12th Plan to focus more on skills development: Montek

Bangalore: The Planning Commission is working on composite set of policies to include skills development in the 12th Plan.

Speaking after laying foundation stone for ‘Multi Skill Development Centre' (MSDC) in Bangalore, Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission said, “We have realised skills development is an important condition to achieve 9 per cent growth.”

“Realisation has come late for us; it will be addressed in the 12{+t}{+h} Plan. We plan to devote more towards skills development. The Planning Commission has also realised for hitting 9 per cent growth again emphasis needs to be given for both higher education and skills development,” he added.

German connection
Mr Ahluwalia said, “Germany stands out for doing more through skills development among the industrialised world. Now, time has come for us to emulate and impart the same in India to secure future for our youth.”

“Demographic transition, we have not done enough. India has huge young population. Number of young people getting employment and earning is going up by the day. It is here we need to create more opportunities for young workers by offering both education and training,” he added.

Mr Ahluwalia said, “The Union Government is strongly in favour of public private partnerships (PPP) and state governments should tap this through various models for skills development.”

“Karnataka will be in the lead with these skills development experiment and Planning Commission will be monitoring its progress,” he added.

MSDC is a public private joint venture between Union Labour ministry and Karnataka Directorate of Employment and Training with technical support from German International Cooperation (GIZ).

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Hans-Herrmann Dube, Regional Director GIZ-South Asia said, “Germany has 350 years of history in offering vocational training. We treat it as important as academic learning.”

“In Germany, currently it offers good employment and youth earn good salaries,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion Mr Mallikarjun Kharge, Union Minister for Labour and Employment, said that his department has taken skills development on pilot basis with a German collaboration.

For the first time in the country two MSDC has been taken up in Gulbarga and Bangalore where 1,800 students in each centre will be imparted technical training in IT, environment engineering, electrical maintenance, electronic design and manufacturing, automation, welding and construction technology.