Armed with the theme for this year's World Youth Skills Day, the focus has shifted to "Skilling teachers, trainers, and youth for a transformative future". This theme highlights the essential role that teachers, trainers and other educators play in providing young people with the skills they need to transition to the labour market and actively engage in their communities and societies.
In a bid to make its voice heard, the Indian government has launched a number of skill development programmes in order to equip the youth with the skills they need to succeed in the workforce. Some of the most prominent skill development programmes in India include:
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY): This is the flagship skill development programme of the Indian government. PMKVY offers a wide range of training courses in different sectors such as IT, manufacturing, healthcare and hospitality
Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP): This programme is designed to skill the rural youth of India. SANKALP offers training courses in traditional and non-traditional skills, such as agriculture, handicrafts and IT
UDAAN: This programme is designed to provide skilling opportunities to the youth in the unorganised sector. UDAN offers short-term training courses in different sectors, such as retail, hospitality and security
Standard Training Assessment and Reward Scheme (STAR): This programme is designed to promote quality in skill training. STAR provides financial incentives to training providers that meet certain quality standards
Polytechnic schemes: These schemes are designed to provide skilling opportunities to the youth through polytechnics. The government offers financial assistance to polytechnics to improve their infrastructure and to provide training to the youth
In addition to these major programme, the Indian government also supports a number of other skill development initiatives. These initiatives are designed to reach out to specific groups of people, such as women, people with disabilities, and the marginalised sections of society.
These programme have helped to create jobs, improve the employability of the youth, and empower women.
