High-quality skill training can be social game changer: Union minister Chandrasekhar

Ahmedabad, May 23 (PTI) Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday said high quality skill training can be a social game changer and was key to sustainable progress.

Chandrasekhar said the new approach to skilling as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to build on the gains made by Skill India 1.0.

The prime minister gave direction for re-purposing and re-imagining Skill India and moving ahead with the new paradigm, making skills aspirational for all, he said.

"High quality skill-training can be a social game changer and should create more village engineers to restrict migration. It opens the door of opportunity for tribal and other youth and is key to sustainable progress," the Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said.

Chandrasekhar visited the Anil Naik Technical Training Centre at Kharel in Gujarat's Navsari district.

The institute,which is the brainchild of Padma Vibhushan AM Naik, the group chairman of Larsen and Toubro, offers skill training to school dropouts in south Gujarat, with 4,100 students having graduated so far.  The minister suggested that the institute should adopt nearby districts and work out a comprehensive skill development plan in association with local administrations.

"It must focus on skill training related to local farming and non-farming job roles. These skills will boost the local economy by leveraging technology-driven training programmes for demand-driven jobs. This will mitigate the problem of people migrating out for jobs," he said.