Only 15% trained under skill devpt schemes engaged as interns in Raj

Jaipur: While 2.9 lakh candidates were trained or oriented under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 and 46,324 were trained under the Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) scheme in Rajasthan from 2022-23 to Feb 2025, only 54,023 apprentices were engaged (15% of the total trained) in the state under the Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (PM-NAPS) during the same period, govt data revealed.

The ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship gave this reply in the Lok Sabha on March 24. According to the reply, the Centre approved the continuation and restructuring of the central sector scheme ‘Skill India Programme (SIP)' till 2026, from the period 2022-23 to 2025-26. The scheme includes three components: Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0), Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (PM-NAPS), and Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) Scheme.

Under SIP, skill, re-skill, and up-skill training are provided to all sections of society, including underprivileged and rural communities across the country, covering remote and backward regions, it stated. In PMKVY 4.0, the focus is to empower our trained candidates to choose their varied career paths, and they are suitably oriented for the same. PM-NAPS supports the education-to-work transition from apprenticeship to formal employment, emphasizing industry-specific roles and providing real-life exposure to the world of work.

"To ensure active interaction between establishments/employers and candidates, Rozgar Melas and Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Melas (PMNAM) are organised across the country. Further, under JSS, a Livelihood Cell has been set up to orient the candidates for entrepreneurship and livelihood promotion," the reply said.

"PM-NAPS encourages apprenticeship opportunities in prevailing manufacturing, including emerging fields such as AI, robotics, blockchain, green energy, and Industry 4.0 technologies. This aligns skilling initiatives with futuristic job markets and industry trends," it added.