Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching the 'Skill India' Initiative in New Delhi. (Press Trust of India photo)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched ambitious projects that aims to train over 40 crore people in India in different skills by 2022.
The initiatives include National Skill Development Mission, National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 2015, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) scheme and the Skill Loan scheme.
They were launched to mark the first-ever World Youth Skills Day.
At the event, Modi also unveiled the Skill India logo with the tagline -- 'Kaushal Bharat, Kushal Bharat' (Skilled India, Successful India).
The government's flagship scheme, PMKVY, will incentivise skill training by providing financial rewards to candidates who successfully complete approved skill training programmes. The scheme aims to recognise and provide skill to 24 lakh youth who lack formal certification, such as workers in vast unorganised sector.
Special camps are being organised at 100 locations with Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and a national SMS campaign is being rolled out to build awareness of the program, reaching about 40 crore subscribers.
Fresh PMKVY training was initiated in 1,000 centres across all States and Union Territories in India today, covering 50,000 youth in 100 job roles across 25 sectors.
Through an initiative known as 'Recognition of Prior Learning' (RPL), 10 lakh youth will be assessed and certified for the skills that they already possess.
Under the Skill Loan scheme, loans ranging from Rs 5,000-1.5 lakh will be made available to 34 lakh youth seeking to attend skill development programmes over the next five years.
Sanction letters for the first ever Skill Loans were handed out by the PM Modi to aspiring trainees. He also awarded Skill Cards and Skill Certificates to trainees who had recently completed training through the Pilot Phase of PMKVY, which started in May. Such Skill Cards and Skill Certificates will allow trainees to share their skill identity with employers.
Across the country, 2.33 lakh youth were awarded certificates from Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and over 18,000 graduating students received job offer letters on the occasion of World Youth Skills Day.
PM Modi personally presented industry job offer letters to five female ITI graduates at the event.