Prime Minister Ujjwala Yojana, have pre-dominantly benefitted the women.  Talking about Corona Virus i.e. COVID-19 issue, Dr. Pandey appealed to women to play an important role in spreading the awareness and taking suitable precautions.

Earlier in his inaugural address, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Praveen Kumar said that nearly 27% of the working force in the country is women though they constitute about 50% of the population.  The number should go up.  He said that Government is providing 30% reservation for women in ITIs and 18 out of 33 national skill training institutes are exclusively for women.  A lot of attention has been paid on upgrading skills of women and the results are quite visible.  The Secretary said the Government is taking due care in providing facilities for enabling women to undertake skill upgradation which include providing transport, crèche, women trainers, flexible timings and other infrastructure.

A large number of women entrepreneurs and those who have undertaken training from various institutes participated in today’s programme.  Senior officials of the Ministry including  Additional Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Ms. Juthika Patankar, NSDC Chairman Dr.  Manish Kumar, Ms. Vinita Aggarwal, Ms. Neelam Shami Rao, Ms. Anuradha Vemuri and Shri K.C. Gupta also took part in the event.

18-Feb-2020: MSDE organizes a consultative workshop with State representatives to further strengthen skilling and entrepreneurship initiative

• Role of States to increase substantially in skill development activities
• Discussion on developing an action plan for better implementation of skilling initiatives and for creating employment opportunities for India’s youth
• Short Term Training courses to be introduced in ITIs in with due consultation from the State Skill Development Missions (SSDMs)
• Promoting Self Employment and Entrepreneurship for overall economic growth and innovation

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) organized a day long consultative workshop here today, with representatives from States and Union Territories, to review skill development across geographies and segments and to seek their valuable suggestions on streamlining the upcoming initiatives. The key thrust of the workshop was to increase the participation of the District Committees for better coordination of the skill efforts in each district and to achieve the broader objectives of the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of making India the skill capital of the world.

During the workshop, Vision 2025 was also discussed which lays out the key focus areas and ready-to-implement roadmap for promoting Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in country.

The aim for organizing today’s workshop was to unlock the true potential of the youth by making skills aspirational and building sustainable livelihood pathways for them. The State and Union Territory representatives shared their regional perspective on the various aspects of the Skill India Mission including Apprenticeship, Long Term Skilling; Sankalp and Strive initiatives; Entrepreneurship; Short Term Skilling and the next stage of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), PMKVY 3.0 and the related challenges and opportunities.

The center proposed that the District Skill Committees (DSCs) should be further empowered with substantial fund allocation to ensure stringent monitoring and evaluation of skill training under the next phase of PMKVY.

Towards this, MSDE has recently introduced the Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF), an initiative designed and implemented by IIM Bangalore in collaboration with State Skill Development Missions (SSDMs), where fellows will be posted in district for 2 years working closely with the district administration to create specific State Skill Development Plans. Relevant local and state level programs will also receive additional funding under the SANKALP scheme of MSDE, beyond the already allocated state incentive grants.

The workshop also deliberated on integration of skill development in the plans of Gram Panchayats ensuring last mile connectivity.

Urging the states to increase scale and standards of skill development, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said, “Our endeavor is to move away from the low skill equilibrium and contribute towards economic growth and wealth creation through skill development and entrepreneurship. This will eventually lead to increased employment prospects for the youth of the nation. The success of Skill India is dependent on the increased participation of the States and the District committees to drive demand-driven skill development in market relevant courses and prepare our youth to be industry ready.”

“There should consistent research and analysis on skill gaps at a local level, so that our strategies match the demand of the market and the aspiration of the youth. We should enable industry surveys to enable outcome-based skilling,” said Shri R K Singh, Minister of State (IC) Power and New & Renewable Energy, MoS in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

MSDE assured its support to States in keeping pace with the industry best practices by enabling upgradation of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and encouraging more participation from industry giants. Initially, MSDE will focus on the top 500 ITIs, on the basis of the grading of these institutes, and will also determine surplus existing capacity for Short Term Training in ITIs. MSDE has also identified 100 industrial clusters for improved and broadening Apprenticeship training. Out of these, agreements have already been signed with eleven clusters.

To promote entrepreneurship in the country, the Ministry proposed entrepreneurship development unit in each State which will be anchored with State Skilling Mission. It also proposed developing mentorship and handholding of existing and new entrepreneurs, through district entrepreneurship incubation lab in existing skilling institutions.

3-Feb-2020: 73.47 Lakh  Candidates Trained Under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)

Under the Skill India Mission, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is implementing a flagship scheme called the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 2016-20 with an objective to provide skilling to one crore youth under Short Term Training (STT) courses and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) across the country in a four years period i.e. 2016-2020. Under PMKVY (2016-20), as on 17.01.2020, 73.47 lakh (appx.) (40.27 lakh STT + 33.20 lakh RPL) candidates have been trained/oriented throughout the country. The State/UT-wise number of candidates trained / oriented under PMKVY (2016-20) is given at Annexure.

Under PMKVY 2016-20, focus on employment has been significantly enhanced and candidates have been placed in various sectors and industries. Some of the provisions and initiatives are given below:

• TCs/TPs are required to have dedicated mentorship-cum-placement cells for industry linkage and placement of candidates.
• TPs are mandated to organize Placement / Rozgar Melas every six months with support from the Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) and to ensure the participation of local industry.
• The reimbursement of last 20% of training payout to TCs is linked with the placement (wage employment or self-employment) of the candidate.
• With a focus on retention of placed candidates, TPs are given an incentive (INR 3000 – INR 5000 per trainee) if a candidate is retained in employment for a period of 12 months.
• Post placement support of Rs. 1500 per month per trainee is applicable for special groups and special areas for 2 or 3 month post training depending on placement within or outside the district of the domicile of the candidate.
• Re-allocation of targets to TPs is based on placement achievements of previous allocated targets.
• Target allocation for FY 2019-20 includes employer-led models via RFP mode to ensure participation of employers which assure at least 50% captive employment, amongst other mandates.

Under PMKVY (2016-20), there are various provisions for monitoring of TCs as well as candidates. The life cycle of training process of candidates (enrollment-training-assessment-certification-placement) is tracked or monitored on real-time basis through the Skill Development Management System (SDMS) which is linked with Aadhaar enabled biometric attendance. Empanelled TCs are being monitored effectively through various methodologies such as self-audit reporting, call validations, surprise visits, social media etc. Appraisal of the on-going schemes and consequent improvements is an ongoing process.

3-Feb-2020: Skill Development in Rural Areas

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (2016 - 2020) is the flagship outcome-based Skill Training Scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) which aims to train 10 million youths by 2020 pan India both in Rural and Urban areas. MSDE does not maintain any segregated data for rural and urban areas. There are three training routes under the scheme: Short term Training for fresh skilling of school / college drop outs and unemployed youth, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to recognize the existing skills and Special Projects to address skilling requirements of groups which are underrepresented or require special initiatives and efforts. RPL only provides orientation to the already skilled workforce, and does not mandate placements.

Under PMKVY 2016-2020, Training Centres make all efforts to facilitate placements of certified candidates through multiple initiatives like Rojgar Melas and collaboration with industries and Sector Skill Council. Also, candidates can avail benefit of placement through ‘Yuva Sampark’ portal which brings both candidate and potential employer on IT platform to find potential match between two (employer and candidate).

Directorate General of Training (DGT) under MSDE is entrusted with the responsibility of long term vocational training in the Country. One of the flagship schemes is ‘Craftsmen Training Scheme’ being implemented through network of 15,042 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs)  (Govt. 2738 + Private 12,304 ITIs) located all over the country with an objective to provide skilled work force to the industry in 138 trades with duration of 6 months , 1 year and 2 year. Initiatives for improving quality of ITIs include, formulation of new affiliation norms, grading to evaluate their performance, ISO 29990 certification to raise the overall quality and standards, regular inspection of ITIs, regular up-gradation of training content of ITI curriculum as per industrial requirement etc.

Ministry of Rural Development is implementing Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), a placement linked skill development program for rural poor youth under National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) all over the country. Every candidate undergoing training under DDU-GKY is given mandatory basic training in Information Technology for 80 Hours. During the year 2019-20 (upto  October 31st, 2019) 1,27,918 candidates have been provided training.