Minister for Labour V. Sivankutty on Thursday inaugurated the first district skill development centre set up under the Kerala Academy for Skills Excellence (KASE), the State Skill Development Mission, at Pappanamcode in the district on Thursday.
The Minister, in his address, said the district skill development centres were being set up as part of the Labour and Skills department’s efforts to address unemployment among the youth, particularly educated youth. He pointed out that many top industry experts had said that it was not the lack of jobs, but the lack of skills commensurate with the job opportunities that was the problem.
Mr. Sivankutty said that by the end of the tenure of the second Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front government, the State would be transformed into one having the best skill development ecosystem in the country. For this, KASE intended to give recognition to private skill training centres that had good experience in skill training, infrastructure, and quality skill training courses so that they could be made partners in the skill development process, starting centres of excellence in new job sectors, and ensuring coordination between government departments in connection with skill development, he said.
Besides courses suited to the modern job market, the district skill development centre would create awareness among the public, particularly the youth, of the importance of skill development.
KASE managing director Veena N. Madhavan handed over an agreement for starting courses in shipping and logistics sector in association with the Adani Group to its managing director and chief executive officer Rajesh Jha. KASE chief operating officer Vinod T.V. presented a report. District panchayat president D. Suresh Kumar was the chief guest. Labour and Skills Secretary Saurabh Jain presided.
