Align skill development programmes with local needs: House committee

A parliamentary panel has asked the skill ministry to match training programmes with local job demands, speed up skill gap reports, and improve PMKVY's industry alignment

A parliamentary standing committee has said that skill development programmes must align with local needs so that people can build capabilities for employment.

 

In its latest report, the House panel has also asked the ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship (MSDE) for “early completion and publication” of skill gap reports.

 

“The committee attaches priority to aligning skill development programmes with the demand of the region/local needs for skills and urges the ministry for early completion and publication of the report, so that skill gaps are addressed, individual skills improved and adaptation to changes facilitated, thereby enhancing employability,” the committee stated in the report.

 

The committee, headed by Basavaraj Bommai, submitted its report to the Parliament on Wednesday. 

Earlier, while referring to the challenges in the implementation of government's flagship skill development scheme, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), the committee noted the disconnect between the national skill development corporation (NSDC) and the industry, as the skill development programmes often fail to align with the actual region/local demand for skills.

 

“The committee, therefore, desired the ministry to undertake skill gap assessments on regular basis and enhance the programme’s effectiveness by aligning PMKVY with the industry to match the local economic needs for making skill training programme employable and create skills ecosystem with appropriate governance to improve individual skills and adapt to changes,” the report noted.

 

Meanwhile, the skill ministry informed the house panel that it is conducting a national level skill gap study through National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) under Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) scheme. Further, the skill ministry is actively engaging with the states, central ministries/departments, sector skill councils (SSCs), etc. to understand the skill gaps and allocate targets accordingly under PMKVY 4.0.

 

“The prevalence of skill gap and underutilisation of funds indicate that the awareness programme regarding the scheme has not reached the grassroots level,” the committee noted.

 

Besides, the committee also expressed concern over the delay in implementing the PM Vishwakarma scheme in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal as they are yet to constitute monitoring committees and district implementation committees.

 

“The committee expresses concern and urges the ministry to pursue these states vigorously so that such committees are constituted expeditiously and the PM Vishwakarma Scheme is made applicable in all the states/UTs at the earliest,” the report noted.