With the advent of newer MNC’s and companies setting up shop in the State, there are several opportunities for employment but there is unavailability of professionally qualified candidates due to the mismatch in the education and skill requirement set. Vocational skills like communication, soft skills, IT, customer handling skills have been missing in the education system. To bridge the gap, no stone is being left unturned to provide the youth with all the basic skills and empower them for a stronger future. 300 Crore has been allocated to the cause in the Budget 2015 for the development of youth-centric initiatives. A multitude of training programs & schemes are being been introduced by the Department of Technical Educational and Industrial Training Modular Employable Skill (MES).
To open up vistas of employment for the youth of Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal gave the nod for setting up a state-of-the art ‘Integrated Skill Development Centre’ in the Ferozepur district. This centre, being established under the Punjab State Skill Development Mission, would also have a C-Pyte centre to train the youth for recruitment in the Armed forces and Para-Military forces. The Chief Minister has also approved the construction of separate sheds in the existing ITI for imparting skill training to women – thereby ensuring comfort & ease of female students and enabling more and more women to come forward and claim their right to education and live a life of pride & dignity.
Not only IT or traditional vocational training is being provided to the youth, but also the main industrial demands as ATHM, HMCT, Multi-media technologies, Medical trainings and vocational skills required in the modern job scenario at different levels of programs (foundation, skill formation and up-gradation) to meet demands of various target groups of industry and commerce have been started free of cost or at a minimal fee.
Courses are available for persons having completed 5th standard and onwards. To make it cost effective, infrastructure of the present institutes and the man power is being utilized – services of existing or retired faculty or guest faculty are being enlisted so that there is no delay in the imparting of education and even youth below the poverty line can afford such training and education programs.
Skill development programs have been drafted to not only make the youth industry oriented, but also empower them to be self employed. Some of the programs started are Basic Communication Skills- Soft Skills; Basic IT/ Computer Skills; Customer Care Services; Guest Handling; Corporate Etiquettes and Manners ; Art of Public Speaking; Front Office Management; Telephone skills; Interview Skills; Skills to work overseas; Inter-personnel skills development; Team Building Exercises; Job / Employment Scenario; Domain Knowledge etc. with a flexible delivery mechanism (part time, weekends, full time, on-site) to suit needs of various target groups. Much focus is being paid to design programs for the youth on the Earn While Learn concept.
Government of Punjab 