UPSDM SKILLING At Scale with Speed and Standards

The aim of the Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Mission (UPSDM) is to integrate efforts of various departments of the State and Central Government organisations engaged in providing skill development training and making available employment-oriented and placement-linked training in vocational skills to 45 lakh youngsters, aged group of 14 to 35 years, by 2016-17, says Rajesh Kumar, Mission Director, UPSDM, in an interview with Arpit Gupta of Elets News Network (ENN)

Give an overview of Skill Development programme of UPSDM?
According to Hon’ble Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav , the State of Uttar Pradesh is growing as an economic centre for the country faster than ever before. The compounded annual growth rate of UP in the last three years has been higher than the national growth rate. Technology and Skill Development are two major areas we would like to focus on to further accelerate the impact on the State’s economy.

The Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Mission (UPSDM) is the brainchild of our CM. In an era of cut-throat competition, the idea behind setting up UPSDM was to impart professional training in different trades to the unskilled youth of State. Despite the larger population of youth, there is a huge amount of unemployment across the nation including Uttar Pradesh. The reasons may vary including school/college dropout, or lack of professional knowledge in them. To bridge this gap and scale employability, the State Government has identified 52 sectors like motor vehicle, fashion designing etc. and is running 654 courses to impart training to youngsters to make their lives better by earning a livelihood. The scheme was launched on February 20, 2014.

Our aim is not only to train the unemployed youth but also to help them get placement. Now, the Government is also focusing on introducing courses on traditional industries to promote them and generate employment in these sectors. We are encouraging training partners to adopt courses for uniqueness of Uttar Pradesh like Banarasi sarees, Lucknow chikan, Meerut sports industry, Bundelkhand chanderi, Saharanpur wood work, Kanpur leather etc.

How is the response of people from remote and far flung areas for Skill Development?
More than 46 lakh candidates have registered themselves on UPSDM portal www.upsmd.gov.in so far and are being trained in their preferred streams. Online registration is opened again for enrollment which is free for all youth.

There are 1,962 approved training centres in the State, and the total count of registrations done on the portal stands at 46,95,126.

The first and foremost priority of the Government is to impart training to the registered candidates in particular trade of their interest, as it results into successful completion of training and early placement. Training programmes are being conducted in high class training institutes of private and government training colleges.

UPSDM aims to enhance pace by partnering with the Government and private training providers, while ensuring equitable access to the most disadvantaged, including women; and strive for placement of preferably at least 70 per cent of the trained youth in gainful wage and self-employment to enable them to contribute to the economic development of the State.

Since very inception of the launch of scheme, we have been creating awareness about it across the State. We have District Programme Management Unit (DPMU) in each district, training partners, Government ITI colleges, toll free number etc. Interested candidate can approach any of these institutions to know about course details or any other information.

What challenges did UPSDM face in convincing people and train them?
Identifying youth for Skill Development was one of the major challenges before UPSDM. Our team worked harder to explain people about Skill Development programme and how will it make them self dependent. With the feedback came from survey and keeping in mind the need of the State, we designed training courses and modules and got it registered for Skill Development. Later, we identified Private Training Partners accordingly and signed MoUs with them.

After Enrollment, quality check of training programmes was another challenge. We got third party evaluation done through Qualification Packs (QPs) and National Occupational Standards (NOS), and NSDC. Evaluation of all training is being done by assessor agenesis.

rajesh_kumarMore than 46 lakh candidates have registered themselves on UPSDM portal www.upsmd.gov.in so far and are being trained in their preferred streams. Online registration is opened again for enrollment which is free for all youth.

What is success rate of training and placement? How many private training partners are associated with UPSDM?
Today, we have 149 private training partners, 209 Government ITIs and 13 flexi training partners – big industry groups for imparting skills in youth. We have been very much successful in training them and providing placement.

Private training partners working with UPSDM have trust in our association. Therefore, big corporates including Raymond, Coffee Day Global Limited, Bangalore (Café Coffee Day), Lava International Limited, Karvy Data Management services Ltd., G4 securities, SLR, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., Future Sharp Skills Limited (Big Bazar), Javed Habib Hair and Beauty Limited, Hand Design Private Ltd., Janak Healthcare Pvt Ltd. etc are our training partners. They are skilling youth in collaboration with UPSDM and creating prospects of having better employees in future.

We have also tied up with Tech Mahindra, Mera Hunar, Skill Mart (Monster.com) and select jobs placement agency. UPSDM has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ola in order to generate entrepreneurship opportunities along with skill development for 50,000 men and women across the next five years.

Where does Skill Development fit in the development agenda of the UP Government?
There is a deficit of skilled manpower in every industry and only skilled force can help boost industry of a state and its economy. This is a fact that youth are available in Uttar Pradesh in a large number and we can supply skilled force across the country. But skill development is very much required to make them perfectionist.

UPSDM is focusing on wage employment as well as promoting entrepreneurship depending on sector specific requirement. Free English speaking course, computer training and fundamental operation of computer application are included with base training of all programmes. After completing the training, the Government will help them provide a better job in government and private companies.

What are your future plans?
We are planning to double the targets in comparison to previous year and to achieve the vision of ‘Skilled India, Skilled Uttar Pradesh’. The UPSDM ensures that youth are skilled in whatever inherent quality they posses and get meaningful employment, which further accelerate the state’s and country’s economy.

The UP Government has an NRI Department, which has got licence to meet out the demand of skilled manpower abroad in the required trades. We are working in collaboration with them to make future NRIs from Uttar Pradesh by skilling them at scale with speed and standards.

We believe Flexi MoUs with big corporates will help candidates get job in reputed companies. Besides, Traditional industries and handicrafts will have plethora of job opportunities. 12 trainees who had undergone training in Fragrance & Flavour Development Centre, Kannauj, A Government of India Autonomous Body under Ministry of MSME and Bio-tech park, Lucknow had been to Graase, France for oneweek advance exposure.

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