Skill India Mission Programme Courses List

Nearly two-thirds of the Indian population is of working age but most of them lack the skills for good employment opportunities. To address this challenge, the central government of India launched the Skill India scheme in the year 2015. Under this programme, several Skill India Courses are being run to promote skill development among the Indian youth. The overall vision of the scheme is to create a robust and empowered workforce that can help increase India’s self-reliance and prosperity.
 

Chief Objectives of Skill India

The various Skill India courses aim to create employment opportunities for the Indian youth through upskilling as per the evolving requirements of different industries. These skilling initiatives are run in collaboration with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).

Schemes Under the Skill India Programme

 

• HPradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana

  Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, or PMKVY, aims to increase competency in the field of employable skills and hone the working efficiency of daily wage labourers through monetary rewards and quality training.

 

• UDAAN

  The Udaan scheme provides skill development courses for students belonging to the Jammu & Kashmir region to help them find employment.

 

• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra

  The government is establishing advanced model training centres in every district of the country to facilitate vocational training courses. These centres are known as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra.

 

• SANKALP

  Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) is a skill development scheme funded by the World Bank.

 

• STAR

  The Standard Training Assessment and Reward (STAR) scheme offers monetary rewards to youths who have completed their assigned training programs.

 

• Vocational education

  This refers to the practical government skill development courses which help youths obtain skills in a specific field and will help them towards making a career in that field.

 

• Polytechnic schemes

  The Community Development Through Polytechnics (CDTP) scheme provides short-term, employment-based skill development courses at AICTE approved Polytechnics across the country.

 

• Skill development for minorities

  This scheme targets individuals between the ages of 14 and 45 years from the minority communities of India. It helps upgrade their skills based on their qualification and current economic status.

 

• Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kausalya yojana

  It empowers the poor rural youth through various skills and provides them jobs with monthly wages.

 

• SHREYAS

  The Scheme for Higher Education Youth in Apprenticeships and Skills (SHREYAS) scheme provides industry apprenticeship opportunities to graduates through the National Apprenticeship Promotional Scheme (NAPS).

 

• Financial Assistance for Skill Training of Persons with Disabilities

  This scheme offers financial aid to persons with disabilities (PwDs) having a minimum of 40 per cent disability and a certificate duly issued by a medical authority.

 

• GSDP

  The Green Skill Development Program (GSDP) is related to the skill development in the environment and forest segment to help the youth find suitable employment opportunities.

Also Read: Know How PMKVY Can Help to Start Your Own Business?

Skill India Courses List

Before applying, individuals must enquire which courses are available in skill India? This will help them know if the courses are aligned with their own interests. As part of the schemes described above, the skill development courses list under the Skill India Mission includes the following programmes:  

Entrepreneurship Development Programmes (EDPs)

 

• These include the Counselling, Retraining and Redeployment Scheme for Central Public Sector Undertaking and the women entrepreneurship development programmes.
• Short-term skilling courses are offered to voluntarily retired employees from central public sector enterprises and to unemployed women.
• The courses provide detailed information on various profitable business segments like healthcare, dairy products, food processing, digital marketing, etc. to help individuals start their own business ventures and contribute to the economy.

 

Entrepreneurship cum Skill Development Programmes (ESDPs) 6 weeks

 

• ESDPs are in-depth and comprehensive training programmes that improve the skills of both prospective entrepreneurs and existing workers, especially those involved in the micro and small industries.
• These Skill India courses ensure skill enhancement of youths and equip them with better knowledge and skills of production.
• Some tailor-made programs are also included for skill development among socially backward groups like women, people from SC/ST backgrounds, and people with disabilities.
• The courses are formulated in such a way that they cover all the skills required in the field, such as marketing techniques, export opportunities, project profile preparation, cash flow, accounting etc.

Management Development Programmes

 

• These short-term management development courses aim to improve specific skills at the managerial level according to the present industry requirements.
• The courses include Advanced Skills for Effective Executive Secretaries and Change Management, Contemporary Human Resource Management Practices, Cost Effectiveness in Economic Downturn, Business Development Plan for Micro and Small Enterprises, among others.

Training of Trainers Programmes

 

• These courses provide the relevant skills to individuals who aspire to become trainers in their respective sectors.
• The applicants are partnered with the National Skill Qualification Framework for recognition of their skills and employment opportunities.

• The trainers gain knowledge about the changing facets of the industrial sector in the country through courses like Electronic data processing skills, ESDP in 2D Animation, Technology Infusion cum Skill Development Programme, ESDP in Fashion Designing, Accreditation Programme for Electromagnetic Trainers, etc.

Other Skill India Courses

 

• These are highly specialised short-term courses that can be taken as and when required.
• The courses include Financing and Management of CFCs, Promotion of Micro-Enterprises, Risk Management for Self Help Groups (SHGs), etc.

Training Centres for Skill India

A widespread network of training partners throughout India supports the Skill India programme. These include over 450 affiliates, 38 sector skill councils, and other enabling infrastructure as per requirements of the Skill India courses list. The training partners must meet stringent requirements to be associated with the Skill India programme. The NSDC also supports many vocational training institutions across the country to help them provide quality skilling courses to learners.

Who can apply for Skill India Programme?

Any Indian citizen who has completed twelve years of schooling can apply for the Skill India courses. Although they primarily target the working-age youth, anyone can enrol, regardless of their region, age, or gender.

Many people are not sure if Skill India courses are free? This is because different training centres have varying operating models. The courses under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) are free, while those that come under NSDC are chargeable. Thus, applicants must check whether their desired courses are free or paid and ensure sufficient funds to enrol for the paid courses.

Advantages of the Skill India Programmes

 

• All courses under Skill India are open to every Indian citizen.
• The courses are offered in many Indian languages to increase their reach and usefulness.
• The free courses would be helpful in upskilling the economically deprived sections of the Indian society.
• Skills will raise the confidence of the youth in finding jobs or starting their businesses.
• A skilled workforce would increase the productivity of various industries in India.
• The country’s economy will prosper owing to high productivity and increase in business activity.
• After completing a skilling course, you can easily apply for a business loan to start your own venture because financial institutions will value the skills you acquire.

Also Read: Government Initiative for SMEs

To Conclude

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) predicts that India might face a shortage of skilled personnel by the year 2030. Without investing in modern technologies and industry-relevant skills, the country would experience a significant drop in its GDP growth in the coming decade. Hence, Skill India Courses are a practical necessity to upskill the youth population of India.