NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, MAR 17
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has identified 343 job roles for improved training in the third phase of its flagship Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Union minister Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey said.
The skill development minister noted the highlights of the latest phase of the Narendra Modi government’s skill training scheme.
“These job roles are not new but after much assessment and study of the market’s demand post-COVID, these job roles will help get immediate jobs for those skilled,” the minister said.
Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey shared details about few new job roles under the scheme. Out of all the new job roles identified, 35 have been identified in the agriculture sector, 19 in food processing, 11 in iron and steel, 10 in aerospace, and the rest in other areas like lifestyle, telecom, automotive, and rubber. Apart from these, other roles include Pradhan Mantri Arogya Mitra, frontline health workers, graphic designers, solar lighting technicians, animal health workers, and hand spinning workers for the textile industry. The ministry has put special focus on the agriculture sector by identifying job roles like dairy farm entrepreneurs, aquaculture farmers, sericulturists, etc. as by training them not only they will get empowered but sustainable agriculture will also get a push.
The COVID-19 pandemic presented several challenges that affected every possible sector of the Indian economy. The business uncertainty due to sudden lockdown led to millions of migrant workers left unemployed overnight and forced these workers to retreat to their villages in a hope of finding livelihood opportunities. As the pandemic led to insecurity in the job market, interruptions in education, and a disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups – all of this called for the Government to put immediate focus on how to prepare the youth to thrive during and post-COVID-19.
The onset of COVID-19 undoubtedly puts a spotlight to intensify the need for developing new-age skills to remain relevant in the industry. According to the World Economic Forum, more than 1 billion jobs, almost one-third of all jobs worldwide, are likely to be transformed by technology in the next decade. This clearly indicates a rapid rise in new kinds of job roles in industry 4.0 where the future of work will be more about holistic job skills. The World Economic Forum also projects that by 2022 at least 54% of all employees will need reskilling and upskilling to respond to changing work requirements.
Being one of the youngest countries with a population of around 1.3 Billion and a median age below 30, India expects its workforce to increase by 27% by 2022 as per the India Skills Report 2019 by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Wheebox, and PeopleStrong. This gives a strong demographic advantage to India, which will further help in bridging the skill gap by focusing on learning different skill sets and prepare for industry 4.0.
To attain the required new-age skills, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 3.0 (PMKVY 3.0), the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) implemented by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) will support in creating a skilled and certified workforce. This scheme will not only contribute towards the growth of India but will also drive the country into becoming the global skills capital. PMKVY enables the Indian youth to learn industry-relevant skill training that will help them in securing a better livelihood in the coming years.
PMKVY 3.0 has increased focus on demand-driven skill development, digital technology, and skills about Industry 4.0 to provide candidates with a wider choice in terms of courses to match their aspirations and aptitude. Looking at the changing needs of the skills required in the market and the performance of the previously existing job roles, it was decided to include any new job roles as per market demand. After much assessment and study of the market’s demand post-Covid-19 which will enhance employability of the skilled workforce for new-age and Industry 4.0 job roles, 343 new job roles were identified under the scheme for skills training.
PMKVY 3.0 is a short duration scheme (one year long) that envisage a ‘Bottom-to-top’ approach at the district level which will further allow the district-level skilling committees to determine the demand for particular skills and set up courses accordingly. PMKVY 3.0 aligns with Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Vocal for Local’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ which can only be achieved by expanding the skilling ecosystem to the district level.
