New Delhi, October 2023.

In line with the government’s commitment to enhance the livelihoods of traditional artisans and craftsmen by equipping them with skill training in modern tools pertinent to their specific trades, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) organized a day long workshop focused on implementing the skill development component under the PM Vishwakarma Scheme.

The workshop focuses on the multidisciplinary approach to streamline and expedite the identification and onboarding of training institutions to impart skilling component under PM Vishwakarma Scheme. Further, the emphasis would be to engage experienced and respected artisans from SAMAJ to become master trainers and trainers as per Guru-Shishya Parampara for imparting training.

Senior Officials of MSDE and Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Regional Directorate of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (RDSDEs), Regional and State Engagement Teams, Directorate General of Training (DGT), National Council of Vocational Education and Training, (NCVET), Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), Central Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology (CIPET), Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) amongst others participated in the workshop.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MSDE said, “Guided by the vision of our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the PM Vishwakarma Yojana stands as a testament to our commitment to empowering our workforce through skill development, for it is in the mastery of skills that we shape the future of our nation. Our discussion at the workshop today reinforces the need for developing the competency-based framework, pinning down skills at district level and developing capacity building programmes for trainers to improve the reach, quality and accessibility of skilling schemes aligning with market demand. These outcome-driven interventions will bring us closer to our dream of enabling artisans to showcase their products on a global scale. I am confident that equipping artisans with financial aid, strengthening training infrastructure and fostering innovation will help them to establish their own enterprises and become a vibrant part of the society.”

The analysis of the applications received so far on the PM Vishwakarma portal highlights that the demand for skill training in the top 5 trades makes 81% of the application count. MSDE will provide financial support of 2 Lakh per center per trade in advance to set up training facilities for equipping artisans with contemporary knowledge, tools and designs at grassroot level. The ministry will also leverage the extensive wide reach of Common Service Centres (CSCs) to build awareness and improve registration of beneficiaries in rural and urban areas, while simultaneously collaborating with State and Government skilling institutions to expand the teachers’ training and infrastructure capacity.

During the workshop, a session on capacity building of the participants was also undertaken to make them familiar with the features of the Skill India Digital Platform. Various dashboards and their related functionalities were also showcased during the session.