PANAJI
Considered the cradle where thousands acquire livelihood-earning skills, the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) of the government across the State are to be upgraded into 'excellence centres' by the Tata group over the next year.On Saturday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant inaugurated the first upgraded 'Model ITI' at Altinho.
Sawant said, all the other nine government ITIs will also be upgraded and developed as 'Centres of Excellence' in partnership with the Tata's with whom the State government has entered into an agreement where the latter will pump in Rs 160 crore and the government will chip in Rs 70 crore.
“The State government has tied up with Tata to create model ITIs in Goa. One has already been done at Althino with the help of the Central government,” Sawant said, adding that these will be a game changer in upskilling human resource.
Goa has 10 ITIs which are government-run and an additional three private ones which collectively conduct 40-plus different skill courses.
Meanwhile, at another event held at the Taleigao community hall on Saturday, Sawant kicked off the government's 'apprenticeship training scheme' by handing out contracts to unemployed youth who had registered for the scheme.
The event organised by the Directorate of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship marked the 'World Youth Skill Day'.
Some 15,000 apprentice positions both in government and private sector are up for grabs for which nearly 9,000 youth have registered.
The apprenticeship contracts are of one-year duration during which they will be paid a stipend between Rs 8,000 to Rs 12,000 dependent on their academic qualifications.
Union Minister Shripad Naik, BJP State president Sadanand Tanavade and MLAs Rudolf Fernandes, Rajesh Faldesai besides CCP Mayor Rohit Monserrate attended.
