Union Labor and Employment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Thursday launched DigiSaksham, a digital skills program aimed at improving the employability of young people by equipping them with the digital skills required in an increasingly focused era on technology.
The joint initiative with Microsoft India is an extension of ongoing government programs to support young people in rural and semi-urban areas, according to a statement from the Ministry of Labor.
Through the DigiSaksham initiative, free digital skills training including basic skills as well as advanced computing will be provided to over 3 lakh youth in the first year.
Job seekers can access training through the National Career Service (NCS) portal.
The initiative prioritizes job seekers in semi-urban areas belonging to disadvantaged communities, including those who have lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking at the launch, the Union Minister said that with rapid technological gradations constant competence, re-qualification and upgrading is a must.
Under the DigiSaksham initiative, there will be essentially three types of training, namely self-paced learning of digital skills, training in VILT mode (led by a virtual instructor) and training in ILT mode (led by an instructor), the statement said.
ILT training, which is face-to-face training, would be delivered at Model Career Centers (MCCs) and National Career Service Centers (NCSCs) for SC / ST across the country.
Thanks to this initiative, nearly one crore of active job seekers registered on the National Career Service (NCS) portal will be able to access training in areas such as Java Script, Data Visualization, Advance Excel, Power Bi, HTML , programming languages, fundamentals of software development, introduction to coding, etc., equipping them with the skills required in a digital economy, according to the release.
DigiSaksham will be implemented on the ground by Aga Khan Rural Support Program India (AKRSP-I).
On this occasion, the Union Minister also underlined the importance of skills to bridge India’s digital divide, place the country on the path of inclusive economic recovery and prepare Indian talents to prosper in the future. digital technology meeting not only the needs of the national economy, but also to exploit employment opportunities abroad.
Speaking at the launch event, Microsoft India President Anant Maheshwari said that the skills of the future will be different from those of today and that bridging the digital skills equity gap requires l ‘involvement and close cooperation of government and private sector working with people who will further accelerate India’s transition to’ the digital economy ‘.
The DigiSaksham initiative will equip over 300,000 young people with technical skills in the first year and job seekers will be able to access Microsoft learning resources such as programming languages, data analysis, business fundamentals. software development and advanced digital productivity on the National Career Service (NCS) portal, according to the release. noted.
The initiative gives priority to job seekers from semi-urban areas belonging to disadvantaged communities, in particular applicants from socially and economically backward communities, marginalized communities, people displaced or who have lost their jobs due to Covid-19. .
Microsoft India has also engaged the Aga Khan-India Rural Support Program and its knowledge partner TMI e2E Academy for the roll-out of this digital initiative.
The Department of Labor and Employment is implementing the National Career Service (NCS) project as a mission mode project for the transformation of the National Employment Service to provide a variety of employment-related services such as job suitability, career guidance, career guidance, information on skills development courses, apprenticeships, internships, etc.
NCS services are available online, dedicated to the nation by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015. All services available on the portal are free to all stakeholders including job seekers, employers, training providers and employment agencies.
NCS portals can be accessed directly or from Career Centers (Employment Exchanges), common service centers, post offices, mobile devices, internet cafes, etc.
With the government’s increased focus on career guidance services, the ministry has created a network of over 700 guidance counselors who regularly post their timetables on the NCS portal.
The career guidance content knowledge repository was created by digitizing the existing guidance literature and making it accessible for periodic update by stakeholders and making it accessible to various users. Occupational information on more than 3,600 occupations based on the 2015 National Occupational Classification is also available under Career Information, according to the release.
The Government of India has provided financial assistance to states for the establishment of Model Career Centers and has already approved 207 Model Career Centers (including seven unfunded MCCs) and it has been decided to establish an additional 200 Career Centers in across states / UTs, he added.
The NCS portal also provided an open architecture for the partnership of institutions and organizations for the delivery of career and employment services.
The ministry has engaged with several institutions and organizations to provide more and more employment opportunities for our workforce with some of the leading institution organizations such as Quikr Jobs, Monster.com, Freshers World, First Job, Mera Job, Synergy Relationship Management Services Private Limited. , VSS Tech Solutions Pvt Ltd, Monter.com, Saral Rozgar, Cassius Technologies Pvt Ltd, Shine.com, etc., according to the release.
NCS portal is now integrated with other ministries / departments like MSDE, MHRD, AICTE, etc.
Today, the job market is more competitive and employers are now looking for employability skills as well as subject matter expertise as essential traits of their potential employees. Employability skills are skills that go beyond qualifications and experience.
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