To create a robust skill-centric and industry ready ecosystem in North-Eastern Region (NER), Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister for Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Shri G. Kishan Reddy, Hon’ble Union Minister for Culture, Tourism & Development Of North Eastern Region (DoNER) today launched a special initiative called ‘Transforming Lives, Building Futures: Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in North-East. As part of the initiative, 2.5 lakhs talented youth of the NER will be provided with industry relevant skill training programmes through a wide array of schemes and initiatives, including Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Jan Shikshan Sansthans (JSS).

 The Government has earmarked a substantial fund of 360 crore to facilitate inclusive development, nurture entrepreneurial talent, and propel the socio-economic growth of the region.  To fuel further growth, the concerted efforts are being made to provide vocational education and skill development programs to cater to the demand for skilled professionals across sectors, including agriculture, tourism, handicrafts, and information technology.

 The event was addressed by Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister for Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Govt of India, Shri G Kishan Reddy, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Development of North-Eastern Region, Govt of India, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Electronics and IT, Shri. Jayanta Mallabaruah, Minister Public Health Engineering, Skill Development Employment & Entrepreneurship and Tourism; Government of Assam. Shri. Maotoshi Longkumar, MLA, Advisor to Labour, Employment, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Excise Department, Government of Nagaland Shri. Bhim Hang Limboo, Public health engineering and Water security, Water resources & River Development, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of Sikkim, Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

Speaking on the Occasion, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister for Education and Skill Development and Skill Development said, “India is undergoing a remarkable transformation into the global Skill Hub, and I take great pride in witnessing the NER effectively harnessing the array of emerging opportunities before it. Our overarching goal is to eradicate unemployment from India’s landscape, propelling us toward becoming a developed and self-reliant nation – an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. We persistently strive to empower the local youth of NER by instilling them with not only employability skills but also a resilient entrepreneurial mindset that seamlessly aligns with the ever-evolving demands of industries. With unwavering dedication, we are shaping a future where NER’s youth are equipped to thrive. The inauguration of these skill-centric initiatives, as part of the special package for the NER, is destined to be a transformative and life-altering endeavour”.

“I am glad to launch this special skill development and entrepreneurship initiative for our North-Eastern states. The initiative will transform lives and better prepare the #AmritPeedhi of our Ashtalakshmi states. A robust skill development mission is essential for turning Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision for a developed India into reality. With a whole-of-a-govt approach, we are working to build capacities of our youth and make India the skill capital of the world,” he further added.

The special Initiative of “Transforming Lives- Building Futures: Skill and Entrepreneurship Dev in North-East will include:

1. 2 Lakh skill training under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
2. 30,000 Apprenticeship Engagement under National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS)
3. 20,000 to be skilled under Jan Shikshan Sansthans (JSS)
4. Quality enhancement of ITIs under skill strengthening for industrial value enhancement (STRIVE)
5. Strengthening of Polytechnics
6. Special projects will be taken up for the special needs of North-East region under SANKALP.
7. Skill India International Centre to be set up to promote overseas job opportunities.

Lauding the initiative, Shri G. Kishan Reddy, Hon’ble Union Minister for Culture, Tourism & Development of North-Eastern Region lauded the launch and said that this initiative of MSDE will benefit more than 2.5 lakh youth in phase one, which will make them job ready for domestic as well as international markets. This is yet another endeavour of Shri Narendra Modi’s government to make the NER the engine of growth.

Shri Rajeev Chandrashekar, Minister of State, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship & Electronics, IT said, “Over the past 9 years, our Prime Minister has worked relentlessly to create a conducive skill ecosystem by laying emphasis on education, skilling and innovation. We are now looking into the future with current trends that can shape our skilling strategies. We are one of the youngest countries in the world with a demography that is of great relevance to global economies. Digitalisation is accelerating at an unprecedented pace and #Digital will be how we see our future. With the tremendous number of new opportunities being created in both entrepreneurship and in jobs, the need for #skills have heightened. Transforming Lives and Building Future is not just a slogan, this is a mission for our Young Indians of North-East. We believe that the future of New India is bright and skilling is the passport for prosperity”

The Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in North-East initiative lays emphasis on alignment of courses with National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF), bolstered by a digital infrastructure to develop well-rounded professionals. The event also deliberated on the need of enhancing industry participation in aggregating skill demand, simplifying training modules, curriculum development and augmenting training infrastructure to upgrade their skill sets in ‘earn while learn’ mode.

 Over the last nine years, MSDE has increased the network count of ITIs to 106 in north-eastern region. It has trained over 3 lakh beneficiaries and assisted 1000 entrepreneurs through Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE). MSDE has also trained about 12 lakh candidates under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) in textile, handloom, construction, apparel, agriculture, electronics and healthcare.

 The National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) has facilitated training to 38,240 candidates across 1,693 establishments in the last seven years in north-east. Moreover, the centre has achieved significant success in training more 98000 beneficiaries with more than 72% women beneficiaries across JSS which stands as a testament to creating a robust skill ecosystem in the northeast region, empowering youth with domain and employability skills.

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