Punjab to train 52,000 youth with technical skills

CHANDIGARH - With growing demand from the industry for technically skilled personnel, the Punjab government Tuesday announced a scheme to train nearly 52,000 youth from the state under a comprehensive technical skill training programme.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal Tuesday gave the green signal to the new programme which will have short-term courses to enable gainful employment of the trained youth in local trade and industry within one year.

The decision to this effect was taken by Badal in a meeting held here with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) - Ropar director, M.K. Surappa, principals of all government industrial training institutes (ITIs) and other concerned agencies.

Punjab Technical University (PTU)-Jalandhar has been selected as the nodal agency for the skill programme.

PTU Vice-Chancellor Rajneesh Arora said: “PTU would act as a nodal agency to ensure training as well as placement. PTU is coordinating with the local industry to ensure 100 per cent placement of all the trained workers.”

Arora said that 102 government ITIs and 45 polytechnics presently running in Punjab, would impart skill training of 270 hours (certified course) to 35,000 youth by starting evening classes. He said that optimum utilization of exiting infrastructure will be made.

He further said that under this programme 14,800 youth would get training in 148 distance education centres. Besides, 2,550 youth would be trained in five government and 21 private engineering colleges in the state.