CM participates in Skill Development & Employment Conclave at Doon Varsity
By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 18 Nov: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in a Skill Development and Employment Conclave held at Doon University here today. On this occasion, an MoU was also signed between Generation India and the Government of Uttarakhand. The Chief Minister expressed confidence that this conclave will play an important role in opening the doors to new possibilities in the field of skill development for the youth. It will also be helpful in empowering the youth according to their potential and will also inspire them to become self-reliant. The Chief Minister mentioned that the government is working with a goal of doubling the state’s gross domestic product, which has already increased by 1.3 times in the past two years.
The CM noted that many efforts have been made to promote investment in the state. Thirty new policies have been created for various sectors. Uttarakhand has also emerged as a leading state in providing employment to its youth. The unemployment rate in the state has decreased by 4.4 percent in a year. The per capita income of the state has also increased rapidly. The state has achieved first place in the ranking of Sustainable Development Goals released by NITI Aayog. The Chief Minister claimed that in the next five years, along with doubling the GSDP of the state, they will also do remarkable work in skill development and employment generation.
Dhami observed that India is the youngest country in the world, with 65 percent of the population below 35 years of age. If this energy is provided the right direction and guidance, the country will not only emerge as an economic superpower but also be able to lay the foundation of an empowered and prosperous society. This is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the Skill India campaign in 2015. The main objective of this initiative is to provide excellent and professionally useful training to the youth according to their interests and abilities. This campaign is not only increasing employment opportunities for the youth but also playing an important role in the creation of a self-reliant India, he claimed.
The CM stated that, with the guidance and cooperation of the Central Government, the state government is continuously working in this regard with full commitment, giving high priority to youth empowerment in the state. Many schemes and policies have been implemented, including skill development in the major agenda of the state with this aim. Youth are being encouraged for entrepreneurship through the Chief Minister’s Self-Employment Scheme. Thousands of youths are being given employment-oriented training under the Chief Minister’s Skill Development Scheme.
He emphasised that today’s employment scenario is changing rapidly, with new employment opportunities being created due to technological innovation and global change. For this, they have to make the youth “future-ready”. In this direction, agreements have been made with various industries and corporate institutions to provide “demand-based skill training” to the youth. Training of 20 short-term courses along with long-term courses is being provided in 13 ITI institutes of the state. Also, a “Centre of Excellence” in the electrical sector has been established at ITI Kashipur. A “Centre of Excellence” for the manufacturing sector has been established at ITI Haridwar in collaboration with Philips. An MoU has also been signed with Ashok Leyland Company, under which Ashok Leyland will provide internship and employment to one thousand youth in its plant every year.
Dhami claimed that under the foreign placement policy, the government is making arrangements to provide training to the youth of the state in various skills, including various foreign languages, so that they can compete at the international level and get better employment opportunities. In the first phase, 23 youth have been sent to Japan. A plan is being made to send 25 youth to Germany and Britain for the nursing sector.
He said that the ideas and suggestions received through various sessions in this conclave will be discussed on the major growth drivers of the state, such as AYUSH, wellness, tourism, horticulture and food processing, forest-based livelihood, digital marketing, knowledge-based economy, renewable energy, etc. They will prove to be highly beneficial for the policies to be formulated for the skill development of the youth in the state, he expressed hope.
Skill Development Minister Saurabh Bahuguna said that the state government is continuously working towards skill development among the youth. He claimed that there is no dearth of talent in Uttarakhand and continuous efforts are being made to bring these talents forward. Short-term courses are also being regularly conducted for the skill development of youth and women.
On this occasion, Vice Chairman of the Infrastructure Council, Vishwas Dawar, Chief Secretary Radha Raturi, Vice Chairman of the Setu Commission, Rajshekhar Joshi, Principal Secretary RK Sudhanshu, Nodal Officer in NITI Aayog Sonia Pant, Secretaries R Meenakshi Sundaram, Shailesh Bagoli, Vice-Chancellor of Doon University Prof Dr Surekha Dangwal, Additional Secretary Vijay Jogdande, ACEO CPPGG Dr Manoj Pant, and Additional Secretary Manmohan Mainali were present.
