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New Delhi: The government on January 15 launched the third phase of its flagship skilling scheme Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY 3.0) in a bid to empower the country’s youth with employable skills by making over 300 skill courses available to them.

PMKVY 3.0 envisages training 8 lakh candidates over the scheme period of 2020-2021 with an outlay of Rs 948.90 crore.

The third phase of the scheme is designed towards making skill development more demand-driven and decentralised in its approach, with focus on digital technology and Industry 4.0 skills.

In the third phase, District Skill Committees (DSCs), under the guidance of State Skill Development Missions (SSDM), shall play a key role in addressing the skill gap and assessing demand at the district level.

“Launched in 717 districts, 28 states/8 UTs, PMKVY 3.0 marks yet another step towards ‘Atmnanirbhar Bharat’. PMKVY 3.0 will be implemented in a more decentralized structure with greater responsibilities and support from states/UTs and districts,” the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said.

While the National Educational Policy puts focus on vocational training for a holistic growth and increased employability, the role of PMKVY 3.0 will be of a propagator of vocational education at an early level for youth to capitalize on industry-linked opportunities, it added.

The new scheme will be more trainee- and learner-centric addressing the ambitions of aspirational Bharat, the ministry stated.

“PMKVY 2.0 broadened the skill development with inclusion of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and focus on training. With the advent of PMKVY 3.0, the focus is on bridging the demand-supply gap by promoting skill development in areas of new-age and Industry 4.0 job roles,” it said.

Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Mahendra Nath Pandey said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘vocal for local’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ can only be achieved by furthering the skilling ecosystem to the district level.

“As a young nation, we’re poised to seize the opportunities that will make India the skill capital of the World. By taking the bottom-up approach to training, PMKVY 3.0 will identify job roles that have demand at the local level and skill the youth, linking them to these opportunities,” the minister said.

Addressing the launch event, Pandey observed that the increased role of district administrations and Members of Parliament in mentoring and monitoring the training programs under the schemes will bring in greater local connect.

“PMKVY 3.0 will encourage healthy competition between states by making available increased allocation to those states that perform better,” he added.

Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship R K Singh said skilling is not an objective, but a necessary prerequisite for the economic growth of the country.

“We need to move with speed and scale if we have to fulfil the vision of making India the skill capital of the world and from there, the industrial capital of the world,” he added.