Under the Government of India’s Skill India Mission (SIM) , the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) delivers skill, re-skill and up-skill training through an extensive network of skill development centres/ institutes etc. under various schemes, viz. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Sikhshan Sansthan (JSS), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), to all the sections of the society across the country. The SIM aims at enabling youth of India to get future ready, equipped with industry relevant skills. The number of persons enrolled, trained and certified under PMKVY, JSS and CTS Schemes are as under:

Under NAPS, apprentices are engaged by establishments and certification is optional. Under this scheme 29, 92,367 apprentices were engaged during 2018-19 to June, 2024 out of which 14,79,926 were trained.

MSDE has taken following specific steps to align the training programs to market needs and to bring more stability and consistency in the Skilling Ecosystem:

1. The training programmes offered under the schemes of MSDE are developed in collaboration with industries, keeping in view market demands. 36 Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), led by industry leaders in the respective sectors, have been set up by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) which are mandated to identify the skill development needs of respective sectors as well as to determine skill competency standards.
2. Future ready job-roles addressing the requirement of Industry 4.0, emerging sectors like Drone, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, Mechatronics, etc., have been prioritized under PMKVY 4.0. Under CTS also, new age courses have been developed to meet the demand of futuristic job roles in emerging technologies.
3. The National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) has been set up as an overarching regulator establishing regulations and standards to ensure quality in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) space.
4. The Awarding Bodies recognised by NCVET are expected to develop the qualifications as per the industry demand and map them with the identified occupations as per the National Classification of Occupation, 2015, of Ministry of Labour and Employment and obtain industry validations.
5. Directorate General of Training (DGT) is implementing Flexi MoU Scheme and Dual System of Training (DST). These initiatives are meant to provide training to ITI students in industrial environment.
6. Courses aligned to National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) also have components of On Job Training (OJT) and employability skills.
7. DGT has also signed MoU with IT Tech companies like IBM, CISCO, Future Skill Rights Network (erstwhile Quest Alliance), Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft to ensure industry linkages for the institutes at the state and regional levels under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
8. NSDC, under the Market led program, provides support to training providers that collaborate and align skill courses with industry demand.
9. Under NAPS, apprenticeship training and increasing engagement with industrial establishments for undertaking apprenticeship programmes is promoted.
10. Government of India has signed Migration and Mobility Agreement with ten countries viz., U.K.; France, Germany, Israel, Taiwan, Austria, Mauritius, Australia, Portugal and Finland for aligning skilling with demand in these countries.
11. Government of India has announced setting up of 30 Skill India International Centers for catering to the demand for skilled workers for foreign countries.

NEP 2020 has recommended integration of vocational education into mainstream education in all educational institutions. Under the vocational education component of Samagra Shiksha scheme, National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) compliant vocational courses are offered to the students from class 9^th to 12^th in eligible schools. At the Secondary level, i.e. Class 9 and 10, vocational modules are offered to the students as an additional subject. At the Senior Secondary level, i.e. Class 11 and 12, vocational courses are offered as a compulsory (elective) subject. Employability Skills consisting of communication skills, self-management skills, information and communication technology skills, entrepreneurship skills and green skills have been made mandatory part of the vocational courses. The aim of vocational education component of the Samagra Shiksha Scheme is to enhance the employability and entrepreneurial abilities of the students; provide exposure to work environment; and generate awareness amongst students about various career options so as to enable them to make a choice in accordance with their aptitude, competence and aspirations. The National Curriculum Framework for School Education, developed in pursuance of National Education Policy 2020, has laid down the objectives of approaches to Vocational Education. One of the objectives is that vocational capacities, knowledge, and relevant values will be developed for all students, and this will create the possibility of them joining the workforce after school if they choose to.

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), through its various schemes, is coordinating all skill development efforts across the country. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0) is being implemented through schools also, in co-operation with the Department of School Education and Literacy. Benefit of PMKVY is available to everyone in the age group 15-59 years, including the school dropouts. Under JSS, the target group is non-literate, neo-literate, persons with rudimentary level of education up to 8th and school dropouts up to 12th standard in the age group of 15-45 years. The eligibility for admission in ITIs varies across trades, and includes class 8^th pass, class 10^th pass and class 12^th pass, depending upon the Trades. Under NAPS, school pass outs (Class 5^th – Class 9^th ; Class 10^th and Class 12^th) ) are eligible to be engaged as apprentices, with level of prescribed minimum amount of stipend linked to level of education.

This information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship Shri Jayant Chaudhary in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

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SB