UP Cabinet Approves ₹1,725 Crore Skill Training Scheme Across 75 Districts, Plans 9 Employment Zones & 5 Major Centres

On October 9, 2021, the Cabinet of Uttar Pradesh approved a ₹1,725 crore Skill Training and Employment Zone (SVPSTPZ) Development Scheme. The initiative aims to establish the state as a 'Ultimate Sourcing Hub of Skilled Manpower' and a 'Global Manpower Hub'. The scheme will develop an integrated skill training and employment ecosystem across nine zones, encompassing all 75 districts of the state.

The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector is crucial to Uttar Pradesh's industrial development, contributing 14.2 percent of the country's 6.77 crore enterprises and 60 percent of industrial production and 45 percent of exports. The scheme will play a significant role in ensuring a skilled workforce to meet industry demands and connecting youth with employment opportunities nationally and internationally.

The state will be divided into nine zones, each with a hub-and-spoke model for integrated skill development and employment. The first phase will establish skill training and employment centers at five key locations, including Lucknow, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Gautam Buddha Nagar, and Jhansi. Each center will be developed on 10 to 25 acres of suitable encumbrance-free land, with four-lane road connectivity to ensure convenient access.

The centers will be developed and operated through either a public-private partnership-based Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) model or government institutions. The scheme will provide skill training to young people with non-technical educational backgrounds and technical skill upgrades for those with ITI, polytechnic, and engineering backgrounds.

Additionally, the project will offer need-based training in Indian and foreign languages to align with employment opportunities in other states and abroad. The centers will provide hostel facilities, an employment office, and a placement cell, connecting trained youth with employment opportunities in India and abroad through coordination with recognized placement agencies.

The total estimated expenditure for the project over the next three years is ₹1,725 crore, with Viability Gap Funding (VGF) potentially provided to private developers and training providers.