Candidates trained by various institutions under the MSME Ministry during 2023-24 have marginally increased from the previous year, according to the latest annual report of the ministry published recently. However, the count remains well below the pre-Covid levels.
The cumulative personnel trained across Tool Rooms & Technology Centre Systems Programme (TR & TCSP), NSIC, Ni-MSME, KVIC, Coir Board and Entrepreneurship Skill Development Programme (ESDP) during 2023-24 stood at 2.94 lakh, up 14.3 per cent from 2.57 lakh trained during 2022-23 but remained higher than 2.02 lakh youth trained during 2021-22, the report showed.
In contrast, 4.15 lakh people were trained during 2019-20, before the Covid pandemic.
TR & TCSP continued to churn out the maximum count of skilled youth among institutions under the MSME Ministry. 2.14 lakh candidates were skilled in 2023-24, growing by 16 per cent from 1.85 lakh during 2022-23 vis-a-vis 2.75 lakh trained personnel during 2019-20.
NSIC remained the second biggest contributor to the new skilled workforce with 66,765 people trained during 2023-24 followed by 7,496 people trained under ESDP, 3,999 by Coir Board and 1,463 by Ni-MSME.
Institutions under the MSME Ministry train youth for wage employment as well as self-employment under different schemes such as Tool Room & Technical Institutions (TR & IT), TCSP Assistance to Training Institutions (ATI), National SC/ST Hub, Khadi Gramodoyog Vikas Yojna, Coir Vikas Yojna – Skill Upgradation & Mahila Coir Yojna, etc.
Moreover, customized demand-driven training courses as per industry requirements are also undertaken.
The intake eligibility for the training programmes ranges from school dropout to M.Tech and offers different levels of courses including certificates, diploma, advance diploma, post diploma, post graduate diploma and post graduate, according to the annual report.
Importantly, the Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Ministry currently runs the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) for skill development training through Short-Term Training (STT) and up-skilling and re-skilling through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to youth.
Under the scheme, 1.48 crore people have been trained as of June 30 this year since 2015. Under the first three versions, out of 56.88 lakh candidates that have been certified in STT, 24.3 lakh candidates have been reported placed which makes the overall placement rate at 42.8 per cent, according to the data shared by the Minister of State (Independent Charge), Skill Development Ministry Jayant Chaudhary in a written reply in the Lok Sabha in July.