Bhubaneswar : More than 196 youth between 18-35 years of age from marginalized and remote communities in Odisha (Janla & Mendasala – Khurda District) have been trained by Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham under the Central Government’s Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship implemented by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). Both these projects are being spearheaded by the varsity’s AMMACHI Labs which is working to empower Indian youth through vocational education.
Said Prema Pillai, Operational Lead for PMKVY – Special Projects, AMMACHI Labs: “Youth and school students in rural and remote villages suffer from marginalization, lack of resources, low levels of education and poor career prospects. If they migrate to cities, they get only unskilled jobs and are put under casual contracts, much to their disadvantage. Lack of certification from training institutes reduces their capacity to negotiate salaries. Rural schools are crippled by a lack of financial resources, antiquated technology infrastructure and inadequately trained teachers to impart technology education. With industry-relevant skills and vocational training taught by Amrita, rural youth are at an advantage economically and socially, helping them secure better livelihoods. Launch of Future skills training through STEM interventions in Odisha opens up new pathways for children and youth, building up their resilience for an unpredictable future.”
The Amrita PMKVY program, operational since November 2018, established 9 PMKVY training centres spanning six aspirational districts in Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala – training a total of 800 youth in these states. It offers short-term courses in the following areas: Plumbing General, Automotive Service Technician (2 & 3 Wheeler Repair), Self-Employed Tailor, General Duty Assistant and Domestic Data Entry Operator (DDEO). All the vocational courses offered at Amrita’s PMKVY centers are aligned with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship’s prescribed National Occupational Standards (NOS), and delivered through a blended learning, ICT-integrated format called “Amrita Computerized Vocational Education and Training” (Amrita CVET). The Amrita CVET delivery model, first developed by Amrita in 2010, is now being used to provide vocational training to over 5,000 people in rural India.
-Odisha Age
