Several key proposals aimed at boosting skill development in Uttar Pradesh were presented during the meeting of U.P. MoS (independent charge) for vocational education and skill development Kapil Dev Aggarwal and Union MoS (independent charge) for skill development and entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary on Friday, according to a state government spokesperson.

As the Uttar Pradesh government is making significant strides in skill development, ITI expansion, skill development and the effective implementation of central schemes were discussed at the meeting that took place in New Delhi, the spokesperson said.

Hariom, principal secretary to the U.P. government, delivered a detailed presentation on expanding and enhancing Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in the state during the meeting.

He proposed allocation of 250 new ITIs for Uttar Pradesh under the Government of India’s 1000 ITI Upgradation Scheme. Union minister Jayant Chaudhary said the proposal would be seriously considered, the spokesperson added.

Additionally, a request was made to set a target of training one lakh youths under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) for the Uttar Pradesh Kaushal Vikas Mission. The Union minister said the initiative would open new employment opportunities for the state’s youths.

Hariom highlighted that the Uttar Pradesh government has already trained over 1 lakh artisans under the Prime Minister Vishwakarma Yojana. He stressed that the numbers could increase rapidly if the training target was directly assigned to the UP Kaushal Vikas Mission, the spokesperson said.

The Union minister suggested integrating all trades covered under the Prime Minister Vishwakarma Yojana with UP’s Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana. UP minister Kapil Dev Aggarwal said the proposal would be discussed with the MEME minister and that necessary steps would be taken.

The meeting also explored opportunities to equip youths with language training to enhance their employability in global markets. The Union minister urged the U.P. government to take concrete steps in this direction.

Furthermore, Chaudhary requested the Uttar Pradesh government to share its best policies and successful skill development initiatives with the Centre so that other states could benefit from its model.

Director, training and employment, Neha Prakash, director, Uttar Pradesh Kaushal Vikas Mission, Abhishek Singh and other officials attended the meeting.