India plans to set up skill hubs across the country

India plans to set up skill hubs across the country to provide comprehensive vocational training to students, school dropouts and also those seeking employment, with 5,000 such centres planned in its first phase.

“The skill hubs are going to be 5,000 in the first phase and we expect skill hub to be present in almost every part of India, as conglomeration of both education and skilling network,” said Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, according to The Economic Times. 

“The whole objective of the skill hubs is to use the existing infrastructure of both the education system and the existing Skill India infrastructure and network to provide comprehensive skilling and vocational training programme to students, dropouts, and also to those who are seeking employment opportunities outside the education system in various skills,” said Chandrasekhar.

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The minister also added that ​”during COVID, there has been significant disruptions in the overall workforce and it is very likely that women participation in the workforce was also impacted”, noting that it was “not true that there has been any major disruption of women participation in the workforce leading up to COVID”.