Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana: Benefits & Eligibility!

India, home to over 1.35 billion people, holds the title of the world’s most populated country now. The enormous population is both a strength and a challenge. A large population makes it a big challenge to provide a skilled workforce to make economic progress and bring income parity across the country. To tackle the issue, the Indian government launched the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).

What is Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)?

The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is an important program of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). The great objective of this initiative is to promote complementing skill development and enhance the capacity of existing and potential daily wage workers.

With rapid population, India’s workforce grows quickly, the skill-building program is crucial to help them survive. Here PMKVY help them to resolve this issue as this scheme helps millions of youth with industry-related skills and opens up new pathways for for employment and entrepreneurship.

Objectives of PMKVY

• Create a Skilled Workforce: – Provides training and industry-focused certification in a bid to ameliorate the employability of individuals.
• Support for Dropouts: Assists school and/or college dropouts as well as the unemployed to get jobs.
• Promote Self-Employment – Offers training in entrepreneurship, computer skills and financial management as a way of facilitating self-employment.
• Nurturing a Competent Labour Force – The aim here is to build a labour force that meets the requirements of the industry promoting both local and international markets.

Key Components of PMKVY

Short-Term Training (STT)

• Purpose: Aimed towards disengaged students in primary, intermediate, and higher education, as well as active job seekers.
• Training & Courses: Courses are offered at the recognised PMKVY Training Centers (TCs). Training areas include technical skills, soft skills, and financial and digital literacy. The course content is mapped to the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).
• Placement Assistance: After completing the course, the candidates are helped in getting a job.
• Duration: The training is delivered for a duration range of 150 to 300 hours, subject to the degree of difficulty of the work role trainable.
• Focus Area: The sectors focused on include retail, electronics, construction – beauty and wellness, information technology, and enabled services.

Related Scheme: Bandhkam Kamgar Yojana

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

• Target groups: Industrially skilled people and no formal education is required. 
• Skills assessment: Proof of qualifications is issued by current skills. 
• Significance: avails protection to the informal work sector as it gives them official recognition. 
• RPL Models: Camps for recognition of prior learning, RPL at the job site, or in training centers. 
• Bridge Courses: Provided to address the gaps in knowledge with special emphasis on hygiene and social skills.

Special Projects

• Objective: Address special skill development needs in industries or locations that are not covered by existing NSQF job roles.
• Customization: Allows government agencies, industry partners, and training providers to design and implement customised training programs.
• Sector-Specific Skills: Targets businesses such as defense, agriculture, and technology that require special skills that are not covered by normal NSQF-aligned programs.
• Flexibility: Allows you to respond to regional or industry-specific demands for specialised skill sets.

Kaushal and Rozgar Melas

• Objective: To advocate and sensitise the grassroots communities about skill development programs.
• Collaboration: In association with industry associations, training providers, and state governments.
• Community Engagement: For individual participants to showcase their skills to potential employers.
• Networking Opportunities: For the participants to meet and interact with employers and industry leaders.
• Promotion: Focus on the advantages of the PMKVY programs and motivate people to engage in skill development-related activities.

Related Scheme: PM Internship Scheme

Placement Assistance

• Key Result: The foremost objective of PMKVY training is employment.
• Placement Aid: Training providers are required to assist students in attaining internships, apprenticeships, and employment.
• Self-Employment: The strategy is also about the promotion of small businesses, through entrepreneurship training modules to establish and operate businesses.
• Holistic support: Supports the candidates in both wage employment and setting up their enterprises.

Eligibility

The eligibility criteria for the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) are as follows: 

• Age Limit: Generally between 18 and 45 years.
• Educational Qualifications: Adolescents who have dropped out from school/college or are unemployed and looking for skill certification are considered eligible.
• Attainability: Only Indian citizens can apply.
• Previous skill sets: RPL certification can also be applied by individuals with prior knowledge of the respective skills. 

Note: Some additional requirements may vary concerning the course and the training centre.

How to apply?

Candidates can enlist in PMKVY by visiting the official PMKVY website or approaching registered training centres located throughout the country. Candidates can begin their training once they have selected a course and registered.

Initiatives like Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) have come as an utmost necessity to develop skills among the Indian population. Providing children with employable skills and aid in obtaining a formal qualification has facilitated millions to get better jobs and wage-earning opportunities. PMKVY 4.0 and the other development phases of the program will aid and further renew the commitment to sustainability and innovation within the economic umbrella to ensure that the country achieves a $5 trillion GDP by 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions: