Punjab hires firms to generate jobs for youth

In a bid to fully exploit the estimated potential of providing 3.57 lakhs jobs to Punjabi youth every year, the Punjab government today decided to task premiere consultancy agencies including the Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (ILFS) with resource mobilisation and project implementation work.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has called for prioritisation of the need based skilled training programmes particularly in the infrastructure development, education and technology services to impart training in construction work, driving and private security in which prospects of gainful employment are believed to be "phenomenal".

The State Chief Secretary R I Singh would hold a separate meeting with the members of the delegation of IL&FS to chalk out a detailed action plan to restructure the existing curriculum in the ITIs with a view to imparting training to the youth in an effective and result oriented manner.

Badal said that opportunities exist for the youth to be absorbed in the remunerative ventures. All that was required for them was to be equipped with the training in line with the growing industry and service sector.

The IL&FS as a state program management agency would coordinate with MNCs, industry, and ITIs to develop market focused curriculum, identify agencies for development of multimedia and web enabled content and develop IT-infrastructure.