Govt wants skill development centre in each district: Venkaiah Naidu

Public and private enterprises will now have higher participation in skilling initiatives

The government aspires to have a skill development centre in each district, every Lok Sabha constituency and going foward even in every taluka in the country, said union minister Venkaiah Naidu.

Speaking at an event organised on the sidelines of National Industry Conclave on Skills, Union minister for Parliamentary Affairs Venkaiah Naidu said that for this, public and private enterprises in India have higher participation in skilling initiatives of the government from now on. 

Naidu said that a meeting with top corporate houses was held here today, where the companies vowed to set up more centres where they have presence to enable skill building.

"We want private sector to participate in skill development in a big way. Upgradation of skills is big requirement," he said.

Naidu added that industry bodies like Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Associated Chambers of Commerce, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and PHD Chamber who were present in the National Industry Conclave on Skills will also play a role in this process.

In the meeting today, Naidu said that it was advised that banks can also join the funding schemes for such initiatives. He added that tax incentives would be provided to corporates who set up such centres as also land allotment for such purposes by rural and urban local bodies.

"Initiatives under skill development done by corporates could even come under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) done by the companies," he added further. He said the Tata Group would set up 40 centres in coming year.

Among issues discussed with corporates include training the trainers, employability, ITI institutes' revival.

Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Union Minister of State Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said that states would also play a crucial role in skill development and would follow the mission of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana.

In July 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Skill India Development Mission with a target to skill 400 million persons by 2022.