NSDA to support in skill devp prog
SHILLONG: The National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) chairman S Ramadorai has stressed on the need to upgrade the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) with new courses which would suit the present trend and demand of the market.
“We are aware that there several ITIs which are running outdated courses. There is need to explore the possibilities of running these ITIs on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode so they can catch up with latest trends and demand,” Ramadorai said after his meeting with Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma here on Friday.
The NDSA chairman assured that the NDSA would provide all logistic support to Meghalaya Government to implement the skill development programmes to enhance employability of the youths.
“What is most important is that there is a need to give rise to the value added jobs on the various skills which would be imparted to the youths. This would certainly help to address the core issue of unemployment,” the NSDA chairman said.
“Our target in the current 12th Plan period would be to train about five crore youths and the target for the current financial year 2013-14 is about 85 lakh,” Ramadorai said while stressing on implementation of various programmes within the specific time frame.
Asked about funding sources, Ramadorai said, “Funding for the courses under the NSDC are multiple. There is a PPP mode where companies such as Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki and other companies are interested.” “Secondly, there is funding from educational cess that is collected and the institutional funding groups like the ADB,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Dr Sangma said that Government was looking to improve employability of the State youths to fill up various job spaces within and outside the State
He said that the thrust areas, which have been identified to train the state youths, include agriculture, horticulture, livestock farming, masonry, plumber, food processing, sericulture and weaving, and soft skills.
He also said that there was a proposal to run the ITIs in Shillong and Tura under PPP mode.
On the training programmes, Dr Sangma said there was a need to go beyond the district headquarters and the community blocks so that more youths can be prepared.
However, he admitted that creation of infrastructure to impart training was important. For this to happen, he stressed on the importance of more funding from the Centre like the Planning Commission and the Union finance ministry.
The Meghalaya government is looking to train at least 1,96,000 people in various skills during the current 12th plan period while the national target is around 5 crore.