Special focus is being given to skill development of the youth in the State so as to enhance their employability by providing necessary training. Presently, three schemes – Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, Asian Development Bank funded Kaushal Vikas Yojana and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Kaushalya Vikas Yojana are being implemented in the State. Under these schemes, about one lakh youth from the State will be trained to get employment.
Under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, Himachal Pradesh Kaushal Vikas Nigam has been entrusted with the task of training 22 service providers. 22000 youths are being provided training. Training completed by approximately 2340 trainees, 341 trainees have been given employment.
With the help of Himachal Pradesh Kaushal Vikas Nigam, a graduate (vocational) programme is being run by the Higher Education Department, in which 824 students have registered during the academic session 2017-18 and 1010 students have registered themselves in the year 2018-19.
‘Graduate Add-on’ programme started with the Himachal Pradesh Kaushal Vikas Nigam to provide training to students in selected colleges, in which 750 students attended this session. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed for five year Skill Development Project of Rs. 650 crore with Asian Development Bank on March 28, 2018.
Under this project, skill of more than 53000 youth will be developed, 50 ITIs will be upgraded, 6 urban livelihood centers and 7 rural livelihood centers will be opened. Three training service providers were listed to run short-term training programs under the skill development program being run with assistance from the Asian Development Bank. Under this program, 7000 youths will be provided training in the first phase.
Under this project of Asian Development Bank, the construction work of the Model Career Center, Hamirpur, Government Women Polytechnic College, Rehan, Urban Livelihood Center, Shamshi, Urban Livelihood Center, Sunder Nagar and Urban Livelihood Center, Nahan started by Himachal Pradesh Kaushal Vikas Nigam. Construction work of Rural Livelihood Center, Sadyana in Mandi district and Rural Livelihood Center, Chopal and Pragatinagar in Shimla District have also started.
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana has also been implemented at a cost of Rs. 77 crore. Under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, first installment of Rs. 21.56 crore of has been received. This will provide employment skills to about 50,000 youth.
Decision to convert all Employment Centers into Skill Identification Centers and Ideal Career Counseling Centers has also been taken. It will increase opportunities for employment and placement by counseling the youth. New Women Empowerment Scheme has been started with the objective of making rural women self-reliant at Panchayat level to make them aware of their rights, to make them aware of various schemes being run for their upliftment and to impart skill development training to them.
With all these skill developmental schemes and activities, the youth of state will be able to get employment and opportunities of starting their own ventures.
