PM Modi urged the state state governments to expand these initiatives so the youth can develop skills and help the country become self-reliant.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched over 500 skill development centres across 34 rural districts of Maharashtra. The Prime Minister launched 511 Pramod Mahajan Grameen Kaushalya Vikas Kendras aimed at preparing youth in rural areas for employment opportunities.
These skill development centres, named after late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, were inaugurated virtually, via video conferencing by PM Modi.
#WATCH | At the launch of 511 Pramod Mahajan Grameen Kaushalya Vikas Kendras in Maharashtra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, “The centres that are going to start in the villages in Maharashtra will prepare the youth for global opportunities. These centres will teach skills… pic.twitter.com/M0YBr9UeYo
— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2023
The centres will conduct skill development training programs across various sectors to provide employment opportunities to rural youth, an official release from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
“Each Kendra 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,” the PMO said.
As per the release, the establishment of these centres will help the region attain significant strides towards developing more competent and skilled manpower by training rural youth in job-oriented courses and imparting them necessary skills for wider opportunities in various fields.
Stressing the need for skill development programmes, PM Modi urged the state state governments to expand these initiatives so the youth can develop skills and help the country become self-reliant.
Speaking via video link after the inauguration, the Prime Minister said the state governments should focus on designing skill development programmes in such a way that they will help the country grow.
“Need of the hour is to have zero-defect products in the manufacturing sector, industry 4.0 needs new skills, governments also need to focus on new skills in service sector, knowledge economy, modern technology,” Modi said.
The prime minister also stressed the need to develop online training modules for soft skills.
He said earlier governments had no vision or seriousness about skill development among the youth.
“This cost the youth dearly despite there being demand from the industrial sector and talent in the youth,” he said.
During his tenure, when a separate skill development ministry was created, 1.30 crore youth have benefitted from skill development programmes, he said.
“Tribal, poor, Dalit, backward class youths were the true beneficiaries,” he added.
The agriculture sector also requires new skills for natural farming, processing, value addition, packaging and branding of farm produce, Modi said..
Hailing the initiative, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Minister of Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Maharashtra said on Tuesday: “So far there was no skill development centre in 28 thousand gram panchayats of Maharashtra. Skill development is a very important subject of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Accordingly, according to the concept of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we decided to start skill development centre in 500 (odd) gram panchayats.”
Minister Lodha said these skill development centres will help to prevent youth from migrating from villages to cities for employment, adding number of such centres will be increased in the future.
(With inputs from agencies)