Youths queue up to apply for jobs during a skill development programme in Mysuru.
Credit: DH File Photo
Mysuru: A total of 3,34,430 unemployed diploma and degree holders have
registered under the Yuvanidhi, one of the flagship schemes of the Congress government.
But so far, only 1,500 youths have availed the benefit of trainings offered by the Karnataka State Skill Development Corporation (KSSDC) under the department of skill development entrepreneurship and livelihood in the past two years.
KSSDC MD N M Nagaraja said they offered trainings to 33,712 youth in the state during 2023-24 and 2024-25. But among those registered under Yuvanidhi, only 1,500 (0.003%) beneficiaries availed the training.
In Mysuru district, among 13,581 youth registered under Yuvanidhi, only 200 availed trainings offered by KSSDC, according to district skill development officer K Narayanamurthy.
Also, among 43,577 unemployed diploma and degree holders registered under Yuvanidhi in Mysuru division, only 3,158 beneficiaries (0.072%) have registered for the divisional-level mega job mela organised at Maharaja’s college ground in Mysuru on October 17.
Minister for Skill Development Entrepreneurship and Livelihood Sharan Prakash Patil said, “Beneficiaries seem to be reluctant to avail skills or training worrying that it might become a hurdle to get benefit under Yuvanidhi. Even after training, youths will get Yuvanidhi fund, till they get jobs. So, they should avail skill development trainings and participate in job melas organised by the government,” he said.
Patil said they were starting multi-skill development training centres at a cost of Rs 380 crore at Varuna in Mysuru district, Koppal and Kalaburagi districts.
KSSDC MD Jayaram told DH that they were sending messages to all those registered under Yuvanidhi, regarding job melas and training programmes.
The MD said funds had been allotted for these centres in the budget. The project was in the initial stage, he said.
In these centres, besides technical skills, they plan to offer training in multiple employability skills and
soft skills required by industries, including those in the hospitality and tourism sectors, he said.
The highest number of registrations under Yuvanidhi is from Belagavi (41,323), followed by 22,494 in Kalaburagi, 20,585 in Vijayapura, 20,063 in Bagalkot, 19,862 in Raichur, 17,892 in Bengaluru Urban and 19,862 in Mysuru.
Suresh (name changed), a Yuvanidhi beneficiary, said he did not avail training or attend job mela as he was preparing for the UPSC exam.