Karnataka Minister says skill gap, not shortage of jobs, is the biggest challenge; urges youth to acquire industry skills
Urging unemployed youth to look beyond the comfort of their hometowns and equip themselves with industry-relevant skills, Sharan Prakash Patil, Minister for Medical Education, Skill
Urging unemployed youth to look beyond the comfort of their hometowns and equip themselves with industry-relevant skills, Sharan Prakash Patil, Minister for Medical Education, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood, on Wednesday (July 29) said the biggest hurdle to employment today is not the lack of jobs but the shortage of skilled candidates. Launching the mega job drive organised by the Department of Skill Development in association with Xcelerator at PDA Engineering College, the Minister said thousands of employment opportunities were available, but many young people failed to secure them due to inadequate skills and unrealistic expectations regarding location and salary. “Karnataka is in a better position than many other States in terms of employment. However, many industries report that suitable candidates are not readily available.
Through the government’s Skill Connect initiative, we are providing employment-oriented skill training to bridge this gap,” he said. Patil said consultations held with industries, Skill Development Department officials, and Home Minister Priyank Kharge had revealed that many job-seekers preferred employment only in their native places, expected higher salaries at the entry level, and often lacked the skills required by employers. “Youth must move beyond the mindset of seeking jobs only in their hometowns. They should accept available opportunities, gain experience and gradually build their careers,” he advised. The Minister noted that more than four lakh degree and diploma graduates in Karnataka were receiving benefits under the Yuva Nidhi scheme. However, many beneficiaries were yet to participate in job fairs and skill development programmes, despite industries coming forward to recruit.
To make recruitment more accessible, the government has developed the Skill Connect online platform, enabling job seekers to register, search for vacancies and attend interviews online, thereby reducing travel costs and other logistical difficulties associated with conventional job fairs. Patil said youth employment had been accorded priority during the first 100 days of the State government’s tenure and announced that recruitment to nearly 70,000 government posts would commence shortly. More than 80 leading companies, including Infosys, HCL Technologies, Mercedes-Benz India, Schneider Electric India, JCB India, Mahindra & Mahindra, Whirlpool India, Bridgestone India, Dixon Technologies, Samsung, Tata Electronics, HDFC and Foxconn, participated in the event, offering over 4,000 job opportunities across various sectors. Xcelerator managing director Kaushik Sundar Raju said an online platform through which job-seekers can access employment opportunities and connect with recruiters has been created to bridge the gap between the two.
The BriefWire