Manufacturing may be expanding fast in Rajasthan but the state has to ensure a steady supply of skilled labour, Rajasthan's chief secretary Chandra Shekhar Rajan said on Friday, vowing to speed up the process of skilling millions of youngsters for a variety of jobs.
Skill enhancement is one of the six priority areas for the government which is hoping to generate 1.5 million jobs over the next five years.
Rajan, who took charge on Friday, told Hindustan Times that among the many challenges facing skill development, a key one was about finding quality technical trainers to impart job-wining training to youngsters.
“Another issue is of mobilisation of youth and providing residential facilities to them,” he said in an exclusive interview.
“The government is planning to systematically solve this problem by constructing residential facilities.” He said the government was also building eight skill development centres in tribal areas, and to ensure trainees attend all classes, a biometric system had been introduced at the operational centres.
Rajan, a 1978 batch IAS officer who would be in office for at least 14 months, said given that the government’s prime focus were on roads, electricity, water, education and health, it would help to develop skills of people in jobs linked to infrastructure building.
{{/usCountry}}Rajan, a 1978 batch IAS officer who would be in office for at least 14 months, said given that the government’s prime focus were on roads, electricity, water, education and health, it would help to develop skills of people in jobs linked to infrastructure building.
{{/usCountry}}“The skill sets are limited and there is need to expand the skill areas,” said Rajan, who has held prominent postings in departments such as energy, PWD, industries, rural development and Panchayati Raj.
“This will diversify skills and generate more jobs.”
Another challenge in skill development, Rajan added, was to put together infrastructure and to link it with employment.
There is also a need for more training institutes, he said, adding that the concept of skill development was new and not many states had implemented it yet.
Rajan, who hails from Bangalore and had his first posting as sub-divisional officer in Kota, was promoted from additional chief secretary (infrastructure). This gives him hands-on knowledge on physical infrastructure such as roads and electricity.