Uttar Pradesh to invest ₹8,350 crore to create industry-ready workforce

Uttar Pradesh (UP) is looking to invest ₹8,350 crore to train the youth and create a workforce ready for Industry 4.0, which refers to the integration of digital technologies into manufacturing and industrial processes.

 

The government is partnering private-sector majors like Tata Technologies Ltd (TTL) to upgrade the industrial training institutes (ITIs).

 

While UP has invested ₹5,000 crore to upgrade 150 government ITIs in collaboration with TTL, the state has cleared a proposal to invest ₹3,350 crore to upgrade another 62 ITIs.

 

It encompasses an array of technologies spanning industrial IoT (internet of things), artificial intelligence (AI), big data, robotics, automation, etc.

 

Since 2017, the UP government has established more than 60 government ITIs.

 

According to Kapil Dev Agarwal, UP minister of state (independent charge) for skill development and vocational education, about 3,000 private ITIs are offering training for 600,000 seats.

 

A senior official said: “We have introduced trades and short-term courses in the 150 upgraded ITIs with an investment of ₹5,000 crore. These institutes are training nearly 15,000 people every year,” 

 

“Over the past eight years, over 1.4 million people have been trained under this mission. Of those 565,000 have secured employment or are self-employed,” he added.

 

At present, training is being conducted in 350 courses with the support of more than 1,000 training partners.

 

To connect trainees with industries, a system of flexible training partners had been introduced, and 33 industrial units have been created.

 

Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) are hosting a two-day ‘Kaushal Mahotsav’ on September 16-17 in Lucknow, Shreeshail Malge, ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship joint secretary, said.

 

Further, the UP government is planning to launch the Videsh Kamgar Kaushal Prashikshan Sevayojan Yojana to facilitate overseas employment.

 

Under the Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Yojana, 120,000 traditional artisans have received skill training, and beneficiaries are provided interest-free loans of ₹1 lakh.

 

Under the Pradhan Mantri Internship Scheme, 2,500 interns are being trained in 500 reputed companies, with each getting ₹5,000 a month.