Why in Broadcast?

• Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan chaired the 3rd meeting of the steering committee of National Skill Development Mission (NSDM) on January 5, 2023.
• In the meeting, discussions centered around skill development schemes, skill gap analysis and skill mapping. A significant point of deliberation was on how the curriculum be developed keeping in mind the emerging trends so that Indian youth can connect with global opportunities.

Apprenticeship

• On 21st April 2022, the Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Mela was launched.
• Apprenticeship is considered the most sustainable model of skill development, and it has been getting a big boost under Skill India Mission.
• The government is aiming to train one million youth per annum through apprenticeship training.

Roadmap for Developing India’s Skilled Youth

• NSDM was launched by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) on 15th July 2015.
• The mission was launched for creating convergence across various sectors and different states in terms of activities relating to skill training.

Objectives of the Mission

• Implementing the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) which will allow opportunities for long-term, as well as short-term training, leading to productive employment and career improvement.
• Using the NSQF module to maintain a balance between the industry- employer demand.
• Providing facilities of re-skilling and up-skilling to the workforce of the unorganised sectors of the industry.
• Ensuring high-quality training standards through highquality teaching and benchmarked institutions according to national and international standards.
• Support weaker and disadvantaged sections of society through focused outreach programmes.
• Enabling pathways for transitioning between the vocational training system and the formal educational system, through a credit transfer system.
• Maintaining a national database, known as the Labour Market Information System (LMIS), which will act as a portal for matching the demand and supply of skilled workforce in the country.

Government Initiatives to Promote Skill Development

• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY): It aims to provide free skill training avenues to youths of India. More than 7.36 lakh candidates were trained under PMKVY over the last one year.
• Skill Saathi Counseling Program: MSDE also launched the Skill Saathi program, aimed to sensitize youth on various avenues of Skill India Mission.
• Skill Hubs: MSDE informed that 2,28,000 students were enrolled in 1,957 Skill Hubs this year. Skill Hub initiative aims to facilitate and make education more relevant and create industry fit skilled workforce.
• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK): These are the state-of-the-art model training centres envisaged to create benchmark institutions that demonstrate aspirational value for competencybased skill development training.
• STRIVE: The main focus of Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE) scheme is to improve the performance of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs).
• SANKALP: Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme which is collaborated with the World Bank and focuses on district-level skilling ecosystem through convergence and coordination.
• Industrial Training Centres (ITIs): These centres are aimed at expanding and modernizing the existing training ecosystem. Recently, 116 Government Industrial Training Institutes were given approval for running drone courses. A total of 274 Government ITIs were given approval for running a Dual System of Training, DST. Around 10,000 working women and ITI girl students were given training for self-defence.