July 15, 2019
Utkarsh Bangla propelling skill development in Bangla
On February 16, 2016, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched the Utkarsh Bangla Scheme with a target of teaching skills to about 6 lakh youths every year to improve their scope of gainful employment and entrepreneurial opportunities under the West Bengal Skill Development Mission (WBSDM). Both the scheme and its name are the conceptions of Mamata Banerjee.
On World Youth Skills Day today, it is apt to look at the facts and figures of this scheme.
Paschim Banga Society for Skill Development (PBSSD), under the State Technical Education, Training and Skill Development Department, is the implementing agency for Utkarsh Bangla.
Training
The placement-linked short-term skill training courses are organised across the State, under institutional and non-institutional mode. There are 38 sectors covered under the scheme at present, including retail, hospitality, agriculture, apparel, green jobs, automotive, construction, aerospace and aviation, mining, security, healthcare, IT and ITeS (IT-enabled services), logistics, media, tourism, iron and steel, gems and jewellery, and BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance).
Currently there are 10,846 batches of students undergoing training in 261 courses in 23 districts, being provided by 880 training providers.
Success story
The success of Utkarsh Bangla is quite evident. International recognition has come to Utkarsh Bangla in the form of the 2019 WSIS Prize of the United Nations in the ‘Capacity Building’’ category. Earlier it had won the prestigious SKOCH Award twice.
To give further impetus to Utkarsh Bangla, the State Government has allocated Rs 1,106 crore to the Technical Education and Training and Skill Development Department in its 2019 Budget (that is, for financial year 2019-20).
