The Andhra Pradesh government has entered into an agreement with electronics and electrical engineering giant Siemens to set up six Centres of Excellence in Andhra Pradesh and they will be linked to 30 skill development institutes.
The centres are likely to start functioning from May 1 giving a big push to the skill development programme of the State and tackle unemployment, said Labour and Employment Minister K. Atchannaidu.
To be set up by Siemens with an investment of Rs. 3,300 crore of which State’s share would be Rs. 330 crore, these centres function as ‘Hub and Spoke’ model. Under each Centre of Excellence, five or six technology skill development institutes would be linked.
Disclosing this in the Council here on Wednesday, the Minister said it would train 2.2 lakh students a year in technical skills comprising engineering, polytechnic and ITI students and unemployed youth in the vicinity of each centre.
Siemens, which is facilitating the project, also roped in other technological companies, including its competitors. Of six the Centres of Excellence, five would cater to two districts each and one centre would have three districts under its jurisdiction. Each centre will have five engineering colleges where training will be given not only to their students but also to other students and training will be also extended to teachers of engineering colleges.
Official sources said that the project would become a game changer in skill development and would go a long way in equipping youth with right skills required by the industry.
Responding to member K. Ravi Kiran Varma and others, Mr. Atchannaidu said that so far 285 skill development centres had been set up in the State and 53 more were in the offing, including the Siemens centres, and they would be commissioned by the year-end in a phased manner. About 90,000 youth in 13 districts were given skill development training last year and 19,500 candidates found placements.
Varsity to be set up
The Minister said district employment exchanges were changed into career guidance centres for public and private employment. Industrialists and entrepreneurs could approach these centres for their requirement of personnel, skill sets so that youth could be trained by the time their units were ready to commence operations.
Electronics and electrical engineering giant Siemens to invest Rs. 3,000 cr.
