Rajasthan launches skill development project

Rajasthan government today launched the country's first and biggest skills development project aimed at creating employment opportunities for the youth.
Launching the project, Rajasthan Skill and Livelihood Development Corporation (RSLDC) Managing Director Gaurav Goyal signed MoUs with representatives of 22 concerns selected as Project Implementation Agencies (PIAs) for skills training.
Under the project, for which the Union government has proposed Rs 398 crore, modern skills for employment will be imparted to one lakh rural youth and jobs would also be provided to them.
The Centre had selected Rajasthan as the first state to start this project, according to an official statement.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said her government had set a target of connecting about 15 lakh youth to employment in the next five years and this was the first major step in that direction.
The state government was committed to providing better employment opportunities through such skill development initiatives, she said.

She also said that the state government proposed amendments in the Labour Act, Factories Act among other laws to make Rajasthan a suitable habitat for creation of jobs.
Very soon, a Skills University too would be established in the state under the PPP model, she said.
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said the PIAs would provide skill development training to one lakh rural youth including 34,000 women in all the 33 districts of the state across 19 different sectors like garment marketing, retail, beauty culture, hospitality, banking and accounting, etc.

In the first phase of the project, the PIAs would establish skill development centres.
Senior officials of the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Labour and Employment departments were also present on the occasion.