“The Ministry had launched following special schemes for skill development of youth belonging to minority communities:
“Seekho aur Kamao (Learn & Earn)”: This is a placement linked skill development scheme for minorities aiming to upgrade the skills of minority youth in various modern/traditional skills depending upon their qualification, present economic trends and market potential, which can earn them suitable employment or make them suitably skilled to go for self-employment. The scheme ensures placements of minimum 75% trainees, out of which at least 50% placement is in organized sector. The scheme is implemented through selected Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) all over the country including Kerala. In last 3 years, 1700 number of minority youths from the State of Kerala have been trained by PIAs. Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/ Crafts for Development (USTTAD): Scheme has been launched on 14th May, 2015 to preserve the rich heritage of traditional arts/crafts of minorities. The scheme aims at capacity building and updating the traditional skills of master craftsmen/artisans; documentation of identified traditional arts/crafts of minorities; set standards for traditional skills; training of minority youths in various identified traditional arts/crafts through master craftsmen; and develop national and international market linkages. The PIA has to organize training programmme which shall be supported with following activities to ensure that the desired outcomes are achieved for preservation of traditional art/craft, establishment of market linkages and generating interest among young generation for taking up traditional arts/crafts as a profession. Till date no minority youths from the State of Kerala have been trained under the scheme.III. Nai Manzil: Scheme has been launched on 8th August, 2015 with an aims to benefit the minority youth who do not have a formal school leaving certificate i.e. those in the category of school dropouts or educated in the community education institutions like Madarsas, in order to provide them formal education and skills, and enable them to seek better employment in the organized sector and thus to equip them for better lives. Till date no minority youths from the State of Kerala have been trained under the scheme”.
This information was given by Union Minister for Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
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HK/IA