Recently, the Chattisgarh government did what many couldn’t. It has enacted the Right to skill. Being the only state in the country to recognize the Right to Skill and working tirelessly towards the skill development of people.
A true example of this is Kanker’s Yogeshwari Dhaneria. According to official estimates, nearly 50 per cent of the population in rural Kanker is Below the Poverty Line (BPL)and low income, stagnant productivity and unemployment are an everyday reality. The region falls in the drought-prone category. In this scenario, Jogeshwari’s story comes as a bright spot.
This young girl from a tribal BPL family works as a sales executive in a well-known boutique in Jagdalpur, a profession that is a distant dream for many from her village.
The Skill Development Course
It was a skill development course specializing in the retail sector, offered by the Chhattisgarh State Skill Development Authority (CSSDA) that transformed her life. Today, getting inducted into the formal economy and earning a regular income has empowered her to contribute to the betterment of her family’s socio-economic status.
Bheshaj Kumar Diwan from Bhatagaon village in Chhattisgarh’s Dhamtari district has a similar story. After he enrolled in a skill development course specialising in construction, he got employment with L&T Infrastructure at Hyderabad and earns Rs 11,000 as monthly salary. If not for the course, Bheshaj would have been yet another daily-wage construction laborer working for a pittance, while battling harsh working conditions and uncertainty of regular employment.
What is it about?
As part of the Chhattisgarh Right of Youth to Skill Development Act 2013, the State Government has instituted a well-designed action framework to provide opportunities for skill development for its citizens between 14 and 45 years. Under the Act, there are 800+ registered courses under 109 categories such as Information Technology, Electrical, Beauty Culture, Textile, Fashion Design, Banking and Accounting, Medical and Nursing, Sericulture, and Poultry Farming. These courses are free of cost for the youth.
How does it help you?
By this program, anyone who has completed their Class * study can undergo this beginner’s skill development training. After completing the beginner’s course in the area of their interest, participants can also opt for intermediary and advanced courses.
The programme is being implemented through CSSDA and is chaired by the Chief Minister of the state. There are about 2,600+ Vocational Training Providers (VTPs) overseeing the application process, of which 1,300+ are attached to the government and 1,200+ are private.
Application Procedure
Those interested must submit an application to the government-approved VTP, and within 90 days, the applicant will be informed about the status of his or her application. The District Skill Development Authority has been given the responsibility of overseeing and supervising the implementation of the programme in each district.
Outreach Initiative
Additionally, a well-planned mobilization outreach calendar at the district and block level ensures that information about the livelihood colleges reaches those at the bottom of the social pyramid. Post the mobilization programme, beneficiaries are often identified and given counseling at the block and district level, registered on the CSSDA portal and allocated a VTP from the closest location. The user-friendly website and the transparent and paperless documentation process make it fairly simple for the beneficiaries to enroll themselves and participate in the training programme.
Livelihood Colleges
- CSSDA has instituted livelihood colleges in all the 27 districts in the state, where youth get skill enhancement training. Following this, they either get employment in recognized enterprises or go on to become micro-entrepreneurs. The colleges also have hostel facilities so even youth from remote villages can attend.
- The district livelihood colleges are the designated partner for the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) scheme, the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), aimed at enabling a large number of Indian youth to take up industry-relevant skill training.
- In the next phase of the programme, the livelihood colleges are being developed as Centres of Excellence, by impaneling skilled qualified national-level trainers, developing standard training materials in both Hindi and English, instituting a robust placement tracking system and online and establishing Entrepreneurship Development Cells at these colleges.
- As a logical extension of the skill development programme, the state government also conducts regular placement camps or Rozgar Melas at the division and district level, in collaboration with corporates and employment officers. So far, 1,49,714 (44 percent) beneficiaries have been placed from a total of 3,38,580 who were trained since the programme began. The success of the Rozgar Melas has prompted CSSDA to make it a regular event at the District and Division levels.
Helping Marginalized People
In addition to reaching out to the youth of the state, CSSDA has gone a step ahead to include people from marginalised and deprived sections of society. It also conducts, regular skill development programmes in five central and 16 district jails and so far has trained nearly 5,000 prisoners in the areas of construction, fabrication and garment making. Training programmes are also conducted for destitute women, differently-abled people and transgenders, primarily in the areas of garment making and beauty and wellness.
Source: YourStory