The planned 'Young India Skills University’ in Telangana, under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, will play a critical role in reducing unemployment and closing the skills gap, Duddilla Sridhar Babu, the state’s Minister for IT and Industries, told Moneycontrol in an interview.
He said that the institute, which is being set up in Mucherla, is an important endeavour that aligns with Telangana's objective of transforming the area between Hyderabad's Outer Ring Road (ORR) and the upcoming Regional Ring Road (RRR) into a thriving industrial hub.
“The Telangana government is committed to improving youth skill sets to ensure their global competitiveness in a constantly changing technology world,” the minister said.
The university, which will commence in October 2024, will provide over 17 specialised courses in areas such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals and life sciences, artificial intelligence, banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), tourism and hospitality, construction and interior design, advanced manufacturing, retail operations, renewable energy, media, gaming, films, and digital design.
The institution will offer diploma and degree certifications. With an annual fee of Rs 50,000, the university would initially enrol around 2,000 students, with aspirations to expand to 10,000 in its second year.
“In addition, students from the SC, ST and OBC categories will be eligible for fee reimbursement. This effort intends to provide children with the skills they need to flourish in a competitive global labour market while stimulating economic growth and boosting creativity in the region,” the minister said.
Focus on job readiness
Telangana emerged as the leading state with the highest job-ready youth aged 18-21 with 85.45 percent possessing the requisite skills, according to the ‘India Skill Report’ by the All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE).
“Telangana's achievement of 85.45 percent job readiness among youth underscores the state's commitment to skill development…New vertical-based Centres of Excellence (CoEs) will also be established to drive innovation and research in specialised technology areas. These vertical-based CoEs will enhance Telangana's technological capabilities and support deep-tech training initiatives,” Babu said.
To address the skill gap between rural and urban areas, he said that Telangana is focusing on rural youth through programs like ‘AI to Grassroots’ and ‘Telangana Future 100’.
“The initiatives aim to provide targeted training and development for future tech leaders from rural regions, ensuring comprehensive skill development across the state. These combined efforts are designed to enhance job readiness, bridge skill gaps, and foster technological advancement throughout Telangana,” he added.
Further, to make the state and cities like Hyderabad more attractive to tech talent in the years ahead, the minister said Telangana is launching “cutting-edge digital kiosks and a complete super app” that uses IoT, biometrics, and analytics to streamline service delivery and provide a unified platform for a variety of services, including public transport, monthly passes and cinema tickets.
He also said that the government is growing its Government-to-Citizen (G2C) services by integrating over 50 new offers onto its platform.
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