NEW DELHI: With unemployment emerging as a major concern ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, three ministries — human resource development, labour and skill development — are set to join hands to train undergraduates and generate jobs for them, starting in 2019.
The Modi government is preparing to roll out a mega ‘apprenticeship’ programme, specifically targeting students of humanities and other nontechnical courses across private and government-funded higher education institutes, to make them more employable and help them get jobs when they graduate.
A six- to 10-month apprenticeship and on-the-job training with prospective employers, backed with stipends, will be arranged for students in the final year of their degree programmes, ET has learnt.
While technical courses tend to have a better linkage with industry and offer faster employment avenues to graduates, this doesn’t always hold true for nontechnical degree holders. This segment constitutes a significantly high number of those without jobs because only a small percentage opts for post-graduation and further studies. Career counselling and relevant apprenticeship are envisaged as part of the plan to make them job-ready.
Central public sector units, sector skill councils and big industry will be linked with the programme to ensure high-quality apprenticeship, basic training and on-the-job training to each student passing out of college, ET has learnt.
Ministers and top officials of the three ministries held a meeting last week to decide on the contours of the programme, set to be jointly launched over the next few days.