From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Dec 10: Karnataka’s Youth Empowerment and Sports Department has entered into LoU (Letter of Understanding) with UNDP (United Nation’s Development Programme) as part of the State-level initiative ‘Code-Unnati’ with the aim of improving access to entrepreneurship and employment opportunities among youth including women.
The LoU was signed in presence of Dr C NAshwatha Narayana, Minister for Higher Education, IT/BT, and Skill Development at Vidhana Soudha on Friday.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister said the initiative involving United Nations Volunteers (UNV) and supported by SAP India lab's (Systems Applications and Products in Data Processing) CSR strategies will be initially implemented in four districts of Dakshina Kannada, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara and Raichuru.
The LoU aims to provide a platform for cooperation between UNDP and the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports to ensure joint implementation of the activities in close coordination with state/district/college level NSS units, the minister said.
As part of the initiative, 50 colleges including Government Pre-University, ITIs, Polytechnics, and Arts and Science colleges have been identified to work with the faculties and students community.
The selected colleges will work together in areas of Training and Capacity Building, Training on 21st century and Digital Skills, Entrepreneurship Development, Innovation Challenges/Boot Campus, Corporate Volunteering and Industry Connect.
Under Training and Capacity Building, as many as 100 NSS officers/faculties will be given’ Master Trainers’ training to guide students on career guidance, counseling, digital skills, entrepreneurship skills etc.
As part of the Training on 21st-century skills and digital skills, totally 20,000 students of 50 selected colleges (two academic years) will be trained on career guidance through psychometric assessment and counseling followed by digital skills wherein 200 hours of the module will be delivered, the minister explained.
‘Entrepreneurship Development’ would allow training 3,000 students to spread awareness on entrepreneurship as well as to gauge the interest and potential of students in setting up enterprises.
‘Innovation Challenges/Boot Camps’ will enable students to present their business plans to a panel of experts. ‘Corporate Volunteering’ focuses on engagement with the UNV programme in India.
‘Industry Connect’ includes structuring of students' visit to industries to understand actual processes, skills being used in the industry, gaps, business models, etc. including providing internship, apprenticeship opportunities and conducting guest lecturing in colleges by industry experts.
Amith Kumar, Head, UNDP India, Sindhu Gangadharan, Director, SAPS Labs India, S Selvakumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Skill Development, Ashwin Gowda, MD, Skill Development Corporation, Shalini Rajneesh, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Planning and Statistics were present.