Govt begins skill training of 3 lakh migrant workers in 116 districts

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship on Thursday said it has begun skill training of 3 lakh migrant workers from the identified 116 districts across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand. The initiative aims to empower migrant workers and rural population in the post-COVID-19 era through demand-driven skilling and orientation under centrally sponsored and centrally managed (CSCM) component of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 2016-2020, the Ministry stated.

In collaboration with district magistrates, the ministry is rolling out the programme across these districts for skill training within 125 days. The training has already started in certain parts of the identified districts and will gradually expand to other parts in the course of the month.

The National Skill Development Corporation is executing the training programme through the existing training providers and project implementing agencies operating under PMKVY 2016-20 or state schemes. While 1.5 lakh migrant workers are being trained under short-term training programme, another 1.5 lakh migrant workers are slated to be certified under the recognition of prior learning scheme.

Demand aggregation for local jobs in these districts as well as the mobilisation of returnee migrants for the purpose of training are being done by the district administrations. Stressing upon the need to promote skilling and entrepreneurship for rural development, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey said rural development through skill empowerment is a fundamental element of the Skill India Mission, as 70 per cent of the total workforce come from rural India.

He said the vision of making rural workforce attuned to the changing needs of the industry requires seamless synergies between various partners in the skilling ecosystem. “We need to realign ourselves and complement each other on the pressing need for creation of industry-relevant jobs at regional levels to offset the after-effects of workforce migration,” said the minister.

“We are committed to focus on local demand-driven skill development programmes to create better and sustainable livelihood opportunities for the migrant skilled workers whose collective strength forms the backbone of our economy,” he added. The skill training and orientation programme across the identified districts has begun after accreditation and affiliation of Training Providers on Skill India Portal and subsequent approval of system-based targets.

Job roles that are in demand across the six states include assistant electrician, tailor, retail sales associate, customer care executive (call centre), sewing machine operator and general duty assistant, among others..