Punjab Government to run free self-employment training courses for Agriculture & Allied Services

Chandigarh : The Punjab Government to run free self-employment training courses for Agriculture & Allied Services under skill development mission. The secretary, union ministry of skill development & entrepreneurship has in principle given approval for running these courses. The Punjab Skill Development mission to introduce courses of Agriculture & Allied Services to provide skill training to the farmers and others to bring diversification, doubling the income of farmers, arrest of depleting water tables and distress in farmers.

A high-level meeting to discuss the various issues related to skill development and vocational training programmes was held here today at Punjab Bhawan. Mr. Charanjit Singh Channi Minister for Technical Education & Industrial Training chaired the meeting while Dr. KP Krishnan secretary Ministry of skill Development & Entrepreneurship, GoI, Mr. Karan Avtar Singh Chief Secretary, Mr. MP Singh Additional Chief Secretary, Mr. Tejvir Singh Principle Secretary to CM and other senior officers of the state and union government were also present.

Disclosing about the decisions taken during the meeting the Technical Education Minister Mr. Charanjit Singh Channi said that the Punjab Agriculture University and the Guru Angad Dev Vetnary University would run the skill development courses for the Agriculture and Allied services. He said that these courses would be run under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme under Pardhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna scheme. ‘A separate proposal to be sent by the PSDM for the approval of these courses to the Union Ministry of skill Development & Entrepreneurship, added Channi.

The Minister said that the secretary ministry of MSDE in principle also gave approval to set up Indian Institute of Skills in the Punjab Skill University, which is to be set up at Sri Chamkaur Sahib. He said that this centre would be part of the university and work as the certifying authority for the Skill Centres running in the state. He further said that the top Industrial Units would set up Centre of excellence in the campus of the university to provide job oriented education and training to the youth of the state. The minister also said that the students of government polytechnic colleges and Industrial training Institutes would also be given training in these centres.

During the meeting, it was also discussed that the courses, which would be run in the Skill Universities, would be based on the Embedded Apprenticeship Proggramme. The Secretary GOI informed that proposal regarding this has been sent for the approval of union cabinet. He said that the as per the proposal the courses would be focused on 70% practical training and 30% academics. He further said the practical training would be provided not only in the labs but also in the Industry.

The Technical Education Minister Mr. Channi stressed on the need carrier counseling programme in the state and the NSDC agreed to this and said that the the officials said that the NSDC would set up counseling centre in the state. This centre would train the trainers from across the state and these trained counselors would provide carrier counseling in all the schools and other institutes of the state.

The Technical Education Minister said that the Union ministry has also approved grant for the Skills Competition to be held in the state before the India Skills competition and after this world skills competition would be held at Kazan Russia in 2019. The minister also said that the union ministry has also approved the joint branding and reshuffling of courses as per the need of the Industry.

Others prominent present in the meeting included Mr. Sukhwinder Singh GM PSDM, Mr. DPS Kharbanda Director Industries, Mr. Ajoy Sharma Secretary Local Government and Ms Vaishali Project co-rdinator PSDM, MR. Jaiwant Singh Sr. Head NSDC, Mr. PN Yadhav Director DGT, MSDE, Ms Swati Sethi Jt. Director DGT and other officers of the state & union government.

Note: News shared for public awareness with reference from the information provided at online news portals.