Govt wants firms to help make jobless employable

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has said the government was open to any action plan by industry bodies to make unemployed youth employable.

He was speaking at an industry-government meet on employability of youth and people on Friday. The programme, Skill Training under National Urban Livelihood Mission 2015-16, saw about 25 representatives from the small-scale industry who presented their problem.

Rao, who was responding to industry’s complaint that people trained by the government were not the right persons to be employed by small-scale industry, said industry had a role in making unemployed people employable.

“If industry feels that the government’s training of people is not appropriate, then let industry come out with an action plan on how we can change the training methods or the content of training itself. If industry is able to offer training that is appropriate, then let it take up the job. The government will subsidise the training cost and even offer a stipend at the end of the training.”

The government is willing to spend Rs 15,000 per person for training and Rs 3,000 as stipend after the training ends. There is no dearth of money for training and stipend. The government is open to spending as long as the right training is offered. There are no financial limits, only the right beneficiary should get the training and stipend costs, he said.

For its part, industry represented by Kassia submitted an action plan to the government suggesting training in different skills. Kassia has stated that nearly 50,000 people required jobs and training in industry-specific skills. Other trade and industry bodies such as KSSIDC, Peenya Industries Association should also join Kassia in presenting their key requirements of jobs, which will spur the government to subsidise training by industry itself or change its own training. The government is open to changing is method and content, which means it is willing to look at new ways as suggested by the industry, it stated.