Port Blair, Aug. 22: The Secretary (RD/Panch), Smti. Veditha Reddy, IAS along with Shri Aditya Kumar Asthana, Director (RD/Panch) visited the Training Centres of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) run by the Project Implementing Agencies (PIA) namely Sri Angalamman Trust situated at Birdline and Nalanda Educational Society situated at Dollygunj. The visit was aimed to assess the progress and impact of the project in providing skill development and employment opportunities to the rural youth of A&N Islands.
The DDUGKY project, launched under the aegis of the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India focuses on enhancing the employability of rural youth through skill training and placement in various industries. The Training Centre at Birdline and Dollygunj has been actively contributing to the upskilling of individuals from rural and economically weak backgrounds, thereby equipping them with skills aligned with the demands of the job market.
During the visit, the Secretary (RD/Panch.) interacted with the trainees undergoing various skill development courses. The Secretary was happy to note the enthusiasm and dedication displayed by the trainees towards their training. She encouraged the trainees to work hard and complete their training successfully. She also motivated them to take DDU-GKY as an initial platform to fulfil their dreams and achieve new heights after getting placements. Expressing her views on the visit, the Secretary stated, the DDUGKY project is an important initiative that aligns with the Government's vision of Skill India. Witnessing the impact firsthand and witnessing the commitment of the trainees and trainers is truly inspiring.
The DDUGKY project has successfully placed the trained candidates in various sectors, thereby contributing to the socio-economic growth of the region. About 554 candidates have already been enrolled for training, out of which, 353 have completed training so far and 223 are under placement. The project emphasises on imparting industry-relevant skills, soft skills, and entrepreneurship training for its comprehensive approach to empowering the youth. The Department of Rural Development has vacancy to train nearly 900 more candidates under DDU-GKY project for trades like Assistant Designer-Fashion, Home & Made-ups; Field Technician and Computer Peripherals; Warehouse Picker Packers; General Duty Assistant; Solar Lighting Assembler; and Customer Care Executive-Non-Vice.
The Director (RD/Panchayat) has urged the rural youth of the Islands to come forward and avail the benefits of the DDU-GKY scheme in order to become self-reliant and economically independent.