Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) scheme places over 5 lakh candidates in less than 2 years of its launch

The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) successfully reaches news milestones in “Skilled India” mission with placement of candidates under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY 2016-20). There has been a remarkable increase in placements with over 5.25 lakh candidates getting suitable jobs in  just about eighteen months of the launch of the scheme. The effectiveness and outcomes of the scheme are attributed to significant improvement in infrastructure, widening of training partner network and foolproof monitoring processes. 

The placements under PMKVY (2016-2020) are categorized into wage and self-employment. Nearly 78 per cent of the candidates have been placed in wage employment while 22 per cent in self-employment/entrepreneurship. The top 10 performing sectors with respect to placements are Apparel, Electronics and Hardware, Retail, Beauty and Wellness, Telecom, Logistics, Agriculture, IT-ITeS, Tourism and Hospitality and Construction encapsulating 85 per cent of the total placements.    

Addressing gender inequality in the workforce, the scheme has shown significant gains, with women constituting 55% of the total placements. Meeting the industry demands, the placements have been skewed towards service sector with major placements in apparel, tailoring, computing and peripherals, retail sales, customer care and beauty and wellness job roles.

Commenting on the progress of the scheme, Rajesh Agrawal, Joint Secretary & CVO, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) said, “PMKVY (2016-2020) aims to provide quality training to build skilled and job-ready workforce catering to the evolving demands of the industry. The placement progress brings to fruition the Government’s vision of providing meaningful employment and livelihood opportunities for all. The placement trend also shows high demand in service sector. In a vast country like India, where unorganised sector is predominant, entrepreneurship can be a key enabler for employment generation.”

Manish Kumar, MD & CEO, National Skill Development Corporation commented, “NSDC’s objective is to create and strengthen skill training institutions for enhancing employability of skilled youth. We are encouraging quality training in industry-relevant job roles for better placement outcomes. We are also enhancing self-employment capabilities of skilled youths by integrating digital literacy, soft skills and entrepreneurship modules with PMKVY.”

One of the innovative and impactful initiatives undertaken by NSDC to accelerate the pace of placements is Job Fairs or Rozgar Melas being held across districts. Under this initiative, placement drives are conducted providing employers and candidates a common platform to interact and fulfil the placement directive of PMKVY 2016-2020. The scheme has associated with more than 7,000 employers across India through approximately 800 Rozgar Melas in the last 18 months. The scheme has facilitated connect with leading employers, such as Myntra, Pizza Hut, PVR Cinemas, Bata India, G4S Secure Solutions, Lemon Tree Hotels and Honda Motorcycle & Scooter Pvt. Ltd. to name a few.

PMKVY Scheme – Highlights and details

The PMKVY (2016-20), launched in November 2016 with an outlay of Rs. 12,000 crores is the biggest training and certification program of the Government of India. It aims to skill one crore youth by 2020. In nearly eighteen months of its launch, the scheme has certified over 18 lakh candidates under its various programs – Short Term Training, Recognition of Prior Learning and Special Projects.

Short-Term Training (STT)

The Short-Term Training (STT) program of PMKVY (2016-20), imparted through NSDC’s approved training partners, is aimed at benefitting youth who are either school/college dropouts or unemployed.   Apart from skills training, the program comprises orientation in soft skills, entrepreneurship, financial and digital literacy. The program encompassing 200 -1,000 hours of skill training, is designed according to varied job roles. Till date, more than 13 lakh candidates have been certified under the Short-Term Training program.

The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a certification program that gives due importance to learning as an outcome rather than learning as a process. It provides recognition to the informal learning or learning through work to get equal acceptance as the formal levels of education. Focusing on the workforce in the unorganised sectors, RPL is designed for those who already have a job or are self-employed and require up-skilling and certification for better prospects. The program encompassing 12 – 80 hours of training. Till date, over 5.31 lakh candidates have been certified under this program.

Special Projects

Special Projects facilitates trainings in special areas and/or premises of government bodies, corporate or industry bodies, and trainings in special job roles, not defined under the available Qualification Packs (QPs)/National Occupational Standards (NOS).