Mukul Sharma, 21, from Saharanpur had passed out from a polytechnic institute long ago but could not have landed any placement in an industry. However, after a three- month training at the skill development centre in State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand ltd (SIIDCUl), he has developed skills and he is now hoping to join one of the 500 plus manufacturing units spread in the industrial area as an operator. Another boy from Aligarh has also come to join the free on-job training course. Thirty such students have joined under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana as trainees for various technical trades.
A large number of youth in the state is unemployed today as they lack proper industrial skills. By learning skill development required for the jobs like CNC operator, fitter, welder in metal arc and electricians, these undergraduates are getting ready to face the challenges of the industry, free of cost.
A high school pass trainee, Inder Sharma, found at the centre, shares his experience, saying, “I was totally alien to the realm of industry. But now aside from getting acquainted with the requirements of the industry, I am also getting communication and personality development sessions here which has boosted my morale a great deal”.
Nearly 250 students have already passed out from the Rockman Skill Development Centre that came up as part of the corporate social responsibility of the company. The fresh batch of 30 is getting training for eight hours every day along with free meal. After they complete 440 to 540 hours, they are most likely to be absorbed by different industries as CNC operators, fitters and welders.
While presiding over the convocation of three batches of students who completed their training at the centre on Friday, the district magistrate Deepak Rawat said, “The youth must not just look for job opportunities but they also must develop skills and confidence to start their own ventures.”
Speaking to The Pioneer, chairman and managing director Rockman Industries, Suman Kant Munjal said, “We as a family are for giving back to society something of what we have. Initiatives like skill development are a step in this direction. Providing employment opportunities to the unemployed is a huge task. But with the support of some industrial setups, we are trying to provide employment opportunity to the students. The students are here being given training on the operation of the state of the art tools. This is helping them have real time experience of industries.”
The president SIIDCUl Industrial Association Arun Saraswat appreciated the initiative and suggested similar training for other industrial sectors in the coming days. “At present, training sessions have been designed only for engineering sector and in future, other industrial sectors would also be incorporated. Extra classes would be held in other fields for the interested youngsters. After the training, such trained youths can be absorbed in industries at SIDCUl and elsewhere in Haridwar,” he said.
The trainer at the centre Shubhi informed that under the mission ‘Parivartan’, Rockman Industries have adopted 17 villages as a part of making them self- reliant.