Degree or diploma courses needed in skill development: Union Power Minister

Minister of Skill Development Mahendra Nath Pandey said skill development was the prime focus of the government and PM Modi had announced a sub-committee to give impetus to the sector

There should be degree or diploma courses in skill development as mere certification would not work, said Union Power Minister R K Singh in New Delhi on Monday.

Addressing a conference of state Skill Development Ministers, he said the country needed to move from the primary sector to the tertiary sector as "we are lagging the developed countries".

Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Skill Development Mahendra Nath Pandey said skill development was the prime focus of the government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a sub-committee to give impetus to the sector.

Those providing skill training should get "Kaushalacharya Samman" on the Teachers Day next year, he said and added, skill development must be planned in a way that people turned into job-givers, and not job-seeker.

An Institute of Skill Development had been set up in Mumbai and two more centres would soon be opened in Ahmedabad and Kanpur, he said.

Though state Ministers made several suggestions, there was consensus that skill development should be in tune with the demand of the industry in a particular region. To achieve that, regions should be mapped to make the training target-oriented, they said.

Chhattisgarh Minister Umesh Patel said the burden of skill development should not be on states as they lacked resources and the Centre must extended the needed support.

Punjab Minister Charanjit Singh said skill development should be part of curriculum.

UP Minister Kapil Dev Agarwal said banks were not giving loan to skilled persons to set up their business and it should be looked into.

The conference was convened to give impetus to the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme, under which training is provided to certified skilled workers and a stipend of Rs 5,000-9,000 is given, depending on the education qualification of the worker.