Skills centre in Kandivali to make youth job-ready

A new skills center in Kavdivali, Mumbai, will train youth for jobs, offering courses in various fields to meet industry demands, aiming for 1 lakh placements.

Mumbai: A state-of-the-art skills centre will be established in Kavdivali to make young people job-ready so that they can respond to contemporary industry demands. The initiative is a partnership between the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday.

Skills centre in Kandivali to make youth job-ready

The MoU was signed in the presence of Union minister of commerce and industry, Piyush Goyal, and is in line with Prime Minister PM Narendra Modi’s vision of making India a global hub for skills. It aims to significantly enhance and support the upskilling of Mumbai’s workforce.

Located in Akurli Village, in Kandivali (East), the vocational training institute will initially offer five specialised courses with short-term programs, lasting three to six months. Designed to meet contemporary industry demands, these courses range from fashion technology, to air-conditioning and refrigeration, gaming and animation, to quick-service restaurant management, and data and cyber security. The course offerings will be expanded based on feedback and assessments by the BMC, aligning with emerging workforce needs.

“Over the coming year, the centre it is expected to provide jobs to 1 lakh candidates by skilling them in various sectors. By fostering partnerships between industry leaders and training programs, this centre will bridge the gap between education and real-world employment,” said Goyal.

NSDC, along with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), aims to bridge the gap between education and employment by offering industry-relevant training and facilitating job placements. “Our focus is to ensure no one is left behind, especially marginalised communities, as we work to equip our youth with in-demand skills. In today’s world, skills are not a luxury but a necessity, and this partnership sets a new benchmark for workforce advancement, preparing Indian youth to confidently compete on the global stage,” said Ajay Kumar Raina, executive vice-president, NSDC.

A key feature of this initiative is its focus on employment outcomes. NSDC has partnered with leading industry organisations, including CII, NASSCOM and various sector skill councils, to offer training at nominal costs. The CII has also equipped the facility with advanced labs, supported by industry partners and sector skill councils. These industry partners have committed to ensuring at least 75% employment for successful candidates, post-training. During the event, 20 candidates received offer letters, representing the first batch of 500 beneficiaries of this initiative.

NSDC will provide bi-annual reports to the BMC to track the centre’s effectiveness in terms of training completion and employment rates. NSDC will also handle all operational aspects, including infrastructure, staffing and maintenance, to ensure a world-class learning environment for trainees.