Demand for skilled Indian youth growing globally: PM Modi

New Delhi [India], October 19 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that the demand for skilled Indian youth is growing globally.
Referring to the increasing age profile in the demography of many countries, the Prime Minister mentioned a study that says that 16 countries have planned to provide employment to about 40 lakh skilled youth.
"India is preparing skilled professionals for the world, not just for itself", the Prime Minister said.
He said that the Skill Centers in Maharashtra will prepare the local youth for global jobs and will skill them in construction, modern farming, media and entertainment, and electronics.
The Prime Minister also emphasized the need to provide training in soft skills such as basic foreign language skills, using AI tools for language interpretation which will make them more attractive for the recruiters.
PM Modi further pointed out that previous governments lacked farsightedness and seriousness towards skill development which resulted in fewer job opportunities for the lakhs of youth due to lack of skills.
The Prime Minister underlined that the present government understood the need for skill development and created a separate ministry dedicated to it with its own budgetary allocation and multiple schemes.
Under the Kaushal Vikas Scheme, the Prime Minister informed that more than 1 crore 30 lakh youth have been provided training under multiple traits, while more than hundreds of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras have been established all over the country.
The Prime Minister underlined the contribution of skill development initiatives in bolstering social justice.
The Prime Minister mentioned the philosophy of Babasaheb Ambedkar that focussed on industrialization for the upliftment of Dalits, backwards and tribals as their landholdings were meagre. Due to a lack of skills in the past, these sections were deprived of the opportunity of getting quality jobs.
He said that the most benefit from the Government's skill development initiatives is being derived by the poor, Dalit, backward and Adivasi families.
Recalling the contributions of Savitri Bai Phule in breaking the shackles of society when it came to the education of women, the Prime Minister reiterated that only those with knowledge and skill can bring about a positive change in society.
PM Modi underlined that Savitri Bai Phule has been the inspiration behind the government's emphasis on women's education and training.
He mentioned self-help groups or 'Swayam Sahayata Samuh' which impart training among women, and informed that specialized training has been provided to more than 3 crore women under the Women Empowerment programme.
He also touched upon training women to encourage them to make use of drones in the agricultural fields and other sectors.
PM Modi launched 511 Pramod Mahajan Grameen Kaushalya Vikas Kendras in Maharashtra via video conferencing on Thursday.
Established across 34 rural districts of Maharashtra, these Kendras will conduct skill development training programs across various sectors to provide employment opportunities to rural youth.