Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey visits Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra in New Delhi; Meets and motivates youth towards constant up-skilling and job continuity

New Delhi: Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship today visited one of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKK) situated at Mandir Marg in New Delhi. The center focuses on sectors like Healthcare (6 job roles) and Solar (2 job roles).
This was one of the first visits of the Minister to a skill training facility where he met with the young trainees getting skilled under Government’s Skill India program. Hon’ble Minister interacted with the candidates and gauged the aspirations of the youth. He deemed it as an imperative that the Mission must match the aspirations of the candidates and helps in building the confidence in them towards becoming young entrepreneurs of the future.
Addressing the youth, Dr. Pandey said, “After honing a skill, it is important that you should aim at getting a job in the market or become an entrepreneur. You can be a jobseeker but if you have the confidence, skill and ability in you to become an entrepreneur, you can become a job-provider.” He mentioned that after getting a job it is important to keep one-self relevant in the job market by periodically up-grading skills and maintaining job continuity.
“Both Healthcare and Solar sectors are two upcoming sectors in the country and the government initiatives are aligned to the National Health Mission and National Solar Mission and there are great avenues of growth in these areas. Job roles like the diabetes educator, solar implants have a huge market demand. I wish you all the best for a bright career and hope you make a New India of our dreams which has healthy people and a healthy environment,” he further added.
In harmony with its avowed intent of setting up model training center in every district of India to deploy youth with market-relevant skill training and entrepreneurship opportunities, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has set up Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) across the country.
Envisaged under the Government’s flagship scheme, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), over 837 of these allocated state-of-the-art aspirational training centers will spread out in 29 States and 6 Union Territories, covering 717 districts. Till date, 610 PMKKs have been established and the remaining are under various stages of establishment.
MSDE’s objective is to set up these model training centers to create standardized infrastructure for delivery of skill training across the country; and mandates that these centers are equipped to run high-quality industry-driven courses. It envisions transforming the short-term training ecosystem by moving from a mandate-driven delivery model to a sustainable institutional model.
Treading towards Skill India mission, PMKK is a big measure to establish exemplary model training centers, covering an area that ranges from 3000 sq.ft.- 8000 sq.ft. (depending on district’s population). Some of the salient features of a PMKK are defined parameters for quality of training and trainers, infrastructure requirements such as Smart Classrooms, Audio-Visual Training Aids, Biometric Attendance, mandatory training in Manufacturing trades, Industry Seminars and Guest Lectures, dedicated Counselling, Mobilization and Placement cells. The courses at each PMKK are determined according to the district population and its demand to cater to local youth aspirations. These state-of-the-art centers are also obligated to put up standardized external and internal branding.
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras form the bulwark of skill development schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana. In a recent development, MSDE has mandated establishment of a ‘Skill Saathi’ counselling unit in each PMKK to provide counselling to skill aspirants on a standardized module. It will help in creating awareness about vocational training and subsequent opportunities in various sectors. It will also sensitize prospective candidates about horizontal and vertical pathways, will facilitate psychometric testing and face-to-face counselling interventions to guide aspirants to make -right choice in career and skill training.