‘Skill, re-skill, upskill’;PM Modi discuss mantra on World Youth Skills Day

New Delhi, July 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday while addressing the nation’s youths on World Youth Skills Day and 5th anniversary of ‘Skill India’ mission, he urged the youth to 'skill, reskill and upskill' to remain relevant in the rapidly changing business environment and market conditions. He further congratulated and said 'the world belongs to the youth due to their ability to acquire new skills all the time'.

 

 

PM Modi conducting the Digital Skills Conclave stated, "the Skill India Mission launched five years back on the same day has led to creation of a vast infrastructure for skilling, reskilling and upskilling and enhancing opportunities to access employment both locally and globally. It has led to hundreds of PM Kaushal Kendras being set up across the country and an increase in the capacity of the ITI ecosystem."

 

 

Emphasizing the distinction between 'knowledge' and 'skills' in his address, PM Modi gave an example from carpentry, explaining the nuances between skilling, reskilling, and upskilling. "Skill is something that you learn - like building a chair from a piece of wood. You increased the value of the wood by doing some value addition, and to stay relevant, you need to keep adding stuff to it. But it is important to expand our skills further. This is known as upskilling," PM Modi said.

 

Due to the efforts initiated by the government, more than five crore youth have been skilled in the last five years. Referring to the portal launched recently for mapping the skilled employees and employers, he stated that this would help the skilled workers, including the migrant workers who have returned to their homes, to access jobs easily and the employers to contact skilled employees at the click of a mouse. He emphasized that the skills of migrant workers would also help in changing the local economy.

 

Describing skills as a gift that we can give to ourselves, he added that skills are "timeless, unique, a treasure trove and a means by which one can not only become employable but also help in leading a satisfying life." In addition to this, he said that skills are not only a means to a livelihood but also a reason to feel lively and energetic in our daily routine.

 

Underlining the potential of the country to capitalize on the skilling opportunities available in the country, the Prime Minister gave the example of the healthcare sector where Indian skilled manpower can supplement the global demand. He stressed "the need to map this demand and align Indian standards with those of other countries. Similarly, he suggested that the Indian youth with a long maritime tradition can contribute as expert sailors to merchant navies across the world due to the growing demand in this sector."

 

The World Youth Skills Day, which is celebrated every year on the 15th of July, was celebrated in the virtual mode this year. Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister of State of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, R.K.Singh, and Group Chairman, Larsen & Toubro Ltd., Shri A.M.Naik were alsp present in the conclave. All stakeholders of the system, including the extensive network of trainees going into lakhs, participated in the conclave.