Guwahati, Sept 8: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday inaugurated training centres to groom as many as 5750 youths under the Assam Skill Development Mission (ASDM) across 59 vocations.
Notably, in the programme held at Janata Bhawan here, Sarma flagged off a ‘Skill Yatra’ to generate skill awareness initially in four districts through ‘skill vans’. The districts are Kamrup, Nalbari, Darrang and Morigaon.
The chief minister also launched a scheme namely “Indigenous Skill Training by Gurus”. Under the scheme, initially 15 districts will be covered to undertake the programme and 10 candidates will be selected from each district.
Besides, he also launched the process of releasing stipend through DBT (direct benefit transfer) among 500 trainees under Jal Jeevan Mission and Assam Skill Development Mission.
Speaking on the occasion, Sarma said the inauguration of training centres in Assam is an important development for skilling the youth of the state and making them fit for employment as well as for self-employment.
He said that 60 training centres set up across the state under the state-funded Placement Linked Skill Development Training Programme to train the youth in short-term skill courses will prove to be a force-multiplier in making the youth employable and creating self-employment avenues in the state.
He further said that the 59 job roles across 10 sectors will cover all the 60 training centres across the state.
“The Skill Yatra will go a long way in connecting students of classes 9 to 12 of government schools with a provision to counselling the students along with their parents,” the chief minister said.
He also said that under Indigenous Skill Training by Guru Scheme, special focus would be made for preserving and promoting the state’s indigenous trades such as mask making, bell and brass metal, etc.
“The state government is on track to skill the youth to make them self-reliant. Since Assam is rich in tourism, hospitality and other associated fields, skilling of the youth will help them to meet the demands of the job markets,” Sarma said.
Talking about the bell and brass metal industries, he said that adequate skilling of the artisans in these trades would help them create aesthetically superior and durable products. He also spoke on fusion of traditional and modern methods to make the handicraft items more attractive.
The chief minister thanked ASDM for designing and organising the programmes which according to him would bring about a paradigm shift in the skill landscape of the state.
