New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS): The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) of the Union government has announced to set up at least 50 new Future Skills Centres and 10 NSDC International Academies to advance skill development and training programs in the country.
So far, 33 global corporations have partnered, and 21 Future Skills Centres have been established in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Ved Mani Tiwari, CEO, NSDC shared this roadmap to skill and upskill the Indian youth for domestic and global job markets.
On the National Apprenticeship Programme, Tiwari said that NSDC has significantly contributed to apprenticeship programs from the financial year 2018-19 to 2024-25. Over 3.5 million apprentices have been engaged in various sectors, and 0.56 million assessments have been successfully conducted to ensure skill competency.
The network expansion efforts have resulted in the establishment of over 49,000 training centres engaging apprentices, with 170 Training Partner Aggregators (TPAs) being empanelled to facilitate skill training.
In terms of financial commitment, a fund disbursement of Rs 100,250 million has been allocated to support apprenticeship programs. The National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) has provided grants amounting to Rs 10.46 billion, while the industry has contributed Rs 288.93 billion towards apprenticeship initiatives.
He said: “The number of industry-aligned programs will increase beyond 300, covering 12 major emerging technologies. The goal is to train over 2 lakh candidates and establish over 2.70 lakh square feet of training infrastructure, further strengthening employability and workforce readiness.”
NSDC aims to make quality education accessible to students from tier two and three colleges by addressing challenges in emerging technologies through collaborations with Institutes of National Importance.
So far, 11 premium institutions have partnered to launch 17 micro-credential programs, awarding more than 75,000 credits and training over 5,000 candidates.
NSDC also plans to collaborate with 15 premium institutions, introduce over 30 micro-credential programs, and award around 1,80,000 credits, further enhancing access to quality education and skill development, Tiwari added.
As part of the Job-as-Skills model, he said, “There are plans to onboard 1 million students, establish MoUs with leading OEMs, bring in training partners, select industry-specific tools, design career progression pathways, implement joint certification with NSDC and OEMs, and introduce new industry verticals in a phased manner.”
Talking about international mobility, he said that the institution is working towards setting up new international language labs and assessment centres, offering training in Russian, Italian, Korean, and French to equip candidates with multilingual capabilities, enhancing their global employability.
Outlining a strategic roadmap for the future, focusing on expanding global employment opportunities and skill development initiatives, he said, “Israel has requested 5000 healthcare workers.”
Additionally, NSDC International is extending its advisory services across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Africa, ensuring that workforce development programs are effectively implemented in these regions.
Tiwari said that youth living in remote areas of the country are skilling and upskilling themselves through the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH).
SIDH has made a significant impact, reaching 1.30 crore candidates, including 92 lakh short-term trained candidates, 86 lakh certified candidates, and 13 lakh apprentices. The platform supports more than 7,100 courses in 23 Indian languages, with over 10 lakh active users and around 42,000 skilling and training centres, reinforcing its role in convergence, integration, skilling ecosystem development, partnerships, recognition, and measurable outcomes.
The platform collaborates with 57 digital learning partners, offering 1,245 courses.
He also talked about NSDC JobX which is an advanced job platform that connects job seekers and employers by simplifying hiring and offering premium services like resume building, career coaching, and job alerts.
Technological advancements have played a pivotal role, with over 0.3 million e-KYC completions and the creation of 2.8 million Aadhaar-based beneficiary IDs, enhancing digital tracking and transparency in skill development programs.
A total of 1.58 million apprentices, constituting 45.5 per cent of the total engagement, belong to socio-economic groups, ensuring inclusive growth. He highlighted that NSDC has successfully trained over 40.3 million candidates, with 9.4 million securing placements.
With a network of over 40,000 skilling centres, the skilling programmes have empowered 18.3 million women and supported 12.9 million candidates from socio-economically disadvantaged groups, along with over 250,000 people with special abilities. The reach of these initiatives extends across 36 sector skill councils, covering more than 750 districts and engaging 200,000 employers.